Note duration calculator

BPM to milliseconds

Convert BPM to straight, dotted and triplet note lengths in milliseconds for accurate tempo-synced music production.

BPM to ms: settings and guide

Tempo (quarter-note BPM)

BPM

One beat500 ms

Copy a timing value for your plugin, or choose Convert to samples for its sample-frame equivalent.

Note	Straight	Dotted	Triplet
1/1Whole	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/2Half	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/4Quarter	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/8Eighth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/16Sixteenth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/32Thirty-second	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/64Sixty-fourth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/128One hundred twenty-eighth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples

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
A triplet note lasts two thirds of the matching straight note, so three occupy the time 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.

Review BeatTiming's calculation accuracy, precision and release-testing methodology.

Read the musical unit

Convert a 96 BPM session into effect settings

Enter your DAW's quarter-note tempo, then choose both a row and a column. The Eighth row's Dotted column means a dotted eighth, not three eighth notes. Its multiplier is 0.75 of a quarter-note beat.

Enter 96 BPM. One quarter note is 625 ms. Use the note-length table above to choose the duration your effect needs.
Check the units. An eighth note is 312.5 ms, or 0.3125 seconds. If a plugin asks for seconds, divide its millisecond value by 1,000.
Update fixed times after tempo changes. At 100 BPM, an eighth note becomes 300 ms. A fixed 312.5 ms setting stays unchanged until you edit it; a host-synced eighth-note setting follows the session tempo.
Use your session's precision. Enter the nearest value the plugin supports. Select a duration in the table above when you need its sample-frame equivalent at a particular sample rate.

Worked conversions at 96 quarter-note BPM
Note value	Beat multiplier	Duration
Quarter	1	625 ms
Eighth	0.5	312.5 ms
Dotted eighth	0.75	468.75 ms
Eighth-note triplet	1/3	208.333… ms

What if a 6/8 tempo counts dotted-quarter beats?

A dotted quarter contains three eighth notes, or 1.5 quarter notes. If a score marks dotted quarter = 90, enter 90 × 1.5 = 135 quarter-note BPM here. The resulting quarter is about 444.44 ms, the eighth about 222.22 ms, and the dotted quarter about 666.67 ms—the duration of the marked beat. If your DAW already shows quarter-note BPM, enter that number directly.

Sample-rate timing

Working from samples instead of tempo?

BPM timing and sample-rate timing answer different questions. Use BPM for musical note lengths; use a sample-frame count when you need to translate an audio buffer, plugin latency or phase offset into real time.

Samples-to-milliseconds converter Convert sample frames to ms—or milliseconds back to frames—at the exact sample rate used by your session.
Tempo-synced delay calculator Choose practical echo intervals and stereo delay pairings from the same rhythmic timing relationship.
Printable BPM-to-ms chart Print or download common note, delay and 4/4 bar times from 60 to 200 BPM.

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.