Trance · 1990s Goa — present
What BPM is Psytrance?
Psytrance sits at 140 BPM at the median, with most tracks between 135 and 143 BPM. The genre's editorial range is 138–148 BPM; our catalog measures slightly tighter.
Median BPM
140
Common range
135–143
Mean
133
Tracks measured
921
BPM distribution
921 tracks · median 140 BPM · most of the catalog sits between 135 and 143 BPM · 79 outliers removed by IQR filter.
How psytrance tempo has shifted
Across 651 psytrance tracks spanning 2015–2026, the median has crept up by 3.0 BPM (from 137 to 140) with the highest median in 2024 (142 BPM) and the lowest in 2015 (137 BPM).
Why this tempo?
Psytrance settled at 138–148 BPM because the tempo sits above house's physicality yet below drum-and-bass's breakneck complexity, creating space for intricate layering without losing dancefloor momentum. The Goa scene of the 1990s inherited this sweet spot from early trance pioneers; the range accommodates both acid-line countermelody and the hypnotic repetition essential to forest-festival aesthetics. At these tempos, kick patterns lock into polyrhythmic subdivisions that feel natural on hardware sequencers, while the 16th-note hi-hat rolls and snare rolls remain articulate rather than blurred. The tempo also allows DJs to extend breakdowns and build tension across 32–64 bar phrases without losing crowd energy—critical for the genre's trance-state function.
Where your track fits
Three reference points along the BPM axis for psytrance, 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 psytrance sits on the tempo axis
Median BPM of psytrance compared to neighbouring genres in the same family. Closer medians mean easier cross-genre transitions.
Popular psytrance tracks at the median BPM
Catalog tracks within ±2 BPM of 140, sorted by popularity.
Top psytrance artists in the catalog
Names you’ll meet often when building psytrance sets.
Producing psytrance — tempo notes
- ›Anchor your acid bassline to 138–142 BPM for clarity; faster tempos (145–148) demand tighter filter automation to prevent mud when layering multiple synth lines.
- ›Use 16th-note swing (50–65% swing depth) on hi-hats and percussion to humanise the mechanical feel; at 140 BPM, this creates the rolling, hypnotic texture without losing pocket.
- ›Build breakdowns over 32 or 64 bars; at 143 BPM, a 64-bar strip-down followed by a 16-bar reintroduction of the kick maintains tension without stalling forward motion.
Mixing psytrance sets — tempo notes
- ›Blend tracks over 16–24 bars using EQ isolation; at 142 BPM, isolate the incoming acid line in the 500 Hz–2 kHz band before bringing in the full kick to avoid phase clash.
- ›Sidechain compress the bass to the kick with a 50–80 ms release; at 145 BPM, longer release times (80 ms) let the bass breathe between kick hits without losing definition.
- ›Use the filter knob to ride the incoming track's top end during the last 8 bars of a phrase; this prevents buildup fatigue during extended peak-time sets.