Song Length Calculator
Most of the time musicians use this song length calculator to determine the duration of a musical piece based on various musical parameters such as tempo (beats per minute or BPM), time signature, and number of bars or measures.
When composing a song with the following characteristics:
- Tempo: 120 BPM
- Time Signature: 4/4
- Number of Bars: 64
With song duration calculation you quickly determine that this song would be approximately 2 minutes and 8 seconds long.
Song Length Calculation Chart
| Tempo (BPM) | Time Signature | Number of Bars | Song Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 4/4 | 32 | 1:04 |
| 90 | 3/4 | 48 | 2:24 |
| 140 | 6/8 | 64 | 2:44 |
| 100 | 5/4 | 40 | 2:00 |
Song Length Calculation Formula
The basic formula for calculating song length is:
Song Length (in seconds) = (Number of Bars x Beats per Bar x 60) / Tempo (BPM)
- Tempo: 100 BPM
- Time Signature: 4/4 (4 beats per bar)
- Number of Bars: 64
Song Length = (64 x 4 x 60) / 100 = 153.6 secondsConverting to minutes and seconds: 2 minutes and 33.6 seconds
How to Find the Duration of a Song?
Finding the duration of a song can be done in several ways, depending on the information you have available:
Using a Song Length Calculator:
Tempo: 135 BPM
Time Signature: 4/4
Number of Bars: 128
Song Length = (128 x 4 x 60) / 135 = 227.56 seconds ≈ 3 minutes and 47 secondsDigital Audio Workstation (DAW):
In a DAW, the length is typically displayed in the timeline. For example, in Ableton Live, you might see “3:24.000” at the end of your composition.