Note duration calculator

BPM to milliseconds

Convert any tempo into straight, dotted and triplet note lengths for precise tempo-synced production.

Tempo

BPM

One beat500.00 ms

Note	Straight	Dotted	Triplet
1/1Whole	2000.0 ms	3000.0 ms	1333.3 ms
1/2Half	1000.0 ms	1500.0 ms	666.67 ms
1/4Quarter	500.00 ms	750.00 ms	333.33 ms
1/8Eighth	250.00 ms	375.00 ms	166.67 ms
1/16Sixteenth	125.00 ms	187.50 ms	83.33 ms
1/32Thirty-second	62.50 ms	93.75 ms	41.67 ms

Formula

How to convert BPM to milliseconds

A quarter-note beat lasts 60,000 divided by the tempo in BPM. Other note lengths use that beat duration as a base: an eighth note is one half, a sixteenth is one quarter, a dotted value is 1.5 times its straight value, and a triplet uses two thirds of the matching straight note.

note length (ms) = 60,000 ÷ BPM × note multiplier

01
Use straight values for conventional quarter, eighth and sixteenth-note timing.
02
Dotted values last 1.5 times the straight note and often create a syncopated bounce.
03
Triplet values divide a beat into three equal parts instead of two.

Worked example

Example: note lengths at 120 BPM

At 120 BPM, a quarter note is 500 ms. That makes an eighth note 250 ms, a sixteenth note 125 ms, a dotted eighth 375 ms, and an eighth-note triplet about 166.67 ms.

Good to know

Assumptions and limits

BPM refers to quarter-note beats unless your tempo marking uses a different beat unit.
Displayed results are rounded for readability; calculations use the unrounded value.
Tempo changes and swing are not included in the straight mathematical durations.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is one beat in milliseconds?

In most 4/4 production contexts, one beat is a quarter note. Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get its length in milliseconds.

Why do delay plugins use milliseconds?

Some effects do not offer host synchronization. Entering the calculated millisecond value keeps the effect aligned to the project tempo.

Do time signatures change the note length?

The BPM and beat unit determine note duration. Time signature changes how beats are grouped into bars, not the underlying duration at a given beat unit.