Animation & motionKinetic typography
Tempo type
A yellow type specimen lifts, compresses or holds to an adjustable sixteen-beat cadence.

Choose a pattern, start, and change BPM.
Subframe Original · MIT
Add to your project
Component source
Standalone React component. Styles are included.
React only. No additional packages.
Render the default export inside a container with a defined height. Its optional active prop stops movement when false. This example works with React 19; Next.js projects can use it as a client component.
View source code
/**
* MIT License
*
* Copyright (c) 2026 Subframe
*
* Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
* of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
* in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
* to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
* copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
* furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
*
* The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
* copies or substantial portions of the Software.
*
* THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
* IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
* FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
* AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
* LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
* OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
* SOFTWARE.
*/
"use client"
import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react"
const modes = ["LIFT", "PRESS", "HOLD"] as const
export default function TempoType({ active = true }: { active?: boolean }) {
const [mode, setMode] = useState(0)
const [bpm, setBpm] = useState(84)
const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(false)
const [reduced, setReduced] = useState(true)
const word = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
const ticks = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
const beats = useRef(0)
useEffect(() => {
const q = matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)")
const update = () => setReduced(q.matches)
update()
q.addEventListener("change", update)
return () => q.removeEventListener("change", update)
}, [])
useEffect(() => {
let frame = 0,
last = 0
const el = word.current,
rail = ticks.current
if (!el || !rail) return
const reset = () => {
el.style.transform = "scale(1)"
el.style.opacity = "1"
}
function draw(now: number) {
if (!el || !rail) return
if (last) beats.current += ((Math.min(now - last, 64) / 1000) * bpm) / 60
last = now
const phase = beats.current % 1,
envelope = Math.pow(Math.max(0, 1 - phase / 0.57), 2),
beat = Math.floor(beats.current) % 16
el.style.transform =
mode === 0
? `scale(${1 - envelope * 0.04},${1 + envelope * 0.23})`
: mode === 1
? `scale(${1 + envelope * 0.075},${1 - envelope * 0.22})`
: "scale(1)"
el.style.opacity = mode === 2 ? String(1 - envelope * 0.23) : "1"
Array.from(rail.children).forEach((tick, i) => {
;(tick as HTMLElement).dataset.on = String(i === beat)
})
frame = requestAnimationFrame(draw)
}
if (active && playing && !reduced) frame = requestAnimationFrame(draw)
else reset()
return () => {
cancelAnimationFrame(frame)
reset()
}
}, [active, playing, reduced, bpm, mode])
return (
<section className="sf-tempo-type">
<div className="sf-tt-modes" role="group" aria-label="Motion pattern">
{modes.map((m, i) => (
<button type="button" key={m} aria-pressed={mode === i} onClick={() => setMode(i)}>
{m[0] + m.slice(1).toLowerCase()}
</button>
))}
</div>
<div className="sf-tt-word-wrap">
<div ref={word} className="sf-tt-word">
{modes[mode]}
</div>
</div>
<div ref={ticks} className="sf-tt-ticks" aria-hidden="true">
{Array.from({ length: 16 }, (_, i) => (
<i key={i} />
))}
</div>
<div className="sf-tt-controls">
<button type="button" className="sf-tt-play" aria-pressed={playing} onClick={() => setPlaying(!playing)}>
{playing ? "Pause" : "Start"}
<span>{playing ? "Ⅱ" : "▶"}</span>
</button>
<div className="sf-tt-tempo">
<button
type="button"
aria-label="Slower by four BPM"
disabled={bpm <= 40}
onClick={() => setBpm((v) => Math.max(40, v - 4))}
>
−
</button>
<output aria-live="polite">
{bpm}
<span>BPM</span>
</output>
<button
type="button"
aria-label="Faster by four BPM"
disabled={bpm >= 160}
onClick={() => setBpm((v) => Math.min(160, v + 4))}
>
+
</button>
</div>
</div>
<style>{`.sf-tempo-type{width:100%;height:100%;min-height:280px;position:relative;background:#ffe319;color:#161911;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;overflow:hidden;box-sizing:border-box;container-type:inline-size;padding:15px 24px}.sf-tempo-type *{box-sizing:border-box}.sf-tt-modes{display:flex;gap:4px;position:relative;z-index:2}.sf-tt-modes button{border:0;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;background:none;color:inherit;min-height:44px;min-width:58px;font:11px monospace;padding:0 12px;cursor:pointer;opacity:.55}.sf-tt-modes button[aria-pressed=true]{opacity:1;border-bottom-color:currentColor}.sf-tt-word-wrap{position:absolute;left:24px;right:24px;top:69px;bottom:102px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center}.sf-tt-word{font-size:clamp(69px,25cqw,148px);font-weight:900;letter-spacing:-.085em;line-height:.75;transform-origin:center bottom;padding-right:.06em}.sf-tt-ticks{position:absolute;left:28px;right:28px;bottom:84px;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;height:10px;align-items:center}.sf-tt-ticks i{height:3px;width:3px;border-radius:50%;background:currentColor;opacity:.35}.sf-tt-ticks i:nth-child(4n+1){height:8px;width:1px;border-radius:0;opacity:.7}.sf-tt-ticks i[data-on=true]{height:10px;width:10px;border-radius:50%;opacity:1}.sf-tt-controls{position:absolute;bottom:17px;left:24px;right:24px;height:48px;border-top:1px solid #16191155;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center}.sf-tt-controls button{background:none;color:inherit;border:0;min-width:44px;height:44px;font:19px monospace;cursor:pointer}.sf-tt-controls button:disabled{opacity:.25;cursor:default}.sf-tt-controls .sf-tt-play{font:11px monospace;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:25px;padding:0 9px}.sf-tt-tempo{display:flex;align-items:center}.sf-tt-tempo output{font:18px monospace;min-width:58px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;align-items:center;font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums;line-height:1.1}.sf-tt-tempo output>span{font:8px monospace;letter-spacing:.12em;margin-top:3px}.sf-tempo-type button:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #161911;outline-offset:0}.sf-tempo-type button:active:not(:disabled){background:#1619110d}@container(max-width:360px){.sf-tt-controls{left:18px;right:14px}.sf-tt-controls .sf-tt-play{gap:14px}.sf-tt-word{font-size:25cqw}.sf-tt-word-wrap{top:76px;bottom:111px}}`}</style>
</section>
)
}
Where it works well
Visual rehearsal of rhythmic motion through typography.
Reduced motion
Typography and beat position stay still; mode and tempo controls remain available.
Things to know
A visual 40–160 BPM clock, not sample-accurate audio playback.