Disco / Funk · 1970s — present
What BPM is Funk?
Funk sits at 118 BPM at the median, with most tracks between 105 and 125 BPM. The genre's editorial range is 90–110 BPM; our catalog measures slightly tighter.
Median BPM
118
Common range
105–125
Mean
115
Tracks measured
15
BPM distribution
15 tracks · median 118 BPM · most of the catalog sits between 105 and 125 BPM.
Why this tempo?
Funk's 90–110 BPM range emerged from the late 1960s as James Brown and his peers slowed soul and R&B to emphasize rhythmic precision over melodic momentum. This tempo sits where drum machines and live drummers could lock into the syncopated kick-and-snare pocket without losing the groove's physical weight on the dancefloor. Unlike disco's 120+ sprint, funk prioritized the *feel* of each sixteenth-note subdivision and the space between hits—essential for slap bass articulation and horn section punctuation. The slower pace also accommodated the analog synthesizers and drum machines of the 1970s, which demanded careful tuning and sync. Funk remained the blueprint for hip-hop, G-funk, and modern trap production, all of which inherited this mid-tempo philosophy.
Where your track fits
Three reference points along the BPM axis for funk, with what the position implies about the track.
Groovy side
Lower quartile — patient builds, deeper grooves, long blends.
Genre centre
Median — what most tracks in the catalog actually sound like.
Peak-time edge
Upper quartile — pushes the floor, bridges into faster neighbours.
Where funk sits on the tempo axis
Median BPM of funk compared to neighbouring genres in the same family. Closer medians mean easier cross-genre transitions.
Funk
118 BPMDisco
121 BPMNu-disco
122 BPM
Popular funk tracks at the median BPM
Catalog tracks within ±2 BPM of 118, sorted by popularity.
Top funk artists in the catalog
Names you’ll meet often when building funk sets.
- Jamiroquai1
- Daft Punk1
- Rick James1
- Parliament1
- A Taste Of Honey1
- Vulfmon1
- Elia y Elizabeth1
- Nightmares On Wax1
Producing funk — tempo notes
- ›Set your kick pattern at 100 BPM with a swing of 55–65% on the hi-hat to create the classic syncopated pocket; avoid quantizing to the grid entirely.
- ›Layer slap bass at 95–105 BPM with 8th-note ghost notes between the main hits to fill the space that slower tempos expose.
- ›Keep horn stabs and string hits locked to phrase boundaries (4 or 8 bars) rather than on-beat hits; the syncopation comes from *when* you *don't* play.
Mixing funk sets — tempo notes
- ›When blending funk tracks, use 8–16 bar blend lengths at 100 BPM to respect the groove's phrasing; shorter blends will kill the pocket.
- ›Sidechain the bass to the kick at 90–110 BPM with a fast attack (10–20 ms) and medium release (80–120 ms) to maintain clarity without losing the locked feel.
- ›EQ out 200–400 Hz on the drums to prevent muddiness; funk's power sits in the sub (60–80 Hz) and the high-mid punch (3–5 kHz).
FAQ
What BPM is Funk?⌄
Has funk's BPM changed over time?⌄
At what BPM should I produce a funk track?⌄
What Camelot keys are most common in funk?⌄
Plan a chemistry-scored set