How to Change Tempo in MuseScore: A Complete Guide
MuseScore gives you precise control over tempo — whether you're engraving a score for live performance, creating a playback track, or exporting audio. But the method you use depends on what you want to change: the written tempo marking visible on the score, the actual playback speed, or both. Understanding the distinction between these is the real starting point.
What "Tempo" Actually Means in MuseScore
In MuseScore, tempo operates on two levels:
- Notated tempo — the tempo marking printed on the score (e.g., ♩ = 120), which a human performer reads
- Playback tempo — the speed at which MuseScore's built-in audio engine actually plays back the score
These two can be linked or independent depending on how you set things up. When you add a tempo marking from the Tempo palette, MuseScore typically links the notated and playback tempos automatically. When you override playback speed manually, the notated marking stays the same while the engine plays at a different rate.
Method 1: Adding or Editing a Tempo Marking (MuseScore 4 and MuseScore 3)
This is the standard approach for most users and affects both the printed score and playback.
Steps:
- Click the note or measure where you want the tempo to begin
- Open the Tempo palette (found under Add > Text > Tempo Marking in older versions, or directly in the Palettes panel in MuseScore 4)
- Double-click a tempo marking to apply it — it will appear above the staff
- To change the BPM value, double-click the marking on the score to enter edit mode
- Modify the number (e.g., change ♩ = 100 to ♩ = 144)
- Press Escape to exit edit mode
In MuseScore 4, after selecting an applied tempo marking, the Properties panel on the left lets you adjust the BPM value numerically — often faster than editing inline text.
Method 2: Using the Play Panel to Adjust Playback Speed Without Changing Notation 🎵
This approach is useful when you want to practice at a slower speed or test a passage without altering the actual score.
In MuseScore 3:
- Go to View > Play Panel (or press F11)
- Use the tempo slider or BPM field to increase or decrease playback speed as a percentage of the notated tempo
In MuseScore 4:
- The Play Panel has been redesigned into the playback toolbar at the bottom of the screen
- A tempo multiplier (shown as a percentage) allows real-time speed adjustments without touching the score itself
This change is non-destructive — it doesn't write anything into the notation. It's session-based in most versions, meaning it resets when you close the project.
Method 3: Tempo Changes Mid-Score (Ritardando, Accelerando, Multiple Tempos)
Many scores require tempo to shift partway through. MuseScore handles this through multiple tempo markings placed at different points in the score.
| Situation | Approach |
|---|---|
| Sudden new tempo | Add a second tempo marking at the target measure |
| Gradual slowdown (rit.) | Add a text marking; adjust manually with a new tempo at the resolution point |
| Fermata affecting time | Use the fermata from Articulations palette; playback stretch is adjustable in Properties |
| Swing/feel changes | MuseScore 4 has limited native swing support; workarounds exist via manual tuplet entry |
Gradual tempo changes (true accelerando/ritardando in playback) are a known limitation in MuseScore. The software doesn't natively interpolate tempo smoothly between two points — it plays at a fixed BPM until the next explicit marking. Composers working around this typically place multiple tempo markings in close succession to simulate the effect.
Method 4: Overriding a Tempo Marking's Playback Value
Sometimes you want the score to display one tempo but play back at another — useful for writing "Allegro (♩ = 160)" while hearing something slightly different during editing.
In MuseScore 3, right-click a tempo marking → Tempo Properties → uncheck Follow text and enter a custom BPM. This decouples the displayed text from the playback value.
In MuseScore 4, select the tempo marking and look in the Properties panel for the playback BPM override option.
What Affects Which Method Works for You 🎼
Not every method is equally practical depending on your situation:
- Your MuseScore version matters significantly — MuseScore 4 redesigned the UI and moved several controls. Steps that work in version 3 may be in different locations or have different behavior in version 4.
- Export goals change priorities. If you're exporting audio (MP3, WAV, OGG), the notated tempo markings in the score drive the exported output — the Play Panel percentage does not carry over in all export workflows.
- Orchestral vs. solo scores behave differently when multiple instruments interact across tempo changes. Verifying that all staves respond to a new tempo marking is worth a quick playback check.
- Plugin and MusicXML workflows can strip or alter tempo data on import/export. If you're exchanging files with other notation software, tempo metadata handling varies by format.
- Skill level with notation software affects how comfortable you'll be with decoupling playback and notated values — a useful feature, but one that can create confusion if you forget the override is in place.
The "right" tempo workflow in MuseScore isn't universal — it depends on whether you're producing a printed score, a playback reference, an audio export, or all three at once. What each of those requires from the tempo system is genuinely different.