BPM and Pitch
What a tempo change does to pitch, in percent, semitones and cents.
The tempo you are shifting to.
Four beats of 4/4, pulsing at the tempo shown.
- Percentage
- %
- Cents
- ¢
- Speed ratio
- 1.0667×
- New beat
- ms
When speed and pitch stay coupled, changing tempo shifts pitch by 12 x log2 of the tempo ratio. Going from 120 to 128 BPM raises pitch by 6.67%, or 1.12 semitones. Doubling the tempo raises it exactly one octave. Enter two tempos below for percent, semitones and cents.
What common shifts do
The standard ±8% turntable range moves pitch by a little over a semitone either way — enough to take a track audibly out of key with another, which is the whole reason harmonic mixing exists.
| Shift | From 120 BPM | Semitones | Cents |
|---|---|---|---|
| -16% | 100.8 BPM | -3.02 | -302 |
| -8% | 110.4 BPM | -1.44 | -144 |
| -4% | 115.2 BPM | -0.71 | -71 |
| +4% | 124.8 BPM | 0.68 | 68 |
| +8% | 129.6 BPM | 1.33 | 133 |
| +16% | 139.2 BPM | 2.57 | 257 |
| +50% | 180 BPM | 7.02 | 702 |
| +100% | 240 BPM | 12 | 1200 |
The formula
semitones = 12 × log₂(target BPM ÷ original BPM)
Pitch perception is logarithmic: an octave is a doubling of frequency, and an octave holds twelve semitones. Going from 120 to 128 BPM is a ratio of 1.0667, which works out to 1.117 semitones.
When this applies
- Turntables — the pitch fader changes both. ±8% is standard, ±16% and ±50% on some decks.
- Tape and varispeed — physically coupled by definition.
- Samplers in fixed-ratio mode — playing a sample faster transposes it.
- Repitching a loop with warping switched off.
Not for time-stretched audio. Modern DAW algorithms break the link deliberately so tempo can change while pitch holds. If your DAW is warping, this describes what would have happened without warping, not what you are hearing. For a pure feel change with no audio difference at all, see the tempo change calculator.
Need every value at once?
The main BPM calculator shows milliseconds, delay times, reverb ranges, hertz and bar length together, updating from a single tempo.
Understand the maths
When speed and pitch are coupled, as on a turntable or a sampler without time-stretching, doubling the tempo raises pitch by exactly one octave. The shift is 12 x log2 of the tempo ratio. Time-stretching algorithms break this link deliberately so tempo can change while pitch holds.
Common questions
How much does pitch change when I change tempo?
When speed and pitch are coupled, the shift equals 12 multiplied by the base-2 logarithm of the tempo ratio. Going from 120 to 128 BPM raises pitch by about 1.12 semitones.
Does doubling the tempo raise pitch by an octave?
Yes, exactly one octave, provided speed and pitch stay linked. That is the definition of an octave: a doubling of frequency.
Why does my DAW change tempo without changing pitch?
It is time-stretching. Modern algorithms decouple speed from pitch deliberately, so the relationship described here applies only to varispeed, turntables and samplers in fixed-ratio mode.
Related tools and guides
- Tempo Change Calculator Work out half-time and double-time tempos, percentage changes and the difference between two tempos, with the effect on beat length shown. Converter
- BPM Calculator Tap a tempo and get every value it drives: milliseconds per beat, delay and reverb times, hertz, frames and bar length. Free, instant, no sign-up.
- Tempo Ranges by Genre Typical BPM ranges for common genres, with the overlaps and half-time ambiguities that trip up tempo detection, and what each range means in ms. Reference
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