DJ tools
Bars to seconds, at any tempo.
How long is an 8, 16 or 32 bar intro? Type the BPM.
| Bars | Beats | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 4 bars | 16 | 7.5s |
| 8 bars | 32 | 15.0s |
| 16 bars | 64 | 30.0s |
| 32 bars | 128 | 1:00.0 |
| 64 bars | 256 | 2:00.0 |
seconds = bars × 4 × 60 ÷ BPM
8, 16 and 32 bars at common tempos
| BPM | 8 bars | 16 bars | 32 bars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 21.3s | 42.7s | 1:25.3 |
| 100 | 19.2s | 38.4s | 1:16.8 |
| 110 | 17.5s | 34.9s | 1:09.8 |
| 120 | 16.0s | 32.0s | 1:04.0 |
| 124 | 15.5s | 31.0s | 1:01.9 |
| 128 | 15.0s | 30.0s | 1:00.0 |
| 140 | 13.7s | 27.4s | 54.9s |
| 150 | 12.8s | 25.6s | 51.2s |
| 174 | 11.0s | 22.1s | 44.1s |
Why DJs count in bars
Music is built in phrases of 4, 8, 16 and 32 bars, so an intro or outro that's a whole number of bars lines up with whatever you're mixing from. Measured in seconds it would start and end mid-phrase at most tempos. The same number of bars is longer on a slow record and shorter on a fast one — which is what the table is for.
16 bars is the usual default for an intro — see how many bars a DJ intro should be. If the record you want to play doesn't have one, make an intro or outro edit of it, in your browser or on your Mac.
Common questions
How many seconds is 32 bars?
At 128 BPM, 32 bars is exactly 60 seconds. In general it's 32 × 4 beats × 60 ÷ BPM, so 32 bars is about 77 seconds at 100 BPM and about 44 seconds at 174 BPM.
How many seconds is 16 bars?
At 128 BPM, 16 bars is 30 seconds. At 100 BPM it's 38.4 seconds, at 140 BPM about 27 seconds, and at 174 BPM about 22 seconds.
How many seconds is 8 bars?
At 128 BPM, 8 bars is 15 seconds. At 90 BPM it's about 21 seconds; at 174 BPM about 11 seconds.
How do you work out bars to seconds?
Seconds = bars × beats per bar × 60 ÷ BPM. Almost all dance music is 4 beats to the bar, so it's bars × 240 ÷ BPM.