BPM (beats per minute) is a key concept within DJing. A huge amount of DJ skills revolve around controlling and mastering the tempo of tracks.
We added a range of methods for changing and interacting with track BPMs. This guide shows you how to control and edit BPM in DJ.Studio.
Tempo lane: Auto - Manual - Fixed
The tempo lane in the bottom of the Studio view of DJ.Studio with the orange line shows you the speed that the tracks will be played in your mix.
If you want to change the BPM of a song by playing it slower or faster than it was created, you need to use the Tempo lane.
The Tempo lane has three options:
Auto: The Auto setting in the tempo lane plays each track at its original analyzed tempo. You can change the speed of a single track by dragging the orange line up or down.
Manual: The Manual setting in the tempo lane gives you full control over the tempo using BPM automation points. You can speed up or slow down individual parts of tracks wherever you want.
Fixed: With the Fixed setting you can set the tempo for your entire mix to either
One tempo: set the start and end BPM to the same tempo (for example, 125 start and 125 end) for one continuous mix with one BPM.
Increasing or decreasing tempo: set a start and end BPM (for example, 126 to 128) to gradually increase or decrease the tempo across the whole set.
Tempo lane : Auto Mode Settings
When the tempo lane is set to Auto, you have the following options available:
Open the tempo lane at the bottom of the Studio timeline
Change the tempo of the song by dragging the orange line up or down.
> With Pitch mode on Repitch, the key of the track will stay the same.
> With Pitch mode on Vinyl, the key will go up or down when you increase or decrease the tempo of the track.In the transitions, you have the option to set the BPM Transition type to Off, Full, Half or free.
Right-click on the orange BPM line in Auto mode for more options:
Set track BPM - type in the desired BPM. This changes the speed the track will be played at.
Restore all tracks to orginal BPM - undoes all manual tempo changes in the project
Tempo lane: Manual mode Settings
Manual mode in the tempo lane gives you a traditional automation lane where you draw and move points to change the BPM wherever you want.
Click on the Manual button in front of the orange tempo lane.
Click on the line to create a new BPM automation point.
Click and drag points to change their position and BPM value.
Single-click on an BPM automation point to remove it.
Grab the line and move it up/down to change a large area of BPM.
By setting the Tempo Lane setting to Manual and Right-Clicking on the orange BPM line, you can access more options.
Add BPM Point - Creates a new BPM automation point. You can also add BPM automation points by clicking on the orange line.
Set Mix BPM - Opens a text box for entering the BPM of the entire mix. This will delete all BPM points and set the whole mix to a single speed. You can also specify a start and end speed, to create a consistent increase or decrease in speed throughout the whole set.
Set BPM range- Opens a text box for entering the range that you want to see in the tempo lane on the left side
Restore Mix BPM- Deletes all BPM automation and returns the values so tracks play at their original recorded speed.
BPM Transition window settings
The transition window lets you define how DJ.Studio handles the tempo difference between two tracks. For each transition, you can choose when the tracks should speed up or slow down to match, or whether both tracks should play at their own tempo.
These tempo changes apply to both tracks during the transition, ensuring smooth BPM adjustments as one track leads into the next.
Open the Studio tab
Select a transition by clicking on the blue transition window header
Make sure the Transition tab is selected at the bottom
In the middle of the screen you see the middle bar. in the right side of the middle bar you see 4 BPM transition mode options:
Off: If you want no beat synchronization at all, and want both tracks to play at their own speed during the transition and don't need to beat match. This setting will make the blue transition window red, so you can clearly see that beat syncing is disabled for this transition.
Free: You can define yourself where you to want to start the tempo change in the transition. Grab the BPM automation point in the orange tempo lane and drag it to the left or right to the location you want.
Half: Start the tempo change in the middle of the transition window.
Full: Start the tempo change from the beginning and end at the end of the transition.
Find out more about these BPM modes in the following video.
Changing Track BPM Analysis
Whenever a track is imported into DJ.Studio, its BPM is analyzed and stored in the track's internal metadata. This tells DJ.Studio what tempo the track is at, based on the analysis algorithm.
Sometimes the analysis can get it wrong. When that happens, you will notice that tracks are not beat-matched correctly.
You can view and change the analyzed BPM value from the left panel of the Track Tab.
For example, if you know a track is 120 BPM but it has been analyzed as 125, it will not beat-match properly. Head over to the Track tab and update the BPM to the correct value.
Beatgrid options
When you are in the Studio you can change the beat grid for this specific track on the Track tab:
Manual is selected when you manually make changes to the beat grid or the BPM of the track
Fixed is perfect for tracks with a consistent tempo. The beatgrid remains static, ensuring stability during mixing.
