BPM (tempo)
Also known as: BPM, beats per minute, tempo, song tempo
Beats per minute, the tempo of a song, which sets how often its beats fall and so how fast cuts can follow the music in an edit.
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What it means
BPM, beats per minute, measures the tempo of a piece of music. A song at 120 BPM has a beat every half second; at 90 BPM, every two-thirds of a second; at 150 BPM, every 0.4 seconds. Most popular music sits between about 80 and 140 BPM.
For video editors, BPM is the clock of the edit. Cutting on the beat, a technique called beat sync, means the length of every shot is a multiple of the beat interval. Faster tempos allow shorter, punchier shots; slower tempos give each clip more room. Tempo is one of the strongest tools for setting the pacing of a video.
How it works in practice
Match tempo to the footage. High-energy action, quick tricks and crashes suit 120-150 BPM tracks with a strong beat; scenic drone shots and calm sequences suit slower tracks around 70-100 BPM.
Cut on beats, but not every beat. At 128 BPM, cutting on every beat gives shots under half a second, which is exhausting. Cutting every two or four beats is more common, with faster cuts saved for the most intense parts.
Many editors detect BPM and place beat markers automatically. Music libraries also list BPM for each track, which makes searching for the right energy faster, especially in collections of royalty-free music.
What to watch out for
Tempo changes inside a song throw off automatic beat markers. Check the markers around breaks and build-ups, where drummers often drop out or change feel.
Very slow music under fast action feels mismatched, and fast music under slow scenic shots feels rushed. Choose the track after looking at the footage, not before.
Detected BPM can be off by half or double: a 70 BPM track may be read as 140. Listen and tap along to confirm. Remember that the waveform peaks show where beats really fall, which helps when the markers drift.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip handles tempo for you: it includes the music and syncs every cut to its beat, so faster tracks produce quicker cuts and calmer tracks give clips more room, all at the length you choose.