Speedcore is an extreme subgenre of electronic dance music characterized by extremely fast tempos, typically exceeding 300 beats per minute (BPM). It evolved as an extension of Hardcore, which usually operates around 180 BPM.

The genre originated partly as a technical challenge for music producers and hardware enthusiasts, who sought to push electronic music equipment beyond its intended limits. This resulted in a competitive scene where producers aimed to create increasingly faster tracks.

Speedcore can be categorized into several sub-genres based on tempo:

300-700 BPM: Standard Speedcore

700-1000 BPM: Splittercore

Above 1000 BPM: Extratone

Tracks exceeding 1500 BPM are generally considered white noise rather than music, as human ears cannot distinguish individual beats at such speeds.

In the late 1990s, a group of San Francisco-based producers created a variant called Speedbass, though this remained a niche movement.

Speedcore is often viewed as a novelty or parody within the electronic music community, with many tracks created more as technical demonstrations or jokes rather than for traditional listening or dancing. Despite its extreme nature, Speedcore represents a unique facet of electronic music culture and the ongoing push to explore the limits of sound and technology.