BPM by genre: what tempo is trap, house, drill and more?
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Making a beat in a certain genre, or checking as a DJ whether a track fits your set? Then you want to know which tempo belongs to it. Short answer: boom bap sits around 90 BPM, afrobeats around 100 to 110, house around 124 to 128, trap and drill around 140, hardstyle around 150 to 160 and drum & bass around 170 to 175. Below you'll find the full chart, plus why no two lists online ever say exactly the same thing.
BPM by genre: the chart
Treat these as guidelines, not laws. Every genre has a zone where most tracks land, and there are always outliers. Column three tells you how the tempo feels, because that often matters more than the number itself.
Hip-hop, rap and R&B
| Genre | Typical tempo | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| Lo-fi | 60 to 90 BPM | Laid back, around 80 is a good start |
| R&B | 60 to 100 BPM | Slow, modern R&B is often set at double the number in half time |
| Boom bap | 85 to 95 BPM | Lots of room for words |
| Reggaeton | 85 to 100 BPM, often around 90 | Dembow groove, nice and relaxed |
| Afrobeats | 95 to 115 BPM | Bouncy, danceable without rushing |
| Trap | 130 to 150 BPM, often 140 | Half time: feels like 65 to 75 |
| Drill | 135 to 145 BPM, often 140 | Half time, with sliding 808s |
| Pluggnb | 130 to 150 BPM | Half time, soft and melodic |
| Phonk | 120 to 160 BPM | Wide: from slow Memphis style to drift phonk |
Dance, club and electronic
| Genre | Typical tempo | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| Amapiano | 108 to 115 BPM | Slower than house, log drum and shakers |
| Afro house | about 118 to 126 BPM | Deep and percussive |
| House | 120 to 130 BPM, modern often 124 to 128 | Four on the floor, the club standard |
| Tech house | about 122 to 130 BPM | Tight and groovy |
| Dutch house rap and student house | around 130 BPM, sometimes faster | Party, sing along, jump |
| Techno | about 125 to 140 BPM | Hypnotic, hard techno goes even faster |
| Trance | about 126 to 145 BPM | Euphoric, psytrance often sits on the fast side |
| Jersey club | 130 to 140 BPM | No half time: everything feels truly fast |
| Dubstep | about 138 to 142 BPM | Half time: feels like 70 |
| Hardstyle | about 150 to 160 BPM | Hard kick, tons of energy |
| Hardcore and gabber | 160 to 200 BPM | Everything turned up to max |
| Drum & bass | 160 to 180 BPM, modern often 170 to 175 | Fast breaks, the bass feels like half speed |
Pop is left out on purpose. Pop music has no fixed tempo: you'll find ballads under 80 and dance hits over 120.
The ranges are guidelines based on tempo overviews from sources like Mixgraph and Digital DJ Pool, plus what I use in my own beats. Every source draws the lines a little differently.
Why does every BPM list say something different?
Search "what BPM is trap" and one site says 70 while the next says 140. Both are right, and that comes down to three things.
- Half time and double time. A trap beat at 140 BPM has its snare on beat three. That makes it feel like 70. Some lists write down the feel, others the number in your DAW. Read more in half time vs double time.
- Subgenres. "Techno" is a whole spectrum, from mellow deep techno to hard techno that goes way past 140. The same goes for phonk and house.
- Genres shift. Tempos change over time and from country to country. Dutch student house, for example, often runs faster than classic house.
How to check the BPM of a track
Not sure which zone a track sits in? Measuring is faster than guessing.
- Open the free Beat Lab and drop your track in. You'll see the BPM and the key, and everything stays in your browser.
- Getting a number that looks like half or double what you expected? Then the tool is picking up the half time or double time feel. Multiply or divide by two and see which number matches the genre in the chart.
- Got a whole folder of beats, samples or DJ tracks? Use the batch BPM and key finder. It puts all your files in one list with BPM, key and Camelot code.
Prefer doing it by hand or in your DAW? How to find the BPM of a song covers four more ways.
Which tempo should you pick for your own track?
The chart is a starting point. The best tempo is the one where your flow or melody sits right.
- Start in the middle of the zone. Making a drill beat? Start at 140. An afrobeat? Start around 105.
- Rap or sing over it. Feels rushed? Drop a few BPM. Feels sluggish? Go up a few.
- Think about your flow. Lots of words per line works better on a slower tempo or in half time. Short, hard lines can go faster.
- Check your reference. Measure a track you love in the same genre and see where it lands.
Rapper looking for a beat? Browse the beats page, from trap to house and jersey. Pick the beat your flow lands on right away, not just the number in the chart.
Tip for DJs: switching between genres
House into trap? 128 and 140 are far apart, but a trap track at 140 feels like 70. That's why a break, an acapella or a quick cut can often get you from one genre to the next. If you really want to layer two tracks, their tempos need to be close. Learn how in learning to beatmatch, and how to build tempo across a night in how to build a DJ set.
FAQ
What BPM is rap?
It depends on the style. Boom bap and old school rap often sit around 85 to 95 BPM. Trap and drill are usually around 140, but feel like 70 because of the half time feel.
What BPM is house music?
Usually between 120 and 130 BPM, modern club house often between 124 and 128. Dutch house rap and student house often go to 130 or higher.
What BPM is techno?
Roughly 125 to 140 BPM. Hard techno often goes beyond that.
What BPM is hardstyle?
About 150 to 160 BPM. Mixgraph measured a median of 155 BPM across more than 2,000 hardstyle tracks.
Is 140 BPM fast?
On paper, yes, but it depends on how the drums play. Jersey club at 140 feels truly fast. A trap beat at 140 actually feels calm, because the snare only hits once per bar.
Which genre has the highest BPM?
Among the well known genres, hardcore, gabber and frenchcore sit highest, often way above 160 BPM.