What chords and keys are used in techno?

Minor-leaning (56% measured) or one drone pitch; pick the root so the kick lands 49–58 Hz. Common progressions, written in C major / A minor: Am. Harmonic rhythm: none, or one repeated stab.

How loud are techno tracks mastered?

Commercial releases in this style measure around -7.7 LUFS integrated (median of a large catalogue study). Streaming services turn loud masters down, so this describes the genre's sound, not a target you must hit.

Can I use AI-generated techno commercially?

Commercial use of music you generate on SoundGen is governed by section 4 of the Terms of Service, which sets out who owns the output and what the licence covers. Read it there before you release.

Techno (peak time / driving) · AI music generator

AI techno generator. Then the studio to finish it.

Describe the track and SoundGen generates it. Arrange, mix and master in the same browser DAW, or have the AI producer build techno parts on the timeline with the conventions below.

Generate techno 100 free credits

Starter prompt

Driving peak-time techno, pounding kick, rumbling bass, hypnotic synth stabs, warehouse energy, 132 BPM

Open it in the generator

Techno (peak time / driving): the production sheet

The defaults SoundGen's AI producer uses for this style — conventions, not rules. Each figure is graded by how it is known.

Tempo

128–140 BPM

Centre 133. measured median 133 (yearly 138–140 in 2025–26); hard techno is its own profile at ~150. (measured across a large catalogue)

Meter and feel

4/4

54% swing on the 1/16 notes (50% is straight, 66.7% a full triplet). (practitioner consensus)

Harmony

minor-leaning (56% measured) or one drone pitch; pick the root so the kick lands 49–58 Hz. none, or one repeated stab.

Written in C major / A minor; transpose to your key.

Instrumentation

tuned kick + sidechained rumble
offbeat open hat, 16th closed hats, ride
clap on 2 and 4
stab or riff
percussion loops

Bass: rumble or an offbeat bass between the kicks; high-pass the bass at 80–100 Hz when a rumble also runs.

A typical form · 200 bars, about 6.0 min at 133 BPM

Intro 32
Groove A 32
Groove B 32
Breakdown 16
Build 8
Peak 48
Outro 32

Mix

One owner of the 60 Hz fundamental; everything below ~150 Hz mono; hats 6–10 dB under the kick; returns high-passed at 300–500 Hz. Released tracks measure around -7.7 LUFS integrated. DJ intro and outro are kick + percussion at flat energy, 16–32 bars. change something on every 8-bar boundary. a vocal hook enters at bar 33 or later, never in the DJ intro.

Questions

What BPM is techno?: Usually 128–140 BPM, centred around 133 (measured median 133 (yearly 138–140 in 2025–26); hard techno is its own profile at ~150).
What chords and keys are used in techno?: Minor-leaning (56% measured) or one drone pitch; pick the root so the kick lands 49–58 Hz. Common progressions, written in C major / A minor: Am. Harmonic rhythm: none, or one repeated stab.
How loud are techno tracks mastered?: Commercial releases in this style measure around -7.7 LUFS integrated (median of a large catalogue study). Streaming services turn loud masters down, so this describes the genre's sound, not a target you must hit.
Can I use AI-generated techno commercially?: Commercial use of music you generate on SoundGen is governed by section 4 of the Terms of Service, which sets out who owns the output and what the licence covers. Read it there before you release. Read the Terms.

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