BPM (Beats Per Minute) is the measurement of a track's tempo — the number of beat pulses that occur in one minute. It is the most fundamental rhythmic parameter of any piece of music and directly influences how listeners perceive the energy and movement of a track.
BPM ranges in popular music typically span from 60 BPM (slow ballads) to 180 BPM (fast drum-and-bass or hardcore). Different genres cluster around characteristic tempo ranges: Hip-hop typically sits between 70–100 BPM, pop between 100–130 BPM, house and techno between 120–140 BPM, and drum and bass between 160–180 BPM. A track's BPM also determines its suitability for specific platform contexts — TikTok content tends to favour tracks between 120–140 BPM for vertical video pacing.
SongScore automatically detects BPM from the audio signal, including recognising half-time and double-time interpretations. For example, a track at 140 BPM can be perceived as 70 BPM if the listener feels the beat in half-time. SongScore reports both the detected BPM and the perceptually dominant tempo.