BPM to Hz Converter
Hertz means cycles per second, and a tempo in beats per minute is simply beats counted over 60 seconds, so converting between them is a matter of dividing by 60. This matters when a synth low-frequency oscillator, tremolo, auto-filter, or other modulation control is set in hertz and you want it to pulse in time with the track. This converter takes your tempo in BPM and returns the beat frequency in hertz, plus the eighth-note and sixteenth-note rates and the bar frequency in common 4/4 time, so you can set any rate control to lock to the groove.
BPM to Hz formula
Beat frequency = BPM / 60
Eighth note = beat frequency * 2
Sixteenth note = beat frequency * 4
Bar frequency = beat frequency / beats per bar
Hertz is cycles per second and BPM is beats per 60 seconds, so dividing by 60 converts between them. Faster note values multiply the beat frequency; a bar divides it by the number of beats in the bar.
Tempo frequency context
- 120 BPM equals a 2 Hz beat, a 4 Hz eighth note, and a 0.5 Hz bar in 4/4 time.
- These rates are sub-audio, felt as rhythm rather than heard as pitch.
- Set an LFO rate in hertz to this value to sync modulation to the tempo.
- Doubling the rate moves up an octave in modulation speed; halving moves down.
- Adjust beats per bar for time signatures other than 4/4 to get the correct bar frequency.
BPM to Hz: frequently asked questions
How do I convert BPM to Hz?
Hertz means cycles per second. A tempo in beats per minute is beats per 60 seconds, so the beat frequency in hertz is the tempo divided by 60. A tempo of 120 BPM is 2 Hz: two beats every second. Faster note values are higher frequencies and bars are lower frequencies.
Why convert tempo to a frequency?
Many synth and effect controls are set in hertz, such as a low-frequency oscillator rate or a tremolo speed. Converting the song tempo to hertz lets you set those controls so the modulation locks to the beat instead of drifting against it.
What is the eighth-note frequency?
An eighth note happens twice per beat, so its frequency is double the beat frequency. At 120 BPM the beat frequency is 2 Hz and the eighth-note frequency is 4 Hz. Sixteenth notes are four times the beat frequency.
What is the bar frequency?
In common 4/4 time a bar is four beats, so the bar frequency is the beat frequency divided by four. At 120 BPM the bar frequency is 0.5 Hz, meaning one bar every two seconds. Use this for slow sweeps that cycle once per measure.
Is this the same as the audible pitch of the tempo?
No. These rates are well below the roughly 20 Hz lower limit of human pitch hearing, so they are felt as rhythm and modulation, not as a musical note. To turn a tempo into an audible pitch you would multiply the beat frequency by a power of two until it rises into the audible range.
Official sources
- UNSW School of Physics: Music acoustics.
- MIDI Association: MIDI tempo and timing specification.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.