Amapiano BPM
Amapiano is usually mixed around 108-118 BPM, with 112 BPM as a practical DJ target. The reference tracks on this page span 112-122 BPM, so the guide separates core examples from adjacent and outlier records.
Amapiano BPM Reference
Amapiano: 108-118 BPM, typical 112 BPM.
| Genre | BPM Range | Typical BPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amapiano | 108-118 | 112 | South African house sub-genre defined by deep log drums, jazzy keys, and slow groove. Massive global movement since 2019. Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Focalistic. |
| Kwaito | 95-112 | 105 | 1990s South African slowed-down house with chanted vocals and looped local samples. Mandoza, TKZee, Boom Shaka, Brenda Fassie. The genre that opened the door for amapiano. |
| Afrobeats | 100-115 | 108 | West African pop juggernaut blending hip-hop, R&B, dancehall and indigenous rhythms. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Rema. Distinct from Fela's 1970s 'Afrobeat' (singular). |
vibesdj.io/dj-tools - BPM ranges are practical DJ references, not strict genre boundaries.
Amapiano
South African house sub-genre defined by deep log drums, jazzy keys, and slow groove. Massive global movement since 2019. Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Focalistic.
Sub-genre BPM landscape
Amapiano sub-genres
Afrobeats
100–115West African pop juggernaut blending hip-hop, R&B, dancehall and indigenous rhythms. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Rema. Distinct from Fela's 1970s 'Afrobeat' (singular).
Kwaito
95–1121990s South African slowed-down house with chanted vocals and looped local samples. Mandoza, TKZee, Boom Shaka, Brenda Fassie. The genre that opened the door for amapiano.
- Core DJ range
- 108–118 BPM
- Practical target
- 112 BPM
- Track spread
- 112-122 BPM
- Track evidence
- 9 shown
Use the BPM that makes loops, cue points, and phrase markers behave cleanly in your DJ software.
What BPM Is Amapiano?
Amapiano sits at 108–118 BPM as a core DJ range, with 112 BPM as a practical target for crate filtering and set planning. Kwaito is the slowest at 95-112 BPM, while Afrobeats reaches 100-115 BPM.
How to Read Amapiano BPM in DJ Software
Amapiano is usually mixed around 108-118 BPM, with 112 BPM as a practical DJ target. The reference tracks on this page span 112-122 BPM, so use the grid that makes loops and phrase markers line up cleanly.
Track Evidence
This table separates the core DJ range from the tracks shown here, so the page can be useful without hiding bridge records or outliers.
- Tracks shown
- 9
- Track spread
- 112-122 BPM
- Below core range
- 0 tracks
- Inside core range
- 8 tracks
- Above core range
- 1 track
- Mean of shown tracks
- 114 BPM
- Median of shown tracks
- 113 BPM
- Evidence level
- Limited but reviewed: 9 tracks, 8 core examples
Amapiano Reference Tracks
Resolved Amapiano tracks with BPM and Camelot key, separated by DJ fit:
Core Amapiano examples
These examples sit inside the 108-118 BPM core DJ range.
Ke Star (feat. Virgo Deep) - Remix
Focalistic, Davido, Virgo Deep
Imnandi lento (feat. Tman Xpress)
Mellow & Sleazy, SjavasDaDeejay, TitoM, Tman Xpress
Sponono (feat. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Cassper Nyovest & Madumane)
Kabza De Small, Madumane, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Cassper Nyovest
Lorch (feat. Semi Tee, Miano & Kammu Dee)
Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Semi Tee, Miano, Kammu Dee
Mnike (feat. DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA & Tyron Dee)
Tyler ICU, Tumelo_za, DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA, Tyrone Dee
Dinaledi
Major League Djz, Abidoza, Mpho Sebina
Tender Love (feat. DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small)
Sha Sha, DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small
Umsebenzi Wethu
Busta 929, Mpura, Zuma, Mr JazziQ, Lady Du, Reece Madlisa
Adjacent and outlier examples
These tracks still help explain the Amapiano neighborhood, but they should not be treated as core examples without checking the grid.
Tanzania - Rampa Remix
Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo, Rampa, Keinemusik
For working DJs
Build better DJ crates in Vibes
Tag tracks by vibe, energy, role, and set context before your next set.
Above the 108-118 BPM core range; check whether it behaves better as halftime.
DJ Overview for Amapiano
Use this as a mixing and library-prep description, not an encyclopedia entry.
Compare Nearby Styles
Mix Into Amapiano
Tempo overlap is only one part of the decision. These suggestions separate BPM fit from style fit so same-tempo but unrelated genres do not look like natural transitions.
Top Artists in Amapiano
Most-represented artists in the Amapiano tracks shown here:
Common Keys for Amapiano
Most-used Camelot keys among the Amapiano tracks shown here:
Explore Related References
Mixing Tips
Tempo Window
Stay in the 108–118 BPM band for clean mixes; verify unknown tracks with the BPM tapper.
Harmonic Fit
Use the Camelot wheel to find compatible keys before transitioning, especially when Amapiano tracks have prominent melodic content.
Tempo Bridges
When bridging into a different tempo, use the key transposer to plan how pitch change affects key, or transition during a breakdown where the beat drops.
Next Reference
Browse the EDM genre BPM chart or the music genre tree to see how Amapiano relates to neighboring styles.
Typical Tempo
See tracks at the typical 112 BPM on the 112 BPM tracks page.
Hey, it's Ben Modigell 👋
I've been DJing and producing music as "so I so," focusing on downtempo, minimal, dub house, tech house, and techno. My background in digital marketing, web development, and UX design over the past 6 years helps me create DJ tutorials that are clear, practical, and easy to follow.
Author and Methodology
Maintained by Ben Modigell
Ben is the founder of Vibes and builds DJ library, preparation, BPM, and harmonic-mixing tools for working DJs.
Last updated:
Data used: 9 reference tracks
Evidence: 9 reference Amapiano tracks from a 290-track dataset; 8 sit inside the core DJ range and 1 are labeled as adjacent or outlier examples.
Source: Audio features sourced from ReccoBeats (https://reccobeats.com); track metadata via Spotify Search API. Spotify deprecated audio-features for new apps in Nov 2024. Manual label reference tracks use Beatport BPM/key metadata where available.
How this page is made: This page is generated from the Vibes genre taxonomy, curated reference tracks, computed evidence statistics, and reference track metadata where available. AI-assisted research helped draft the taxonomy notes; the visible page is rendered from structured data and reusable page logic.
Genre BPM ranges are practical DJ references, not statistical claims about every track. Different edits, live versions, and analysis engines may report slightly different tempos.
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