AI adapts to tempo changes in tracks with a little groove, even during intros, outros, or breaks in dance music. Smooths out these sections for seamless transitions, avoiding unexpected tempo fluctuations. Best used for example disco songs..
AI Flex precisely follows tempo changes, even in dynamic sections like breaks. Ideal for creating mashups or layering a break with elements like drum samples, as it preserves the track’s natural tempo variations.
Beat Grid Memory and Settings
Each beat grid type remembers its own settings independently:
Each beat grid type (Manual, Fixed, AI, AI Flex) stores its own BPM multiplier
Switching between beat grids automatically applies the correct multiplier for that type
Custom BPM values are preserved per beat grid type
For example, if you set the AI beat grid multiplier to ×2 and then switch to Fixed, the ×2 setting will be preserved when you switch back to AI.
Note: The "Stabilize Tempo" checkbox is only visible for AI, AI Flex and Fixed beat grids and is automatically disabled when switching to Manual beat grids.
Beat grid editor
If you want to make manual adjustments to the beat grid view you can use the Beat grid tool bar. The beat grid editor appears when you zoom into the timeline until the white beat grid lines become visible.
Hovering over a beat opens a pop-up menu with the following tools:
1 - Reset Grid
Hit reset to revert the beat grid to its original state — whether from AI, AI Flex, or imported from DJ software.
2 - Set BPM
Force a fixed BPM over the entire track. Note: Only use this if you know the track’s exact tempo — otherwise, it could misalign your grid completely
3 - Adjust Full Grid
Use this to shift the entire beat grid left or right. Perfect for correcting slight offsets (e.g., ⅛ or ¼ note) caused by auto-grid detection.
4 - Drag Individual Beat
Hold this button to shift a single beat left or right (up to 50%). The waveform will compress or stretch to match, and you’ll see a percentage indicator at the bottom. Great for fine-tuning alignment without disrupting the full grid.
5 - Move Beats to the Right
Shift the current beat and all following beats forward. Useful when a beat is missing in the track (common in certain breakdowns or production quirks).
6 - Set Downbeat
Marks the closest beat as the new downbeat (1st beat of the bar). Ideal for fixing the track’s metronome alignment and ensuring proper bar counting.
7 - Set First Beat Marker
Manually define where the track’s first beat starts — great for live recordings or older songs with unusual intros. Note: Avoid placing this halfway through the track, as it will cause negative bar counts before the first marker.
Tempo Lane Explained
DJ.Studio analyzes the tracks in your mix and makes a rough judgment of your average BPM range. This is used on the tempo lane to keep the BPM range manageable and easy to edit.
You can change the boundaries of this range by going to Tempo Lane > Manual > Right-click on the tempo lane > Set BPM Range.
Understanding the Tempo Lane and Beat gridding in DJ.Studio
When working with tempo changes in DJ.Studio, it's important to understand the difference between Auto, Manual and Fixed modes in the Tempo Lane and how it interacts with DJ.Studio's AI-powered beatgrids. This can significantly affect how tracks are played and exported.
Auto Mode (AI Variable Beatgrid)
In Auto Mode, the Tempo Lane follows the natural rhythm and swing of a track, adjusting to tempo changes as they occur. This mode is ideal when you want to preserve the feel of the original song—perfect for re-drumming or layering samples on top of old tracks. The gray lines in the background represent the real tempo of the track.
For example, with tracks like "Come On Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners (which jumps from 107 BPM to 214 BPM), DJ.Studio will chop the track into individual beats and stretch or shrink those beats to align with the grid. The software ensures the swing and groove of the track is maintained.
Manual Mode (Fixed Tempo)
Switching the Tempo Lane to Manual Mode allows you to set a fixed tempo for the entire track. This mode forces all beats to play at the same speed, disregarding the natural tempo variations. It is ideal when you want to "straighten out" a track for mixing purposes, especially if the original song has drastic tempo changes.
For example, when you switch to Manual Mode and set the tempo to 107 BPM, the entire song—including tracks like "Come On Eileen"—will be adjusted to play at this consistent tempo. There will still be a slight swing within 1%, but it will be subtle enough for seamless mixing.
You can also get creative by drawing different tempos in the Manual Mode. DJ.Studio will follow whatever tempo pattern you create, whether it’s a steady increase, a reverse tempo change, or a random variation. This flexibility allows for unique and unexpected transitions in your mixes.
Important Notes:
Avoid using Manual Beatgridding with AI grids unless you're very familiar with the process. The AI algorithm is designed for flexible, variable tempos, which can clash with manual settings. Adding lots of manual beat adjustments can lead to bad quality sound when playing the music because in that case the beats need to be stretched all the time to follow the manual beat markers.
For modern dance music with breaks or tracks with significant tempo shifts, and old disco songs, we recommend using AI beat grid mode.
Tips for Tempo Control:
Use Auto Mode for preserving the groove of tracks, especially for older songs with natural swings.
Switch to Manual Mode when you want to enforce a fixed tempo across the entire track.
Experiment with the Tempo Lane to create interesting effects, but be mindful of the results on both studio playback and exported files.
We hope this clears up any confusion around tempo control in DJ.Studio. For more advanced users, this functionality opens up a world of creative possibilities.
Frequently asked questions regarding BPM and tempo
How do I mix if the BPM change is very large?
Sometimes, you might want to mix two tracks with a large BPM difference - for example a 90bpm hip hop track into a 160bpm drum and bass beat.
Because of this huge difference, issues will arise when trying to beat match the drastic tempo change.
One of the main issues is that glitchy audio artifacts are created when you apply a large amount of speed increase/decrease to audio. This makes the music sound distorted.
Working out how to make a large BPM change is an advanced DJ technique, but here are some methods.
Create a super short transition, within a single bar.
Use an echo effect to transition out of the first song.
Make a 1 or 2 beat loop of the first track, then adjust the overall BPM.
'Meet in the middle' - change the BPM of both tracks so they meet half way between the two, then you can transition to the second track's speed after the first track has been silenced.
Mix the breakdown - some tracks have breakdown sections with no beats, these are a good place to bring in a new track without creating clashing tempos.
How do I beat-match when the original music wasn't quantized?
Not all music is perfectly aligned to a quantized metronome. Particularly in early, non-digital music, you can find songs where the beat isn't consistent, and it drifts in and out of time.
This can make it hard for DJs to beat match, as the beat isn't aligned to the grid.
At the moment DJ.Studio can't quantize individual beats, but you can try these solutions if you are having issues with wonky beats:
Use a DAW to quantize the wonky track. Software like Ableton Live makes it easy to snap the beats of tracks to a grid. It might take some time, but if you want to beat match the song, then this is the cleanest solution.
Use a loop - create a short loop of the first track, making sure it's aligned to the grid. You will now be able to beat-match a consistent tempo to this track.
Use a short, punchy transition - Rather than using a long crossfade, try a more instant cut, without overlapping beats. Adding an echo can help to make this smoother.
Mix tracks together in breakdowns - some tracks have 'breakdown' sections, where there are no percussive/beat elements. These sections present a good opportunity to mix in another track without having clashing beats.
How to remove beat sync / beat-match from a transition?
for example to mix old songs without beatmatching?
Sometimes you might want to disable sync for a transition. This is useful if you are mixing two songs, and don't want to change the speed of either one a.k.a. play at their own BPMs in DJ.Studio.
To disable beatsync for a transition:
Open the Studio tab
select a transtion by clicking on the blue transition window header
Make sure the Transition tab is selected at the bottom
On the right side of the middle bar you see 4 BPM transition mode options Off - Free- Half - Full. Click on Off to disable the beatsyncing.
How do I change the BPM on one track?
Click on the tempo lane at the bottom of the studio and grab the tempo line of the track. This changes the play speed of the track, not the BPM itself. The BPM is a fixed value. If you think it is incorrect, you could try AI beatgridding. If you did not set the tempo range correctly, you can double or halve the tempo of the track.
What if the BPM is doubled or halved after the import of the track?
If the track BPM is doubled of halved, you can always go to the Studio > Track tab and click the /2 button or the *2 button.
To prevent this for next track imports, you can also go to Settings > General > BPM range and set that to your range.
Can increase the tempo of all songs in my mix with one click?
We don't have an option to increase the tempo of ALL the songs in my mix with the same BPM with one click. Go to the orange tempo lane and drag the tempo lane for each track manually higher or lower.
Why is my transition window red?
If your transition window has a red header instead of a blue header, you have disabled beatsyncing.
To enable beatsycning:
Make sure the transition tab is selected at the bottom of the Studio screen
click on Half or Full to enable it.
What is the difference between a downbeat and the first beat?
The downbeat is the first beat of a bar. It is the strongest beat, the moment everything resets. In 4/4 time, the downbeat is beat 1 out of 1-2-3-4. Every bar has one downbeat.
The first beat is the first downbeat of the entire track.
