What BPM means in music? Frequently Asked Questions

BPM means "beats per minute". It is the unit musicians use to measure the tempo of a piece of music. The note value of a beat is defined by the denominator of the time signature, which is usually a quarter note (in 4/4).

Knowing the BPM is important for people involved in the creation of music, because it allows them to plan music and understand how parts of a song may fit in with other segments. Professional DJs are also very interested in the BPM of music, because they have to mix records together as part of their set. Getting the BPM wrong here prevents them from mixing music seamlessly.

There are a number of different BPMs that cover the wide variety in styles of music. For example, a slow Adagio in classical music will have a significantly lower BPM count than a fast death metal piece of music.