diff --git a/libs/temporal/bbt_time.cc b/libs/temporal/bbt_time.cc
index 5c876b0a38..c03b9301a1 100644
--- a/libs/temporal/bbt_time.cc
+++ b/libs/temporal/bbt_time.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,24 @@
 
 using namespace Temporal;
 
+int64_t
+BBT_Time::as_integer () const
+{
+	/* up to 256 beats in a bar, 4095 ticks in a beat,
+	   and whatever is left for bars (a lot!)
+	*/
+	return (((int64_t) bars)<<20)|(beats<<12)|ticks;
+}
+
+BBT_Time
+BBT_Time::from_integer (int64_t v)
+{
+	int32_t B = v>>20;
+	int32_t b = (v>>12) & 0xff;
+	int32_t t= v & 0xfff;
+	return BBT_Time (B, b, t);
+}
+
 BBT_Time
 BBT_Time::round_up_to_bar() const
 {
diff --git a/libs/temporal/temporal/bbt_time.h b/libs/temporal/temporal/bbt_time.h
index 010d28ec31..a622f9e1a6 100644
--- a/libs/temporal/temporal/bbt_time.h
+++ b/libs/temporal/temporal/bbt_time.h
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ struct LIBTEMPORAL_API BBT_Time
 	int32_t beats;
 	int32_t ticks;
 
+	int64_t as_integer() const;
+	static BBT_Time from_integer (int64_t);
+
 	bool is_bar() const { return beats == 1 && ticks == 0; }
 	bool is_beat() const { return ticks == 0; }