What 96 BPM sounds like
Tempo marking: Andante · one beat every 625 ms
96 BPM is one of those tempos producers reach for without thinking. It is a touch faster than the boom-bap 90, so a beat has more forward motion, but it stays well below the 100–110 zone where grooves start to feel like dance music. A huge amount of hip-hop, R&B and laid-back pop sits between 94 and 98 BPM.
It is also a convenient number: eighth notes are 312.5 ms apart and sixteenths 156 ms, quick enough for detailed hi-hat programming while the main pulse stays easy to nod to. On the classical scale 96 BPM is late Andante, just short of Moderato.
Music at 96 BPM
- Hip-hop and R&B: A very common tempo for modern hip-hop and R&B productions that want groove without urgency.
- Laid-back pop: Mid-tempo pop tracks often settle between 94 and 100 BPM.
- Neo-soul: Grooves with a slightly behind-the-beat feel work well here.
- Andante classical movements: Walking-tempo movements at the top of the Andante range.
Note lengths at 96 BPM
| Value | Duration | Per minute |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter note (1 beat) | 625 ms | 96 |
| Eighth note | 312.5 ms | 192 |
| Eighth-note triplet | 208.3 ms | 288 |
| Sixteenth note | 156.3 ms | 384 |
| Whole bar of 4/4 | 2500 ms | 24 |
How to practise at 96 BPM
- Drummers: play a straight sixteenth hi-hat groove, then try opening the hat on the "and" of 4 to add lift without changing tempo.
- Bassists: practise playing slightly behind the click to get the laid-back feel that suits this tempo, then snap back on top of it.
- Producers: use 96 BPM with a 32nd-note subdivision to check that hi-hat rolls stay even.
- Keyboard players: comp with eighth-note chords on the offbeats to feel how much space 96 BPM leaves between hits.
Suggested metronome settings
- Subdivision: sixteenth notes
- Accent: 4/4 straight
- Sound: click
96 BPM FAQ
Why do so many songs use 96 BPM?
It balances groove and calm: faster than boom-bap, slower than dance tempos, and its subdivisions fall on easy grid values in most DAWs.
What tempo marking is 96 BPM?
Andante, close to the boundary with Moderato, which many references place around 108 BPM.
How far apart are sixteenth notes at 96 BPM?
156 milliseconds. Eighth notes are 312.5 ms apart and quarter notes 625 ms.