How do I calculate the length of a song from BPM and bars?

Seconds = bars × beats per bar × 60 ÷ BPM. At 120 BPM in 4/4, one bar lasts 4 × 0.5 = 2 seconds, so 64 bars take 128 seconds (2:08). At 174 BPM, 32 bars of 4/4 last 44.1 seconds; at 90 BPM they last 85.3 seconds.

How does the time signature change the result?

The top number is the beats per bar. The bottom number is the note value of each beat, which matters because most DAWs count BPM in quarter notes. A bar of 6/8 contains three quarter notes, so at 120 quarter-note BPM it lasts 1.5 seconds. If your BPM counts the dotted-quarter pulse of 6/8 instead, the same bar lasts 1 second. Choose the matching option under "BPM counts".

How many bars is a 3-minute song?

At 120 BPM in 4/4, each bar lasts 2 seconds, so 180 seconds is 90 bars. At 100 BPM a bar lasts 2.4 seconds, so 3 minutes is 75 bars. Enter 3:00 as the target length to get the figure for any tempo.

What time formats does the playlist total accept?

MM:SS (4:32), HH:MM:SS (1:03:15) or plain seconds (272). Seconds and minutes above 59 are normalized. Lines with a track name and a time, such as "02. Intro 2:58", are read correctly; lines with no time are flagged as invalid.

How long can an album be to fit on a CD or vinyl?

A standard Red Book audio CD holds 74 minutes and most blank CD-Rs hold 80 minutes. A 12-inch LP at 33⅓ rpm is usually cut at up to about 22 minutes per side for good level and bass; longer sides are possible but quieter. The calculator shows the remaining time for each format.

When is a release a single, an EP or an album?

Apple Music and Spotify use the same rule through their distributors: a single is 1–3 tracks, each under 10 minutes and under 30 minutes in total; an EP is 1–3 tracks with at least one 10-minute track, or 4–6 tracks, under 30 minutes in total; anything with 7 or more tracks or 30 minutes or more is an album.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. All calculation happens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.

Song Length Calculator

Paste track durations to get the total album or playlist length, or enter BPM, bars and time signature to get a song's length: seconds = bars × beats per bar × 60 ÷ BPM.

Playlist / Album Total

One duration per line — 3:45 or 1:02:30. Song names are ignored.

Total Duration

0:00

Tracks

Avg Length

—

Errors

Release type (Apple Music / Spotify rule)

Add tracks to classify the release.

Does it fit?

Audio CD (74 min, Red Book)	—
CD-R (80 min)	—
12" LP, one side (≈22 min at 33⅓)	—
12" LP, both sides (≈44 min)	—
C90 cassette, one side (45 min)	—

Song length from BPM, bars and time signature

Length = bars × beats per bar × 60 ÷ BPM. Use it for a whole arrangement or for a single section such as a 16-bar verse.

Tempo (BPM)

Bars (measures)

Time signature

BPM counts

Target length (optional, M:SS)

Song / section length

2:08.0

128 seconds

One bar	2.000 s
One beat	500 ms
Total beats	256
Bars per minute	30

Bars to time at common tempos (4/4)

Length in minutes:seconds. Each bar of 4/4 lasts 240 ÷ BPM seconds.

BPM	1 bar	8 bars	16 bars	32 bars	64 bars
70	3.429 s	0:27.4	0:54.9	1:49.7	3:39.4
90	2.667 s	0:21.3	0:42.7	1:25.3	2:50.7
100	2.400 s	0:19.2	0:38.4	1:16.8	2:33.6
120	2.000 s	0:16.0	0:32.0	1:04.0	2:08.0
128	1.875 s	0:15.0	0:30.0	1:00.0	2:00.0
140	1.714 s	0:13.7	0:27.4	0:54.9	1:49.7
174	1.379 s	0:11.0	0:22.1	0:44.1	1:28.3

Worked examples

Pop song, 120 BPM in 4/4, 90 bars. One beat = 60 ÷ 120 = 0.5 s, one bar = 4 × 0.5 = 2 s, so 90 bars = 180 s = 3:00.
Waltz, 3/4 at 150 BPM, 96 bars. One bar = 3 × 0.4 = 1.2 s, so the piece runs 115.2 s = 1:55.2.
6/8 ballad, 64 bars. At 120 quarter-note BPM a bar holds three quarter notes, 1.5 s, so 64 bars = 96 s. If the 120 is the dotted-quarter pulse, a bar lasts 1 s and 64 bars = 64 s.
Album total. Tracks of 3:45, 4:12, 2:58 and 5:01 add up to 15:56 (956 s), well under the 22 minutes of one LP side.

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Summary

Paste track durations to get the total album or playlist length, or enter BPM, bars and time signature to get a song's length: seconds = bars × beats per bar × 60 ÷ BPM.

How it works

Playlist total: type or paste one duration per line (3:45 or 1:02:30). Track names on the same line are ignored, so a copied tracklist works.
The total, average track length, CD and vinyl fit and the single / EP / album classification update as you type.
Song length from BPM: enter the tempo, the number of bars and the time signature, and choose which note the BPM counts.
Length = bars × beats per bar × beat length, where one beat lasts 60 ÷ BPM seconds.
Enter a target length to see how many bars you need at that tempo, or which tempo makes your bar count hit the target.

Use cases

Calculate how long an album or playlist will run.
Check whether a tracklist fits on an 80-minute CD or on one side of a 12-inch LP.
See whether a release counts as a single, an EP or an album on Apple Music and Spotify.
Work out how long a 16-bar verse or a 64-bar DJ intro lasts at a given BPM.
Plan a song that has to land on an exact length for a sync brief, ad or radio edit.
Find the tempo that makes a fixed arrangement fit a time slot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-10-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu