DnB BPM: Drum and Bass Tempo

Drum and bass usually runs at 160–180 BPM. 174 BPM is a common starting point. A half-time count of the same pulse is 80–90 BPM: 174 becomes 87, without changing the recording’s speed.

Hear 174 BPM Why 174 can read as 87

160 – 180 BPM

40 80 120 160 200+

Production starting point: 174 BPM, about 345 ms per beat

Hear 174 BPM

--- BPM

Tap along to a song to find its BPM

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Play DnB drum patterns

Hear how the kick and snare fit together. Slow a pattern down, then mute a part and practise it yourself.

Pattern

Four bars with kick doubles, quieter snare notes and a shifted backbeat. A simplified practice pattern inspired by the Amen break, played with synthesised kick, snare and hi-hat.

Tempo 174 BPM

Bar 1 of 4 · 4/4

● Hit · ◦ Quiet snare · empty cell = rest. Count 1 e & a, 2 e & a, 3 e & a, 4 e & a.

These are teaching patterns, not sampled recordings or exact transcriptions. The original Amen break uses a ride cymbal and runs at about 140 BPM. Amen break research

Try it yourself

Start at half speed and count four beats through each bar.
Mute Snare and play its main hits yourself. Add the quieter notes once the backbeat feels steady.

Well-known DnB songs and their tempos

Press play to hear a song in Spotify. BPMs are approximate for the versions listed; the half-time column counts the same pulse at half the rate.

Song / artist	Full count	Half-time
Inner City LifeGoldie7:00 version	≈155 BPM	77.5 BPM
Brown Paper BagRoni Size & ReprazentNew Forms, album version	≈170 BPM	85 BPM
Hide UKosheenResist, album version	≈170 BPM	85 BPM
TarantulaPendulum, Tenor Fly, MC Spyda & DJ FreshOriginal Mix	≈174 BPM	87 BPM
WatercolourPendulumImmersion, album version	≈172 BPM	86 BPM

Selected: Inner City Life

Open selected song in Spotify

Where a source gives the slower count, the full count here doubles it. Older jungle and DnB releases can sit below the usual 160–180 BPM working range. A remix, remaster or detector can also give a different result, so check the version you are playing.

Is DnB 174 BPM or 87 BPM?

174 and 87 BPM can describe two ways of counting the same recording. At 174 BPM, each beat lasts about 345 milliseconds. Count every other beat and you get 87 taps per minute. The audio has not slowed down.

A tap-tempo reading follows what you tap; an automatic detector can favour the slower pulse. If your result is around 80–90 BPM, check whether doubling it gives a better fit for the track’s drum-and-bass beat.

DnB tempos and their half-time counts
Full count	Half-time count	Time per full beat
160 BPM	80 BPM	375 ms
170 BPM	85 BPM	353 ms
174 BPM	87 BPM	345 ms
175 BPM	87.5 BPM	343 ms
180 BPM	90 BPM	333 ms

A half-time count is different from a half-time drum arrangement. Moving a backbeat into a slower-feeling pattern can change the groove while the project tempo stays at 174 BPM.

Convert any BPM to half-time or double-time.

How to check a drum-and-bass track’s BPM

Choose a steady section with clear drums. Tap along with the regular beat rather than every quick hi-hat or fill.
If you get roughly 87 BPM, compare it with 174 BPM. Check the rhythm over several bars before deciding which count fits.
Use the 174 BPM metronome to compare the pulse, or analyse an audio file. A detector’s number is a starting point; listen for drift.

For production, 174 BPM is a useful starting point. Choose the tempo that suits your break and bassline rather than forcing every track to match it.

DnB tempo references

These production references provide concrete tempo examples, rather than defining a strict boundary for the genre:

Ableton’s Core Library sample list includes drum-and-bass loops labelled 170 BPM.
Touch Loops’ Form & Focus pack on Splice includes drum loops and bass loops at 174 BPM.

About Drum and Bass Tempo

Drum and bass operates at high tempos between 160 and 180 BPM, featuring breakbeat-driven rhythms and heavy sub-bass. The genre originated in the UK rave scene of the early 1990s, evolving from jungle. 174 BPM is a common production starting point, but it is not a requirement. A liquid track can feel more relaxed than a dense neurofunk track at the same BPM; arrangement and drum placement matter as well as speed.

How this BPM range is estimated

This is a practical working range based on common production tempos, the subgenre ranges, and the example tracks on this page. Genres overlap, and some tracks can be counted in half-time or double-time, so use the range as a guide rather than a strict definition.

Characteristics

Fast breakbeat drum patterns
Deep, rolling sub-bass lines
Complex syncopated rhythms
Influences from jungle, reggae, and hip-hop

Drum and Bass Subgenre BPMs

These are overlapping production ranges, not fixed limits. Liquid, jump-up and neurofunk can share the same tempo while sounding very different.

Subgenre	Working BPM range	Note
Liquid DnB	170-175	Smooth, melodic, jazz-influenced
Neurofunk	174-180	Dark, technical, distorted bass
Jump-Up	172-176	Bouncy, energetic, party-focused
Jungle	160-170	Original Amen-break-driven style
Drumfunk	170-178	Edited break programming, technical drums

Production Tip

Try a project tempo of 174 BPM. For a simple two-step starting pattern in 4/4, put the snare on beats two and four, then vary the kick and ghost notes. Check that any sampled break fits the project tempo before adding more layers.

Want to check if your track matches the typical Drum and Bass tempo?

Use the Tap Tempo Tool