Chapter 1
The magic of 120 beats per minute
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Chapter 2
The computer default that shaped music
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Chapter 3
The algorithmic speed-up trap
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Chapter 4
The math of the thirty-second royalty
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Chapter 5
The global playlist machine
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The speed of pop
Ch 2 · The computer default that shaped music
Fun Fact
Default tempo: Almost all digital audio workstations default to 120 BPM, meaning many hits are written at this speed simply because producers didn't change it.
Glossary
120 bpm (noun)
A standard musical tempo representing exactly one hundred and twenty beats per minute. Benny Blanco produced hits like Moves Like Jagger at this speed because he overlooked Pro Tools settings.
A standard musical tempo representing exactly one hundred and twenty beats per minute. Benny Blanco produced hits like Moves Like Jagger at this speed because he overlooked Pro Tools settings.
Quiz
What is the default tempo that software programs like Logic Pro and Ableton open to automatically?
Quiz
What modern digital music production tool snaps musical notes perfectly onto a rigid timing grid?
Quiz
In which decade did early digital drum machines begin standardizing the 120 BPM default clock speed?
Quiz
What acronym stands for the software programs, such as FL Studio, that modern producers use to record and edit music?
Quiz
What 1970s dance genre heavily popularized a steady 120 BPM tempo for seamless dance floor mixing?
Quiz
Why did early 1978 digital drum machines, like the Roland CR-78, default to 120 BPM?