Cheer Music Glossary

BPM (Beats Per Minute)

The tempo or speed of a piece of music, measured in beats per minute. Most cheer music falls in the 140-160 BPM range. Higher BPM means faster pacing and more 8-counts in the same amount of time. Use the Cheer Music Calculator™ to see how BPM affects your routine timing.

8-Count

The fundamental rhythmic unit cheer routines are built on. Every routine is choreographed in groupings of 8 counts. The number of 8-counts in your mix depends on your mix length and BPM. A standard 2:30 mix at 147 BPM has approximately 47 eight-counts. For a complete length-by-length breakdown, see our How Many 8 Counts Are in a Cheer Routine guide.

Mix Length

The total runtime of your custom cheer music, measured in minutes and seconds. Standard cheer mix lengths include 1:30, 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, and 2:30. Custom lengths are also available for non-standard routines.

Tempo

The pace at which the music plays, used interchangeably with BPM in cheer music conversations. Standard tempo for All-Star and high school competitive cheer is 147 BPM, which matches the New Level Music 8-Count Track used by many programs for routine planning and DAW syncing.

Routine

The full choreographed performance a team competes with, including stunts, tumbling, jumps, dance, and pyramid sections. Custom cheer music is built specifically to support every section of your routine from opening countdown to ending boom.

Ending Boom

The final musical hit at the very end of a cheer routine — the dramatic, often explosive moment that punctuates the team's last pose. The ending boom typically lands on count 1 of the final 8-count and is one of the most heavily produced moments in any cheer mix.

Intro

The opening section of a cheer mix, typically the first 4-8 counts. The intro sets the energy and tone of the routine, often featuring a signature sound effect, drum hit, or vocal sample to grab the audience and judges immediately.

Opening Section

The first major routine element after the intro — typically a powerful stunting display or partner stunt sequence designed to grab judges' attention immediately. Music for the opening section is built to feel dramatic and impactful, setting the tone for everything that follows.

Outro

The closing section of a cheer mix leading into the ending boom. The outro typically builds tension and energy through the final 8-counts, setting up the climactic finish that punctuates the team's final pose.

Build

A section of the mix that gradually increases in intensity, often through layered drums, rising synths, or vocal sweeps, leading into a major moment like a drop, transition, or section change.

Drop

The high-energy peak moment in a section, typically following a build. Drops in cheer music are heavily produced moments designed to land on key choreography — usually a stunt hit, pyramid hit, or major routine transition.

Transition

The musical bridge between two sections of a routine. Transitions in cheer music help athletes shift smoothly from one element to the next — for example, from stunting to pyramid, or from tumbling to dance.

Section Change

A noticeable shift in the music that signals to athletes (and judges) that the routine is moving from one major section to another. Strong section changes are a hallmark of great custom cheer music.

Partner Stunts

A section featuring synchronized partner stunt groups performing the same skills simultaneously. Music for partner stunts is built around clean, hard-hitting count 1 moments that support synchronized loads, extensions, and dismounts across the floor.

Stunt Section

The portion of a cheer routine where teams perform stunts (lifts, extensions, libs, etc.). Cheer music for stunt sections is typically powerful and dramatic, with strong hits on count 1 to support the stunt land.

Basket Section

The portion of a routine featuring basket toss skills — where flyers are launched from group-tossed bases for high-flying skills like pikes, kicks, twists, and tucks. Basket section music is engineered to peak right at the toss and again at the catch, with dramatic builds and impactful hits to maximize visual impact.

Pyramid Section

The portion of a routine featuring multi-level pyramids and connected stunts. Pyramid music in cheer mixes is often elevated, building toward a peak moment as the pyramid hits its final shape.

Dismount

The moment when stunts and pyramids come down — when flyers transition from elevated skills back to the ground. Music for dismounts is timed to land on count 1 of the dismount, supporting the athletes through the controlled descent and into the next routine section.

Jumps Section

A dedicated section of the routine featuring synchronized jump skills like toe touches, hurdlers, pikes, and double nines. Jumps music is typically punchy and percussive, with strong rhythmic markers to help the team hit perfectly synchronized jump sequences.

Standing Tumbling Section

The portion of a routine where athletes perform tumbling skills from a standing position (no running approach) — like back handsprings, back tucks, and standing fulls. Music for standing tumbling has clear rhythmic punctuation to support the explosive skills.

Group Tumbling Section

A synchronized tumbling section where multiple athletes perform tumbling passes simultaneously across the floor. Group tumbling music needs precise rhythmic structure so multiple athletes can hit their skills in unison, with clear count markers and supportive build-ups.

Tumbling Section

A general term for any portion of a routine featuring tumbling passes — running, standing, or group. Tumbling music typically has clear rhythmic markers that help athletes time their passes and land on key counts.

Dance Section

The dance portion of a cheer routine, usually featuring a distinctive musical character — often hip-hop, pop, or a hard-hitting electronic style. The dance break is one of the most personalized sections of a custom mix.

Voiceover (VO)

Spoken or shouted vocal elements layered into the music — for example, a coach calling "Bring it!" or a hype phrase shouting the team name. Voiceovers add team identity to a mix and are featured in Headliner+ and Centerstage X packages.

Chant

A repeated vocal phrase, often the team name or program rallying cry, layered into the cheer mix. Chants are common in dance breaks and crowd-engagement sections, building team identity into the music itself.

Rap

A custom rap verse written specifically for a team's routine. Often featured during dance breaks or major build moments, raps in cheer music can name the team, gym, division, or routine concept directly.

Stem

An individual track within a final mix — for example, the drum stem, vocal stem, or instrumental stem. Stems are useful for routine rehearsals when teams want to practice with isolated music elements.

Sound Design

The custom sound effects, risers, drum hits, sweeps, and impacts added to a cheer mix to create dramatic moments and support choreography. Strong sound design is what separates professional cheer music from amateur edits.

Master / Mastering

The final step of music production, where the completed mix is polished, balanced, and prepared for delivery. Mastered cheer music is loud, clear, and ready to play through any competition arena's sound system.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

The software cheer music producers use to build mixes — examples include Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Reaper, and Ableton Live. Coaches don't need to know DAW software, but understanding the term helps when discussing technical details with a producer.

Tag (Audio Tag)

A short branded audio identifier added to the start or end of a mix — for example, "Limelight Music Productions" announced over a signature sound effect. Tags help establish producer brand identity within the cheer music community.

Licensed Music

Music that has been legally cleared for use in cheer routines through proper rights agreements with the original artists, producers, and publishers. All Limelight cheer music is fully licensed for sanctioned competitions. Read more about cheer music licensing.

Original Music

Music composed entirely from scratch for a specific team or routine — not based on existing songs. Original cheer music has no licensing complications and remains 100% the team's own. Featured in the Centerstage X package.

Cover Song

A re-recorded version of an existing copyrighted song. Cover songs are not used in Limelight cheer music because they introduce licensing complications that can cause routines to be flagged or disqualified at sanctioned competitions.

USASF

United States All Star Federation — the governing body for All-Star cheerleading competition in the United States. USASF sanctions major events including The Cheerleading Worlds, The Summit, and major nationals. All Limelight cheer music meets USASF licensing standards.

ICU

International Cheer Union — the global governing body for international competitive cheerleading. ICU sanctions the ICU World Cheerleading Championships, where Limelight clients including Team Finland Jr All Girl have won World titles.

IASF

International All Star Federation — the international governing body for All-Star cheerleading outside the United States. IASF coordinates with USASF on World Championship eligibility and licensing standards globally.

NCA

National Cheerleaders Association — host of major national cheer events including NCA All-Star Nationals, NCA High School Nationals, and NCA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship. All Limelight cheer music is licensed for NCA competition.

UCA

Universal Cheerleaders Association — host of major national cheer events including UCA International All-Star Championship, UCA High School Nationals, and UCA College Cheerleading National Championship. Limelight music meets UCA licensing standards.

Headliner

Limelight's foundational custom cheer music package. Built from Limelight's licensed catalog, the Headliner package delivers professional, fully licensed, competition-ready cheer music. Best for high school programs and All-Star teams competing at regional and national levels.

Headliner+

Limelight's mid-tier package. Includes everything in Headliner plus expanded artist roster, custom team-specific voiceovers, raps, and chants. The Headliner+ package is built for teams chasing nationals who want music that feels uniquely theirs.

Centerstage X

Limelight's flagship fully original package. Every song, lyric, and instrumental in a Centerstage X mix is composed exclusively for the team and remains 100% theirs for the entire season. The gold standard for elite programs competing at Worlds and Summit.

Custom Length Mix

A cheer music mix produced to a non-standard length — for example, 1:50 or 2:05. Limelight's custom length mixes are prorated based on the standard 1:30 through 2:30 pricing structure. Contact us for a quote on custom length production.