Genre Guides

What BPM Is Trance?

Trance typically ranges from 128–150 BPM, with most tracks sitting around 138 BPM. The tempo varies significantly by sub-genre -progressive trance runs as slow as 128, while psytrance and Goa trance push up to 150.

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Trance BPM Reference

Trance: 128-150 BPM, typical 138 BPM.

Genre	BPM Range	Typical BPM	Notes
Trance	128-150	138	Hypnotic melodies, euphoric builds, and extended breakdowns. Designed to induce a trance-like state through repetition and emotional progression.
Balearic Trance	118-128	124	Sun-drenched, slower trance born from Ibiza's Café del Mar/Pacha sunset sets. Eclectic, melodic, and uplifting without the BPM. Chicane, Way Out West.
Progressive Trance	128-136	132	Slower, deeper trance with gradual builds and subtle evolution. Less euphoric peaks, more groove and texture. Sasha & Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo.
Dream Trance	130-140	135	Mid-90s Italian trance built on dreamy piano leads and emotional progressions. Robert Miles' 'Children' archetype, BBE, Zhi-Vago.
Uplifting Trance	136-142	138	The classic trance sound — soaring melodies, big breakdowns, and euphoric drops that define the genre's emotional peak. Aly & Fila, Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten.
Vocal Trance	132-140	138	Trance with foregrounded vocal performances. Dash Berlin, Tiësto's early-2000s output, ATB. Pop crossover potential.
Tech Trance	135-145	140	Merges trance's melodic elements with techno's driving, percussive energy. Harder edge than classic trance. Simon Patterson, Sean Tyas, Will Atkinson.
Acid Trance	135-145	140	TB-303-driven trance — squelchy acid lines weaving through trance arrangements. Hardfloor, Union Jack, Trance Wax.
Orchestral Uplifting	138-142	140	Cinematic, symphonic uplifting trance — orchestral string sections, choir layers, and film-score builds. Andy Blueman, Soundlift, Activa.
Psybreaks	130-150	140	Psytrance hybridised with breakbeat drum patterns. Hyper-Frequencies, Tickle, Shanka, BSE. Mostly 130-140 BPM with broken kicks instead of 4/4.
Hard Trance	140-150	145	Faster, harder trance — distorted hoover synths, pumping kicks, and hard-rave energy. Kai Tracid, Dumonde, Cosmic Gate's early sound.
Psytrance	140-150	145	Psychedelic trance with driving basslines, layered textures, and mind-bending sound design. Born from Goa trance.
Goa Trance	140-150	145	The original psychedelic trance from Goa, India. Layered acid lines, organic textures, and spiritual energy. Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom's early work.
Full-On Psytrance	140-148	145	Melodic, energetic Israeli/Brazilian psytrance variant. Vini Vici, Astrix, Infected Mushroom mainstream era. The festival-friendly face of psy.
Forest / Dark Psytrance	145-160	148	Dark, organic, woodland-mood psytrance with rolling acid basslines. Kindzadza, Para Halu, Terrafractyl. The opposite end from Full-On.
Suomisaundi	140-160	150	Finnish freeform psy — chaotic, irreverent, sample-collage psytrance. Squaremeat, Texas Faggott, Haltya. The DIY weirdo cousin of Goa.
Hi-Tech / Twilight	150-200	175	Extreme high-BPM psytrance with intricate sound design. Bizzare Contact, Outsiders, Furious. Blurs the line with speedcore at the upper end.

vibesdj.io/dj-tools - BPM ranges are practical DJ references, not strict genre boundaries.

Trance

128–150BPM

138

110210

Hypnotic melodies, euphoric builds, and extended breakdowns. Designed to induce a trance-like state through repetition and emotional progression.

Euphoric melodiesExtended buildsArpeggiated synthsEmotional peaks

Sub-genre BPM landscape

scale: 110–210 BPM

Balearic Trance118–128

Progressive Trance128–136

Dream Trance130–140

Uplifting Trance136–142

Vocal Trance132–140

Tech Trance135–145

Acid Trance135–145

Orchestral Uplifting138–142

Psybreaks130–150

Hard Trance140–150

Psytrance140–150

Goa Trance140–150

Full-On Psytrance140–148

Forest / Dark Psytrance145–160

Suomisaundi140–160

Hi-Tech / Twilight150–200

Trance sub-genres

Uplifting Trance

136–142

The classic trance sound — soaring melodies, big breakdowns, and euphoric drops that define the genre's emotional peak. Aly & Fila, Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten.

Soaring melodiesBig breakdownsEuphoric dropsClassic trance pads

Progressive Trance

128–136

Slower, deeper trance with gradual builds and subtle evolution. Less euphoric peaks, more groove and texture. Sasha & Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo.

Gradual buildsSubtle evolutionGroove-focusedDeep textures

Vocal Trance

132–140

Trance with foregrounded vocal performances. Dash Berlin, Tiësto's early-2000s output, ATB. Pop crossover potential.

