BPM to Delay Time Calculator
In music production, delay and echo effects sound best when their repeats line up with the beat, which means setting the delay time to match the song tempo. Converting beats per minute into milliseconds is a single division: there are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute, and the tempo tells you how many beats fill that minute, so 60,000 divided by the tempo gives the length of one beat, a quarter note, in milliseconds. Every other note value follows directly: an eighth note is half the quarter, a sixteenth a quarter of it, a dotted note 1.5 times its base, and a triplet two thirds. This calculator takes a tempo and returns the quarter-note delay along with the common eighth, dotted-eighth, sixteenth and triplet times that producers reach for most. It is the quick reference you need when dialing in a tempo-synced delay, a rhythmic echo, or a tight slapback that still sits in the groove. The quarter-note result depends only on the tempo, so it holds in any time signature where the beat is a quarter note. Every figure here is computed deterministically from the 60,000 divided by tempo relationship shown below, with a worked example that reconciles exactly to the calculator so you can follow each step.
The quarter-note delay is sixty thousand milliseconds divided by the tempo: delay (ms) = 60,000 / BPM. At 120 BPM the quarter note is 500.00 ms, the eighth note 250 ms and the dotted eighth 375 ms.
BPM to delay time formula
quarter note (ms) = 60000 / BPM
eighth note = quarter / 2
sixteenth = quarter / 4
dotted note = base x 1.5, triplet = base x 2/3
A minute holds 60,000 milliseconds, so dividing by the number of beats per minute returns the length of one quarter-note beat. Other note values scale from there.
Worked example
A track runs at 120 beats per minute.
- Quarter note: 60,000 / 120 = 500 ms.
- Eighth note: 500 / 2 = 250 ms.
- Dotted eighth: 250 x 1.5 = 375 ms.
- Eighth triplet: 250 x 2 / 3 = 166.67 ms.
The quarter-note delay is 500.00 ms. These are the calculator's default inputs, so the result above matches the widget exactly.
Delay times at common tempos
| Tempo | Quarter | Eighth | Sixteenth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 BPM | 666.67 ms | 333.33 ms | 166.67 ms |
| 120 BPM | 500.00 ms | 250.00 ms | 125.00 ms |
| 128 BPM | 468.75 ms | 234.38 ms | 117.19 ms |
| 140 BPM | 428.57 ms | 214.29 ms | 107.14 ms |
Time and frequency measurement: US National Institute of Standards and Technology.
BPM to delay time calculator: frequently asked questions
How do you convert BPM to delay time?
Divide 60,000 by the tempo in beats per minute. There are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute, and at a given tempo there are that many beats per minute, so 60,000 divided by the tempo gives the length of one beat, a quarter note, in milliseconds. Shorter note values are simple fractions of that quarter-note time.
Why 60,000?
Because there are 60 seconds in a minute and 1,000 milliseconds in a second, a minute contains 60,000 milliseconds. Beats per minute counts how many beats fill that minute, so dividing 60,000 by the tempo distributes the minute evenly across the beats, giving the duration of one beat in milliseconds.
How do I get eighth-note or dotted delay times?
Start from the quarter-note time. An eighth note is half of it, a sixteenth note a quarter of it. A dotted note is 1.5 times its base value, and a triplet is two thirds. For example, at a 500 ms quarter note, the eighth note is 250 ms, the dotted eighth is 375 ms and the eighth triplet is about 167 ms.
What is delay time used for?
In music production, delay and echo effects are usually set to a note value so the repeats line up with the beat. Converting the song tempo into milliseconds lets you dial in a delay that is rhythmically in time, whether you want a tight slapback, a quarter-note echo, or a dotted-eighth pattern common in many records.
Does this assume 4/4 time?
The quarter-note calculation only depends on the tempo, so it holds in any time signature where the beat is a quarter note, including 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4. If your music counts the beat as a different note value, adjust accordingly, but the 60,000 divided by tempo result always gives the duration of one quarter note.
Official sources
- Time and frequency measurement standards: US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). As at 25 June 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. This is general information, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice.