Metronome Calculator
Tempo in beats per minute and note duration in milliseconds are two sides of the same number: a minute holds 60,000 milliseconds, so a quarter-note beat lasts 60,000 divided by the tempo. Every other note value is a simple fraction of that beat. Enter a tempo and this calculator returns the duration of whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes, along with dotted and triplet timings and the beat frequency in hertz, all locked exactly to the tempo for practice, scoring, or setting delay times.
Metronome formula
Quarter note (beat) ms = 60,000 / BPM
Half note = beat * 2; whole note = beat * 4
Eighth = beat / 2; sixteenth = beat / 4
Dotted eighth = (beat / 2) * 1.5
Eighth triplet = (beat / 2) * 2 / 3
Beat frequency (Hz) = BPM / 60
Every value is locked to the tempo, so the durations stay in time. Dotted notes add half their value and triplets fit three in the space of two.
Tempo context
- BPM in common notation counts quarter-note beats per minute.
- At 120 BPM a quarter note is exactly 500 milliseconds.
- Setting a delay to a dotted-eighth time creates the classic syncopated echo used in many productions.
- Triplet timing divides the beat into three equal parts for a rolling feel.
- The beat frequency in hertz is just the tempo divided by 60.
Metronome calculator: frequently asked questions
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
Beats per minute counts quarter-note beats per minute in common notation. One beat lasts 60,000 divided by the BPM milliseconds, because there are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute. At 120 BPM a quarter note is 60,000 divided by 120, which is 500 milliseconds.
How are other note values calculated?
Each note value is a fraction of the quarter-note beat. A half note is twice as long, a whole note four times, an eighth note half, and a sixteenth note a quarter. The calculator multiplies or divides the beat duration accordingly, so all values stay locked to the tempo.
What are dotted and triplet durations?
A dotted note lasts 1.5 times its plain value, since the dot adds half again. A triplet fits three notes in the space of two, so a triplet note is two thirds of the plain value. The calculator shows dotted-eighth and eighth-triplet times, which are common delay and groove settings.
Why do producers use note durations in milliseconds?
Setting a delay or echo time to a note value, like a dotted eighth, locks the effect to the song's tempo so it sits in time with the music. Converting the chosen note value to milliseconds gives the exact delay time to dial in on hardware or a plugin.
How does BPM relate to frequency?
Beats per minute divided by 60 gives beats per second, which is the beat frequency in hertz. At 120 BPM the beat frequency is 2 hertz. This is the same relationship as note duration, just expressed as a rate rather than a period.
Official sources
- NIST: Time and frequency, the second and the hertz.
- U.S. Library of Congress: The metronome and musical tempo.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 16 June 2026. See our methodology.