Featured vocalsPop structureBig chorus dropsEmotional lyrics

Tech Trance

135–145

Merges trance's melodic elements with techno's driving, percussive energy. Harder edge than classic trance. Simon Patterson, Sean Tyas, Will Atkinson.

Driving percussionHarder edgeTrance melodiesTechno influence

Hard Trance

140–150

Faster, harder trance — distorted hoover synths, pumping kicks, and hard-rave energy. Kai Tracid, Dumonde, Cosmic Gate's early sound.

Hoover synthsPumping kicksHard-rave energyDriving build-ups

Acid Trance

135–145

TB-303-driven trance — squelchy acid lines weaving through trance arrangements. Hardfloor, Union Jack, Trance Wax.

TB-303 acidTrance breakdownsSquelchy leadsRave nostalgia

Dream Trance

130–140

Mid-90s Italian trance built on dreamy piano leads and emotional progressions. Robert Miles' 'Children' archetype, BBE, Zhi-Vago.

Piano leadsItalian originEmotional progressionsMid-90s sound

Balearic Trance

118–128

Sun-drenched, slower trance born from Ibiza's Café del Mar/Pacha sunset sets. Eclectic, melodic, and uplifting without the BPM. Chicane, Way Out West.

Sunset feelEclectic samplesSlow buildIbiza heritage

Orchestral Uplifting

138–142

Cinematic, symphonic uplifting trance — orchestral string sections, choir layers, and film-score builds. Andy Blueman, Soundlift, Activa.

Orchestral stringsChoir layersCinematic buildsFilm-score scale

Psytrance

140–150

Psychedelic trance with driving basslines, layered textures, and mind-bending sound design. Born from Goa trance.

Driving basslinesPsychedelic texturesLayered FXTrippy atmosphere

Goa Trance

140–150

The original psychedelic trance from Goa, India. Layered acid lines, organic textures, and spiritual energy. Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom's early work.

Acid linesLayered texturesSpiritual energyGoa heritage

Full-On Psytrance

140–148

Melodic, energetic Israeli/Brazilian psytrance variant. Vini Vici, Astrix, Infected Mushroom mainstream era. The festival-friendly face of psy.

Melodic leadsFestival energyIsraeli schoolMainstream psy

Forest / Dark Psytrance

145–160

Dark, organic, woodland-mood psytrance with rolling acid basslines. Kindzadza, Para Halu, Terrafractyl. The opposite end from Full-On.

Rolling acid bassOrganic texturesDark moodForest aesthetics

Hi-Tech / Twilight

150–200

Extreme high-BPM psytrance with intricate sound design. Bizzare Contact, Outsiders, Furious. Blurs the line with speedcore at the upper end.

High BPMIntricate sound designTwilight atmosphereTechnical production

Suomisaundi

140–160

Finnish freeform psy — chaotic, irreverent, sample-collage psytrance. Squaremeat, Texas Faggott, Haltya. The DIY weirdo cousin of Goa.

Sample collageIrreverent humourFinnish DIYFreeform structure

Psybreaks

130–150

Psytrance hybridised with breakbeat drum patterns. Hyper-Frequencies, Tickle, Shanka, BSE. Mostly 130-140 BPM with broken kicks instead of 4/4.

Breakbeat drumsPsy texturesMid-tempoHybrid groove

What BPM Is Trance?

Trance sits at 128–150 BPM, with 138 BPM as the genre standard. Progressive trance is the slowest at 128–136 BPM, uplifting trance runs 136–142 BPM, and psytrance and Goa trance reach 140–150 BPM. Tech trance bridges techno and trance at 135–145 BPM.

Why Is Trance 138 BPM?

Trance emerged in the early 1990s from the intersection of German techno and acid house. Early trance producers like Sven Vath, Paul van Dyk, and Jam & Spoon created hypnotic, repetitive tracks at 130–140 BPM that were designed to induce a trance-like state on the dancefloor.

The mid-to-late 1990s saw trance splinter into distinct sub-genres with different tempo identities. Goa trance (born from the psychedelic beach parties of Goa, India) pushed tempos to 140–150 BPM with layered acid textures. Uplifting trance -the anthemic, emotional variant championed by Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, and Ferry Corsten -settled at 136–142 BPM, which became the genre's defining tempo.

The 2010s brought a progressive trance revival at slower tempos (128–136 BPM), influenced by the crossover with progressive house and melodic techno. Artists like Nora En Pure and Tinlicker blurred the lines between genres. Meanwhile, psytrance maintained its fast 140–150 BPM tradition and grew massively through festivals like Boom and Ozora. Today, trance spans the widest BPM range of any major electronic genre.

