What BPM is Techno?
Techno has a median tempo of 133 BPM. Half of all techno sits between 128 and 140 BPM, measured across 43,800 analysed tracks. The genre's editorial range is 130–140 BPM; our catalog measures wider.
Techno · 1980s Detroit — present
Measured 16 September 2026 from 43,800 techno tracks in our catalog. 2,962 tempo outliers removed by a Tukey IQR fence. 1,864 tracks were detected at half tempo and corrected to their written BPM. 3,989 tracks (9.1%) carry a tempo our detectors flagged for review; they are included in these figures.
Method: how we correct half-time BPM detection — why fast genres get stored at half speed, and the rule we apply before publishing a median.
Median BPM
133
Middle half
128–140
9 in 10
126–146
Mean
135
Tracks measured
43,800
BPM distribution
43,800 tracks · median 133 BPM · most of the catalog sits between 128 and 140 BPM · 2962 outliers removed by IQR filter.
How tightly does techno hold its tempo?
Half of all techno sits inside a 12 BPM window, 128 to 140. Widen to nine tracks in ten and the band runs 126–146 BPM. Among the techno genres charted below it sits mid-pack: Melodic techno holds to 2 BPM, Hard techno spreads over 19.
10th percentile 126 · lower quartile 128 · median 133 · upper quartile 140 · 90th percentile 146 BPM
How techno tempo has shifted
Across 9,730 techno tracks spanning 1991–2026, the median has crept up by 10.5 BPM (from 128 to 138) with the highest median in 2025 (140 BPM) and the lowest in 2013 (126 BPM).
Why this tempo?
Techno settled into the 130–140 BPM range because it mirrors the human heartbeat under exertion while remaining mechanically precise enough for the four-on-the-floor kick patterns that defined Detroit's early sound. The TR-909 and TR-808 drum machines, hardware constraints of 1980s production, naturally favored tempos where kick spacing felt both hypnotic and dancefloor-functional. Unlike house music's groove-forward 120 BPM pocket, techno's faster pulse enabled longer, more austere breakdowns and the industrial repetition that became the genre's signature. The tempo also allowed DJs to blend tracks across a narrow, predictable range without radical pitch-shifting, essential for vinyl-era mixing. Subtraction—stripping elements rather than layering—works best when the underlying pulse is fast enough to sustain tension through silence.
Where your track fits
Three reference points along the BPM axis for techno, 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 techno sits on the tempo axis
Median BPM of techno compared to neighbouring genres in the same family. Closer medians mean easier cross-genre transitions.
Popular techno tracks at the median BPM
Catalog tracks within ±2 BPM of 133, sorted by popularity.
Top techno artists in the catalog
Names you’ll meet often when building techno sets.
Producing techno — tempo notes
- ›Set your master tempo to 135 BPM as a reference point; this sits comfortably in the genre's sweet spot and allows kick patterns to breathe without rushing.
- ›Use sidechain compression on pads and bass at 130–138 BPM to lock the decay to quarter-note or eighth-note subdivisions; avoid syncopation that obscures the mechanical grid.
- ›Build breakdowns by removing layers in 8 or 16-bar phrases rather than adding; at 135 BPM, even a lone filtered kick maintains forward momentum.
Mixing techno sets — tempo notes
- ›Mix tracks within a 130–140 BPM range to avoid extreme tempo adjustments; blending over 32 bars at ±2% pitch shift keeps the industrial character intact.
- ›Use high-pass filters to separate kick frequencies when layering two tracks near 135 BPM; techno's subtraction principle means clarity matters more than density.
- ›Ride the crossfader in straight cuts or slow 16-bar fades rather than long blends; the mechanical nature of 135 BPM tracks rewards precision over smoothness.
FAQ
What BPM is Techno?⌄
Has techno's BPM changed over time?⌄
At what BPM should I produce a techno track?⌄
What Camelot keys are most common in techno?⌄
DJ terms on this page: BPM · Phrase · Energy curve · Four-on-the-floor · Full glossary
Plan a chemistry-scored set