What BPM is Trance?

Trance has a median tempo of 138 BPM. Half of all trance sits between 130 and 140 BPM, measured across 24,586 analysed tracks. The genre's editorial range is 130–145 BPM; our catalog measures slightly tighter.

Trance · 1990s — present

Measured 16 September 2026 from 24,586 trance tracks in our catalog. 1,536 tempo outliers removed by a Tukey IQR fence. No track needed a half-time correction. 1,576 tracks (6.4%) 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

138

Middle half

130–140

9 in 10

128–140

Mean

136

Tracks measured

24,586

BPM distribution

24,586 tracks · median 138 BPM · most of the catalog sits between 130 and 140 BPM · 1536 outliers removed by IQR filter.

Median Middle half (Q1–Q3) Edge of range

How tightly does trance hold its tempo?

Half of all trance sits inside a 10 BPM window, 130 to 140. Widen to nine tracks in ten and the band runs 128–140 BPM. No trance genre charted below spreads wider — Uplifting trance holds to 2 BPM.

10th percentile 128 · lower quartile 130 · median 138 · upper quartile 140 · 90th percentile 140 BPM

How trance tempo has shifted

Across 8,743 trance tracks spanning 1998–2026, the median has crept up by 2.0 BPM (from 138 to 140) with the highest median in 2026 (140 BPM) and the lowest in 2012 (132 BPM).

Median per year Inter-quartile band

Why this tempo?

Trance settled at 130–145 BPM because the tempo sits at the threshold where kick patterns remain percussive yet arpeggios and melodic elements can sustain tension across long phrase cycles. The 1990s Frankfurt and Goa scenes established this range on hardware like the TR-909 and early samplers, where 16th-note hi-hat rolls and sidechain compression on the kick became defining textures. At this speed, four-bar and eight-bar breakdowns land with maximum impact on the dancefloor, and the space between kick hits allows for the layered synth builds that define euphoric trance. Faster tempos would fragment the melodic arcs; slower ones would lose the propulsive energy that keeps peak-time crowds moving.

Where your track fits

Three reference points along the BPM axis for trance, with what the position implies about the track.

130BPM

Groovy side

Lower quartile — patient builds, deeper grooves, long blends.

138BPM

Genre centre

Median — what most tracks in the catalog actually sound like.

140BPM

Peak-time edge

Upper quartile — pushes the floor, bridges into faster neighbours.

Where trance sits on the tempo axis

Median BPM of trance compared to neighbouring genres in the same family. Closer medians mean easier cross-genre transitions.

124128132136140144

Popular trance tracks at the median BPM

Catalog tracks within ±2 BPM of 138, sorted by popularity.

Better Off Alone (Remastered) - 1999 Original Mix

Sandstorm - Original Version

Born Slippy - Nuxx / Remastered

Voices In My Head - Amelie Lens Remix

Traffic - Extended Mix

Top trance artists in the catalog

Names you’ll meet often when building trance sets.

Dominant Camelot keys

Where trance producers cluster harmonically. 61% minor · 39% major

8A7.7%6A6.5%4A6.1%9A5.5%5A5.3%11A5.0%7A4.9%7B4.5%

8A is the most crowded key in trance: 7.7% of the 24,585 tracks we have a key for, 3.9× the rarest key in the genre (3B, 2.0%).

Producing trance — tempo notes

›Build arpeggios at 130–140 BPM using 16th-note or triplet patterns; they'll sit rhythmically between the kick and hi-hats without muddying the groove.
›Lock your sidechain compression to the kick at 135 BPM; use 50–100 ms attack and 200–400 ms release to let pads breathe between transients.
›Structure breakdowns to land on 16 or 32-bar phrases; at 138 BPM, a 32-bar section runs exactly 92 seconds, giving DJs time to blend.

Mixing trance sets — tempo notes

›Blend tracks over 32 bars at 130–145 BPM using the kick as your anchor; loop the incoming track's intro for 2–4 bars before bringing in the bass.
›EQ the outgoing track's mids down 3–6 dB in the final 16 bars to create space for the incoming breakdown without killing energy.
›Use a 0.5–1 semitone pitch shift on the outgoing track's final 8 bars to mask the tempo transition if blending tracks 3–5 BPM apart.

All 138 BPM tracks How to mix trance EDM genre BPM chart BPM for every genre

FAQ

What BPM is Trance?⌄

Has trance's BPM changed over time?⌄

Yes — across the 24,586 tracks we measured, the median has varied year to year. The chart on this page shows the full year-by-year picture.

At what BPM should I produce a trance track?⌄

Anchor your kick at 138 BPM for the genre centre. 140 BPM is the upper-quartile edge if you're producing for peak-time. Below 130 BPM you're outside the middle half of what we measured.

What Camelot keys are most common in trance?⌄

The dominant Camelot keys in our trance catalog are 8A, 6A, 4A. 61% of tracks are in minor keys (A); 39% major (B). 8A is the most crowded key in trance: 7.7% of the 24,585 tracks we have a key for, 3.9× the rarest key in the genre (3B, 2.0%).

DJ terms on this page: BPM · Phrase · Energy curve · Four-on-the-floor · Full glossary

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