Sample Length Calculator from BPM

How long a loop of any number of bars lasts at a tempo, in milliseconds, seconds and samples at 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz, in any time signature.

Updated October 13, 2026 · By Niraj Kumar

Tempo

BPM

↑ ↓ nudge by 1, with Shift by 0.1. One beat = 500 ms.

Bar & sample length

Time signature

Bars

Sample rate

Milliseconds

Seconds

Samples

Delay times · click to copy

Note	Straight	Dotted	Triplet
2 bars
1/1 (bar)
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/16
1/32
1/64

Reverb pre-delay & decay

Hall1/64 + tail to 2 bars

Pre-delay
Decay
Total

Large room1/128 + tail to 1 bar

Pre-delay
Decay
Total

Small room1/256 + tail to 1/2

Pre-delay
Decay
Total

Tight ambience1/512 + tail to 1/4

Pre-delay
Decay
Total

A starting point: shorten the decay until the tail stops masking the next phrase.

Delay time → BPM

Delay time

Heard as

Feel

120 BPM

How do you calculate a sample's length from BPM?

Multiply one beat, 60,000 ÷ BPM ms, by the beats in a bar and by the number of bars. Four bars of 4/4 at 120 BPM last 8,000 ms, 8 seconds: 352,800 samples at 44.1 kHz or 384,000 at 48 kHz. Trim a loop to exactly that length and it repeats seamlessly.

quarter note (ms) = 60 000 ÷ BPM;  note = quarter × q;
dotted = note × 1.5;  triplet = note × 2/3;  rate (Hz) = 1000 ÷ ms;
bar = quarter × beats × 4 ÷ unit;  samples = seconds × sample rate

This page uses the same method as the BPM to MS Calculator, which explains each term and assumption in full.

Length of a 4/4 loop in seconds
BPM	1 bar	2 bars	4 bars	8 bars	4 bars at 44.1 kHz (samples)
70	3.43	6.86	13.71	27.43	604,800
90	2.67	5.33	10.67	21.33	470,400
100	2.4	4.8	9.6	19.2	423,360
120	2	4	8	16	352,800
128	1.88	3.75	7.5	15	330,750
140	1.71	3.43	6.86	13.71	302,400
174	1.38	2.76	5.52	11.03	243,310

Worked example

Chopping a 4-bar drum loop at 120 BPM to load into a hardware sampler running at 44.1 kHz.

1One beat: 60,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms
2One bar of 4/4: 500 × 4 = 2,000 ms
3Four bars: 2,000 × 4 = 8,000 ms = 8 s
4Samples: 8 × 44,100 = 352,800

Set the loop's end point to sample 352,800, 8 seconds after the start.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the BPM of a loop from its length?

Count the bars, then BPM = 60 × beats in the loop ÷ length in seconds. A 4-bar loop of 4/4 that lasts 7.5 seconds holds 16 beats, so its tempo is 60 × 16 ÷ 7.5 = 128 BPM. If the answer is an odd number such as 64 or 256, you have miscounted by half or double; try halving or doubling the bar count.

Why does my loop click or drift when it repeats?

If its length is not an exact number of bars at the project tempo, each repeat starts a little early or late, and the error builds up. Trim it to the sample count here. A click at the loop point is different: the waveform jumps at the cut, so add a fade of a few milliseconds or move the cut to a zero crossing.

Which sample rate should I use?

Match the project or the sampler. 44.1 kHz is the CD and streaming standard, 48 kHz the video and most-interfaces standard, and 88.2 or 96 kHz are used for extra headroom in processing. The loop's length in seconds is the same at every rate; only the number of samples changes.