Free online tool

BPM to ms Calculator for Delay and Note Lengths

BPM to ms calculator: milliseconds and Hz for whole to 1/64 notes, straight, dotted and triplet. Tap a tempo, copy any value, print a 60-180 BPM chart.

Tempo (BPM, quarter notes per minute) Tap here (or press T) in time to set the tempo.

Note lengths at 120 BPM. Press a value to copy it.
Note	Straight		Dotted		Triplet
Note	ms	Hz	ms	Hz	ms	Hz

Delay time to BPM

Length (ms) Equals one

= 120 BPM

Printable BPM to ms chart, 60 to 180 BPM

Milliseconds per note at common tempos, quarter note = 1 beat. Dotted note = ×1.5; triplet = ×2/3.

BPM	Quarter (1/4)	Eighth (1/8)	Sixteenth (1/16)
60	1000.00	500.00	250.00
65	923.08	461.54	230.77
70	857.14	428.57	214.29
75	800.00	400.00	200.00
80	750.00	375.00	187.50
85	705.88	352.94	176.47
90	666.67	333.33	166.67
95	631.58	315.79	157.89
100	600.00	300.00	150.00
105	571.43	285.71	142.86
110	545.45	272.73	136.36
115	521.74	260.87	130.43
120	500.00	250.00	125.00
125	480.00	240.00	120.00
130	461.54	230.77	115.38
135	444.44	222.22	111.11
140	428.57	214.29	107.14
145	413.79	206.90	103.45
150	400.00	200.00	100.00
155	387.10	193.55	96.77
160	375.00	187.50	93.75
165	363.64	181.82	90.91
170	352.94	176.47	88.24
175	342.86	171.43	85.71
180	333.33	166.67	83.33

musictheoryprint.com/bpm-to-ms/ — ms = 60000 ÷ BPM × (4 ÷ note value)

About the BPM to ms Calculator

The BPM to ms Calculator converts a tempo in beats per minute into the length of each note value in milliseconds and in Hz. It is a free bpm calculator that runs in your web browser with no sign-up, and nothing you enter is uploaded. Enter a song’s tempo and you get every note from a whole note down to 1/64, in straight, dotted and triplet timing. You can paste those values into a delay time, reverb pre-delay, LFO or compressor release without doing the arithmetic yourself. The tool also works the other way, from a delay time back to BPM, and can print a 60-180 BPM reference chart.

How to use the BPM to ms Calculator

Type the song’s tempo into the Tempo (BPM, quarter notes per minute) box. If you do not know the tempo, press Tap tempo, or the T key, in time with the music.
Read the ms and Hz values for each note, from whole note (1/1) down to 1/64, under Straight, Dotted and Triplet. Each value is for one note, so a dotted eighth and a plain eighth at the same tempo give different delay times.
Press any value to copy it.
Paste the copied value into your delay, reverb pre-delay, LFO or compressor release.

If your plugin asks for milliseconds, use the ms value. If it asks for a rate, such as for a tempo-synced LFO or tremolo, use the Hz value.

To start the tool at a particular tempo, open the page with ?bpm=95 added to the address. The Delay time to BPM control goes the other way, from a delay length to a tempo. Print this chart gives you the 60-180 BPM reference sheet to keep beside your music.

The most useful tip for this BPM to ms calculator is to pick the note value that matches your part, then check which beat your tempo counts. Find its row in the table, and compare the Straight, Dotted and Triplet columns to find the timing that suits your groove.

Dotted and triplet values often land between the beats.

How do you convert BPM to ms?#

Tempo counts quarter notes per minute, so one quarter note lasts 60000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. At 120 BPM that is 500 ms. Any other note value 1/n lasts 240000 ÷ (BPM × n) ms. A whole note at 120 BPM is 2000 ms, an eighth is 250 ms and a sixteenth is 125 ms.

Dotted and triplet notes are changes to the straight length. A dotted note is 3/2 of the straight value, because the dot adds half again. A triplet is 2/3 of the straight value, three notes in the time of two. Using an eighth note at 120 BPM as the base, the straight value is 250 ms, the dotted value is 375 ms and the triplet value is 166.67 ms. Dotted-eighth and triplet delays are common choices because they land between the beats.

Hz is cycles per second, so Hz = 1000 ÷ ms. A quarter note at 120 BPM lasts 500 ms, which is 2 Hz. The two numbers describe the same event in different units. Use the Hz column when you need a rate, such as the speed of a tempo-synced LFO, tremolo or arpeggiator.

The calculator assumes that BPM counts quarter notes, which is the usual convention in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4. In 6/8 the beat is often a dotted quarter. If a piece is counted in dotted quarters at 60, the quarter-note tempo is 90, so enter 90. The time signatures chart explains which note gets the beat in each meter.

What delay times go with common tempos?#

At 120 BPM, a quarter-note delay is 500 ms, an eighth note is 250 ms, and a dotted eighth is 375 ms. To find the delay for any tempo, divide 60000 by the BPM to get one quarter note, then scale that for the note value you want.

Some common values:

90 BPM: quarter 666.67 ms, eighth 333.33 ms, dotted eighth 500 ms
100 BPM: quarter 600 ms, eighth 300 ms, dotted eighth 450 ms
120 BPM: quarter 500 ms, eighth 250 ms, dotted eighth 375 ms
140 BPM: quarter 428.57 ms, eighth 214.29 ms, dotted eighth 321.43 ms

To get the values for your own song:

Type the tempo in the Tempo (BPM) box, or press Tap tempo in time with the music.
Find the note value you need under Straight, Dotted or Triplet.
Press the value to copy it, then paste it into your delay.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free and does it need an account?

No account is needed, and the tool costs nothing to use. It runs in your browser with no sign-up.

Can I use it on a phone?

Yes, because the tool runs in a web browser. Open this page in your phone’s browser; there is no app to download.

How do I convert ms to BPM?

Use BPM = 60000 ÷ the quarter-note length in ms. For example, a quarter note of 500 ms gives 60000 ÷ 500 = 120 BPM. If you measure an eighth note, double the length first, because an eighth is half a quarter.

What is the delay time for a song at 90 BPM?

A quarter-note delay is 60000 ÷ 90 = 666.67 ms. The eighth-note delay is 333.33 ms, and the dotted eighth is 500 ms.

How do I find the tempo of a song first?

Tap along using the tap button on this page, or on the tap tempo page. The tap tempo page also shows how steady your taps were, and the half-time and double-time values.

Should I enter milliseconds or a note value in my delay plugin?

If your delay plugin lets you pick a note value, choose that instead of milliseconds. It then follows the project tempo automatically. Only copy a millisecond value when the plugin accepts nothing else.

What is 120 BPM in milliseconds?

At 120 BPM, one quarter note lasts 500 ms. To work it out yourself, divide 60000 by 120. Other note values at 120 BPM: - Eighth note: 250 ms - Dotted eighth note: 375 ms - Sixteenth note: 125 ms Type 120 in Tempo (BPM) to see every note value.