The BPM of trance music.
The short answer
Trance music is typically produced between 128 and 150 BPM. Progressive trance runs slowest at 128–134 BPM, uplifting and vocal trance sit at 136–142 BPM (with 138 BPM regarded as the spiritual centre of the genre), and hard trance and psytrance run fastest at 140–150 BPM. Balearic and dream-trance records occasionally drop as low as 118–128 BPM. The classic-era tempo most people mean when they say 'trance' is 138 BPM.
Every subgenre, every tempo
128 to 150 BPM, subgenre by subgenre.
| Style | BPM range | Reference records |
|---|---|---|
| Balearic / dream trance | 118–128 BPM | Chicane 'Saltwater', Robert Miles 'Children' |
| Progressive trance | 128–134 BPM | Sasha 'Xpander', BT 'Flaming June' |
| Vocal trance | 134–140 BPM | Delerium 'Silence' (Tiësto ISOS Remix), OceanLab 'Sky Falls Down' |
| Uplifting trance | 138–142 BPM | Paul van Dyk 'For An Angel', System F 'Out Of The Blue' |
| Epic / orchestral trance | 136–142 BPM | Tiësto 'Adagio For Strings', Above & Beyond 'Sun & Moon' |
| Tech-trance | 134–140 BPM | Marco V 'C:\\del*.mp3', Sander van Doorn 'Riff' |
| Hard trance | 140–150 BPM | Kai Tracid 'Life Is Too Short', Yoji Biomehanika 'Ding-A-Ling' |
| Acid trance | 138–145 BPM | Hardfloor 'Acperience 1', Union Jack 'Two Full Moons And A Trout' |
| Goa / psytrance | 140–150 BPM | Astral Projection 'Mahadeva', Infected Mushroom 'Bust A Move' |
138 BPM: the spiritual centre
Why the number matters.
138 BPM is not a marketing number. It is the tempo at which the classic-trance template locks together — the four-on-the-floor kick sits comfortably above the pulse of the average dance-floor heart rate, the sixteenth-note arpeggio pattern doesn't smear into noise, and the 32-bar breakdown resolves into the drop at exactly the length human attention can sustain without losing tension.
Between 1999 and 2005 the vast majority of records released on Perfecto, Vandit, Black Hole, Armada and Anjunabeats were mastered at or within one BPM of 138. When the EDM boom pulled the mainstream toward 128 BPM in 2010, Armada literally launched a defensive sub-label — Who's Afraid Of 138?! — to keep the classic tempo alive. That label is still active in 2026, and 138 BPM is still what most listeners picture when they say "trance".
Comparisons
Trance BPM vs neighbouring genres.
| Genre | Typical BPM | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| House | 118–128 | Groove & vocal hook |
| Techno | 120–135 | Rhythm & loop |
| Trance | 128–145 | Melody & breakdown |
| Hardstyle | 150–160 | Distorted kick & screech |
| Drum & bass | 160–180 | Breakbeat & sub-bass |
Full comparison: trance vs house →Full comparison: trance vs techno →Full comparison: trance vs EDM →
Frequently asked
What BPM is trance music?
Trance music is typically produced between 128 and 150 BPM. Progressive trance runs slowest at 128–134 BPM, uplifting and vocal trance sit at 136–142 BPM (with 138 BPM regarded as the spiritual centre of the genre), and hard trance and psytrance run fastest at 140–150 BPM. Balearic and dream-trance records occasionally drop as low as 118–128 BPM. The classic-era tempo most people mean when they say 'trance' is 138 BPM.
Why is 138 BPM considered the standard trance tempo?
138 BPM became the de facto standard uplifting-trance tempo between roughly 1999 and 2005, the peak commercial years of the classic era, because it sat in the sweet spot between the slower progressive sound (128–132 BPM) and the harder end (145+ BPM). Armin van Buuren's Armada Music formalised the association by launching a whole sub-label called Who's Afraid Of 138?! in 2013, specifically to defend the 138 BPM range from producers slowing down to chase mainstream EDM tempos.
Is 128 BPM trance or house?
128 BPM sits at the exact overlap between house and trance and can be either. Progressive house typically runs 122–128 BPM; progressive trance typically runs 128–134 BPM. A 128 BPM record with a long breakdown, supersaw lead and euphoric drop is trance; the same tempo with a groove-focused arrangement, disco loop or vocal hook is house. Sasha and John Digweed worked this exact tempo range in both directions throughout the late 1990s.
What BPM is uplifting trance?
Uplifting trance almost universally runs between 138 and 142 BPM. Anything slower is usually classed as progressive or vocal trance; anything faster is usually hard trance or tech-trance. Records like Paul van Dyk's 'For An Angel', System F's 'Out Of The Blue' and Ferry Corsten's 'Gouryella' all sit within one or two BPM of 138.
What BPM is psytrance?
Psytrance and Goa trance almost always run between 140 and 150 BPM, with 145 BPM as the modal tempo of the full-on psytrance canon. Older Goa records from the mid-1990s sit slightly slower at 140–145 BPM; modern progressive psytrance sits slightly slower still at 138–142 BPM, closer to the uplifting range.
How do I count trance BPM by ear?
Count the four-on-the-floor kick drum for 15 seconds and multiply by four. A steady 34–35 kicks in 15 seconds is around 138 BPM — the classic-trance centre. 32 kicks is 128 BPM (progressive), 37 kicks is 148 BPM (hard trance or psy). Every trance record locks to a rigid four-to-the-floor grid, which is why the count works so reliably.
Is trance faster than house and techno?
Usually, yes. House averages 120–128 BPM, techno averages 120–135 BPM, and trance averages 130–145 BPM. Trance is typically 10–15 BPM faster than house and 5–10 BPM faster than most techno. The one exception is psytrance and hard trance, which push into 145–150 BPM territory faster than any mainstream techno subgenre.