How to Find and Change BPM in Cubase

Cubase displays project tempo in the Transport panel. Cubase has two tempo modes: Fixed (manual) and Tempo Track (automated). Tempo can be set numerically, tapped, or detected from audio. Cubase defaults to 120 BPM.

How to change the tempo in Cubase

Open the Transport panel: Transport > Transport Panel (or F2).
Find the Tempo display and click the "Fixed" / "Tempo Track" toggle to choose tempo mode.
In Fixed mode, click the tempo value and type a new BPM. Press Enter to confirm.
In Tempo Track mode, edits apply to the active Tempo Track curve.

How to use tap tempo in Cubase

Use the Tap Tempo function via Project > Tempo Detection > Tap Tempo, or assign a key command to "Tap Tempo" in Edit > Key Commands. Tap on the beat to set the BPM.

If you don't want to set up tap tempo inside Cubase, use our browser-based tap tempo tool — tap the BPM, then enter the value into your DAW.

How to detect BPM of audio in Cubase

Feature: Audio Tempo Detection

Select an audio event. Choose Project > Tempo Detection. Cubase analyses the audio and creates a Tempo Track that follows the detected BPM. Useful for free-tempo recordings.

How to automate tempo changes in Cubase

Switch to Tempo Track mode in the Transport panel.
Open the Tempo Track Editor: Project > Tempo Track (or Ctrl+T).
Use the Pencil tool to add tempo points. Drag points vertically to change BPM, horizontally to change position.
Right-click a point to set exact values or change the curve type.

Cubase tempo shortcuts

Action	Mac	Windows
Open Transport panel	F2	F2
Open Tempo Track Editor	Cmd+T	Ctrl+T

Tips

Cubase defaults to 120 BPM.
Use Fixed Tempo mode for simple projects, Tempo Track for songs with tempo changes.
Audio Tempo Detection works best with clean rhythmic material — drum loops, percussion, etc.
You can warp audio to a fixed tempo using the Sample Editor's warp markers.

Need to find the BPM of a song before importing it into Cubase?

Use the Tap Tempo Tool