How fast or slow the song moves. Measured in BPM (beats per minute).
Think of it as: The song's speedometer.
Examples:
- 60 BPM = one beat per second (like a clock ticking)
- 120 BPM = twice as fast
- Your resting heartbeat ≈ 60-80 BPM
See: Beats & Rhythms for full BPM breakdown and production technicalities (including the trap tempo paradox).
In AI prompts:
- "Slow tempo" or "60 BPM" see Slow Tempo Examples
- "Uptempo" or "130 BPM" see Uptempo Examples
- "Moderate pace" see Moderate Pace Examples
Important: Some genres have tempo quirks where perceived speed differs from actual BPM. See Production Technicalities for details on trap (70 BPM but feels like 140), dubstep (140 BPM but feels like 70), and other tempo confusions.