Rhythm and Pulse
The basic unit of time in music; the "heartbeat" of a song.
Beat
The speed of the music.
Tempo
Music produced specifically to be sold and distributed to a mass audience.
Commercial Music
A series of undifferentiated even beats (like a clock ticking).
Pulse
Gradually getting faster.
Acellerando
A method of transmitting or receiving data (especially video and audio) over a computer network as a steady, continuous flow.
Streaming
The first beat of a measure, typically the strongest.
Downbeat
Gradually getting slower.
Ritardando
The unauthorized duplication of copyrighted music.
Piracy
The grouping of beats into regular patterns (e.g., Duple/Quadruple or Triple).
Meter
A strong accent on the second and fourth beats of a quadruple meter (common in Rock, Pop, and Hip-Hop).
Taking a portion of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a sound recording in a different song.
Sample/Sampling
A rhythmic technique where the emphasis is placed on "off-beats" or weak beats.
Syncopation
The vocalist in hip-hop who rhymes and engages the crowd.
MC
A person who plays recorded music for an audience.
DJ