Music · Tempo
Bars to time calculator.
Work out how long 32 or 64 bars last at your BPM, how many bars fit in a 3 minute song, or what tempo fits a section into a set length.
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How do you convert bars to minutes and seconds?
BPM counts quarter-note beats per minute. A bar holds (beats per bar) × (4 / beat unit) quarter notes, so bar length in seconds = beats per bar × (4 / beat unit) × 60 / BPM. Multiply by the number of bars for the length. The tool counts the beat as a quarter note; in compound meters such as 6/8 the felt beat may be a dotted quarter, but the arithmetic above still gives the real clock time of a bar when the BPM is quoted in quarter notes.
Worked example. 64 bars of 4/4 at 120 BPM: one bar is 4 × 60 / 120 = 2 s, so 64 bars last 2:08 (128 s). A 3 minute track at 100 BPM in 4/4 holds 180 / 2.4 = 75 bars. To fit 64 bars of 4/4 into 2:30 you need 64 × 4 × 60 / 150 = 102.4 BPM.
Tempo changes and pickups. The tool assumes a constant tempo and complete bars. Intros with a tempo ramp, a pickup bar, fermatas or rubato change the real length, so add or subtract those by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How long is 32 bars at 120 BPM?
In 4/4, one bar lasts 2 seconds at 120 BPM, so 32 bars last 64 seconds (1:04).
How many bars are in a 3 minute song?
It depends on tempo: 75 bars of 4/4 at 100 BPM, and 90 bars at 120 BPM.
How do I work out bar length in seconds?
Beats per bar x (4 / beat unit) x 60 / BPM. For 4/4 at 100 BPM that is 4 x 60 / 100 = 2.4 s.
Does time signature change the length of a bar?
Yes. At the same BPM a 3/4 bar is three quarters of a 4/4 bar, and a 6/8 bar lasts as long as a 3/4 bar.
What tempo fits 64 bars into 2 minutes 30 seconds?
102.4 BPM in 4/4.
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Bar length is arithmetic: beats per bar x (4 / beat unit) x 60 / BPM, with BPM counted in quarter notes. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.