Mixing Tips for Trance

Trance tracks often have long intro/outro sections (32–64 bars) specifically designed for mixing -use the full length for seamless transitions
Build your set from progressive trance (128–136) into uplifting (136–142) for a natural energy arc
Key matching is critical in trance -the melodic content is prominent, so clashing keys are very noticeable. Use the Camelot wheel to stay in compatible keys, or transpose with the key transposer when you need to bridge keys
When transitioning between sub-genres with different tempos, use a bridge track or make the tempo change during a breakdown where the beat drops out. Verify an unknown track's tempo with the BPM tapper

Organize your DJ library visually.

Tag tracks by vibe. See everything at once. Export to any DJ software.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The most common BPM for trance is 138 BPM, which has been the genre's standard since the late 1990s. Uplifting trance and classic trance tracks typically sit at 136-142 BPM, while progressive trance runs slower at 128-136 BPM.

Psytrance typically ranges from 140-150 BPM, making it one of the faster trance sub-genres. Full-on psytrance sits around 145 BPM, while its parent genre Goa trance runs at a similar 140-150 BPM range.

Progressive trance ranges from 128-136 BPM, making it the slowest trance sub-genre. The lower tempo allows for longer, more gradual builds and deeper grooves compared to uplifting or psytrance.

Yes, especially melodic techno (122-132 BPM) with progressive trance (128-136 BPM) -they share a similar tempo range and emotional production style. Tech trance (135-145 BPM) was specifically created as a bridge between the two genres.

Generally yes. House music ranges from 115-132 BPM, while trance ranges from 128-150 BPM. There is overlap in the 128-132 BPM zone where progressive trance meets progressive and electro house, but most trance sub-genres are noticeably faster.

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What BPM Is Trance?

Share on

Trance BPM Reference

Trance: 128-150 BPM, typical 138 BPM.

Genre	BPM Range	Typical BPM	Notes
Trance	128-150	138	Hypnotic melodies, euphoric builds, and extended breakdowns. Designed to induce a trance-like state through repetition and emotional progression.
Balearic Trance	118-128	124	Sun-drenched, slower trance born from Ibiza's Café del Mar/Pacha sunset sets. Eclectic, melodic, and uplifting without the BPM. Chicane, Way Out West.
Progressive Trance	128-136	132	Slower, deeper trance with gradual builds and subtle evolution. Less euphoric peaks, more groove and texture. Sasha & Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo.
Dream Trance	130-140	135	Mid-90s Italian trance built on dreamy piano leads and emotional progressions. Robert Miles' 'Children' archetype, BBE, Zhi-Vago.
Uplifting Trance	136-142	138	The classic trance sound — soaring melodies, big breakdowns, and euphoric drops that define the genre's emotional peak. Aly & Fila, Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten.
Vocal Trance	132-140	138	Trance with foregrounded vocal performances. Dash Berlin, Tiësto's early-2000s output, ATB. Pop crossover potential.
Tech Trance	135-145	140	Merges trance's melodic elements with techno's driving, percussive energy. Harder edge than classic trance. Simon Patterson, Sean Tyas, Will Atkinson.
Acid Trance	135-145	140	TB-303-driven trance — squelchy acid lines weaving through trance arrangements. Hardfloor, Union Jack, Trance Wax.
Orchestral Uplifting	138-142	140	Cinematic, symphonic uplifting trance — orchestral string sections, choir layers, and film-score builds. Andy Blueman, Soundlift, Activa.
Psybreaks	130-150	140	Psytrance hybridised with breakbeat drum patterns. Hyper-Frequencies, Tickle, Shanka, BSE. Mostly 130-140 BPM with broken kicks instead of 4/4.
Hard Trance	140-150	145	Faster, harder trance — distorted hoover synths, pumping kicks, and hard-rave energy. Kai Tracid, Dumonde, Cosmic Gate's early sound.
Psytrance	140-150	145	Psychedelic trance with driving basslines, layered textures, and mind-bending sound design. Born from Goa trance.
Goa Trance	140-150	145	The original psychedelic trance from Goa, India. Layered acid lines, organic textures, and spiritual energy. Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom's early work.
Full-On Psytrance	140-148	145	Melodic, energetic Israeli/Brazilian psytrance variant. Vini Vici, Astrix, Infected Mushroom mainstream era. The festival-friendly face of psy.
Forest / Dark Psytrance	145-160	148	Dark, organic, woodland-mood psytrance with rolling acid basslines. Kindzadza, Para Halu, Terrafractyl. The opposite end from Full-On.
Suomisaundi	140-160	150	Finnish freeform psy — chaotic, irreverent, sample-collage psytrance. Squaremeat, Texas Faggott, Haltya. The DIY weirdo cousin of Goa.
Hi-Tech / Twilight	150-200	175	Extreme high-BPM psytrance with intricate sound design. Bizzare Contact, Outsiders, Furious. Blurs the line with speedcore at the upper end.

vibesdj.io/dj-tools - BPM ranges are practical DJ references, not strict genre boundaries.