Convert BPM to FPS timing: enter a song tempo and your video frame rate to get frames per beat and per bar, or work back from frames per beat to BPM.
BPM to FPS Formula
The calculator converts between music tempo and video frame timing using three rearrangements of the same relationship.
- BPM: music tempo in beats per minute
- FPS: project frame rate in frames per second
- frames_per_beat: number of video frames that fit in one beat
- beats_per_bar: number of tempo pulses in a bar, using the same beat unit as BPM
The math assumes a constant tempo and a constant frame rate. The fractional presets use exact 24000/1001, 30000/1001 and 60000/1001 frame rates. Drop-frame changes timecode numbering, not playback speed. The cue sheet uses nominal non-drop-frame (NDF) addresses for these presets; arbitrary fractional custom rates have no assigned timecode convention. A beat lands cleanly on a frame only when FPS × 60 ÷ BPM is a whole number. Repeating one rounded frame interval accumulates drift. Rounding each absolute cue position instead limits each cue to its own rounding error.
The three modes map to the formulas above:
- Frames per beat: you enter BPM and FPS, and you get the exact and rounded frame count for one beat plus the bar totals.
- BPM from frames: you pick a whole-frame beat length and FPS, and you get the exact tempo that locks to that frame grid.
- FPS from frames: you fix BPM and the beat length in frames, and you get the frame rate that makes the beat land on a whole frame.
Common BPM and FPS Reference Tables
Use these to sanity-check the calculator output or to pick a tempo that locks cleanly to your timeline.
| BPM | 24 fps | 25 fps | 29.97 fps | 30 fps | 60 fps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 24.00 | 25.00 | 29.97 | 30.00 | 60.00 |
| 90 | 16.00 | 16.67 | 19.98 | 20.00 | 40.00 |
| 100 | 14.40 | 15.00 | 17.98 | 18.00 | 36.00 |
| 120 | 12.00 | 12.50 | 14.99 | 15.00 | 30.00 |
| 128 | 11.25 | 11.72 | 14.05 | 14.06 | 28.13 |
| 140 | 10.29 | 10.71 | 12.84 | 12.86 | 25.71 |
| 150 | 9.60 | 10.00 | 11.99 | 12.00 | 24.00 |
| 174 | 8.28 | 8.62 | 10.33 | 10.34 | 20.69 |
Cells where the value is a whole number are the safest tempos for cuts, flashes, and one-frame holds. Everything else means you are rounding.
| FPS | Whole-frame BPMs (common) |
|---|---|
| 24 | 60, 72, 80, 90, 96, 120, 144, 160, 180 |
| 25 | 60, 75, 100, 125, 150, 187.5 |
| 30 | 60, 72, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180 |
| 60 | 60, 72, 75, 90, 100, 120, 144, 150, 180, 200 |
Worked Examples and FAQ
Example 1: 120 BPM at 30 fps. frames_per_beat = 30 × 60 ÷ 120 = 15 frames. Every beat lands on a frame, and a 4/4 bar is exactly 60 frames long.
Example 2: 128 BPM at 24 fps. frames_per_beat = 24 × 60 ÷ 128 = 11.25 frames. Rounding to 11 frames per beat gives an effective tempo of 24 × 60 ÷ 11 = 130.91 BPM, almost 3 BPM faster than the track. Either pick 120 BPM, change the project to 25.6 fps (not standard), or place beat markers from the audio instead of snapping to whole frames.
Example 3: Solving for FPS. You want a 140 BPM track to land on 12 frames per beat. FPS = 140 × 12 ÷ 60 = 28 fps. Closest standard rate is 30 fps, which gives 12.857 frames per beat instead.
How is the 29.97 preset handled? It uses exactly 30000 ÷ 1001 fps, approximately 29.97003. Frames per beat = (30000 ÷ 1001) × 60 ÷ BPM. Use the actual project rate and absolute beat markers for tight synchronization; substituting 30 fps changes timing.
What does the calculator mean by “rounded-frame tempo”? It is the BPM that would make your rounded frame count exact. The importance of the difference depends on duration and required synchronization tolerance; review the calculated drift. If the shift is large, the visible beats will run ahead of or behind the music.
Should I match BPM to FPS or pick a different FPS? If the music is fixed, change FPS only when you control the export and the platform allows it. Otherwise, nudge the tempo, use half-beat or quarter-beat divisions, or accept a one-frame rounding.
Frame-rate reference: Apple Technical Q&A QA1447. Timecode reference: Final Cut Pro glossary.
