Trance · 1990s — present
What BPM is Trance?
Trance sits at 137 BPM at the median, with most tracks between 133 and 140 BPM. The genre's editorial range is 130–145 BPM; our catalog measures slightly tighter.
Median BPM
137
Common range
133–140
Mean
136
Tracks measured
32
BPM distribution
32 tracks · median 137 BPM · most of the catalog sits between 133 and 140 BPM · 1 outliers removed by IQR filter.
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.
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 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.
Popular trance tracks at the median BPM
Catalog tracks within ±2 BPM of 137, sorted by popularity.
Top trance artists in the catalog
Names you’ll meet often when building trance sets.
- Tiësto3
- DJ Sammy2
- Alice Deejay1
- Guru Josh Project1
- Darude1
- Underworld1
- Age Of Love1
- Faithless1
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.
FAQ
What BPM is Trance?⌄
Has trance's BPM changed over time?⌄
At what BPM should I produce a trance track?⌄
What Camelot keys are most common in trance?⌄
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