diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/rt_midibuffer.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/rt_midibuffer.h
index dfc4bd8c39..a317c6f4cf 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/rt_midibuffer.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/rt_midibuffer.h
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API RTMidiBufferBase : public Evoral::EventSink<TimeType>
 	RTMidiBufferBase ();
 	~RTMidiBufferBase ();
 
+	/* After calling convert(), this RTMidiBufferBase no longer owns or has
+	   a reference to any data. The data is all "moved" to the returned
+	   RTMidiBufferBase and timestamps modified to its time domain if nececssary.
+	*/
+	RTMidiBufferBase<Temporal::Beats,Temporal::Beats>* convert ();
+
 	void clear();
 	void resize(size_t);
 	size_t size() const { return _size; }
@@ -112,6 +118,8 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API RTMidiBufferBase : public Evoral::EventSink<TimeType>
 
   private:
 	friend struct WriteProtectRender;
+	/* any cousin of ours is a friend */
+	template<typename T, typename D> friend class RTMidiBufferBase;
 
 	/* The main store. Holds Items (timestamp+up to 3 bytes of data OR
 	 * offset into secondary storage below)
diff --git a/libs/ardour/rt_midibuffer.cc b/libs/ardour/rt_midibuffer.cc
index 3ae401e53d..1b96ca8e17 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/rt_midibuffer.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/rt_midibuffer.cc
@@ -533,6 +533,41 @@ RTMidiBufferBase<TimeType,DistanceType>::track_state (TimeType when, MidiStateTr
 	}
 }
 
+template<class TimeType, class DistanceType>
+RTMidiBufferBase<Temporal::Beats,Temporal::Beats>*
+RTMidiBufferBase<TimeType,DistanceType>::convert()
+{
+	RTMidiBufferBase<Temporal::Beats,Temporal::Beats>* beats = new RTMidiBufferBase<Temporal::Beats,Temporal::Beats>();
+
+	/* Convert timestamps, taking advantage of the fact that beats and
+	 * samples are both 64 bit integers, and thus Item::timestamp is the
+	 * same size and type for both.
+	 */
+
+	for (uint32_t n = 0; n < _size; ++n) {
+		auto item = &_data[n];
+		Temporal::Beats b = timepos_t (item->timestamp).beats ();
+		item->timestamp = b.to_ticks ();
+	}
+
+	/* Hand over all the data */
+
+	beats->_data = reinterpret_cast<RTMidiBufferBase<Temporal::Beats,Temporal::Beats>::Item*> (_data);
+	beats->_size = _size;
+	beats->_pool = _pool;
+	beats->_pool_size = _pool_size;
+	beats->_pool_size = _pool_size;
+
+	_data = nullptr;
+	_pool = nullptr;
+	_size = 0;
+	_pool_size = 0;
+	_pool_capacity = 0;
+
+	return beats;
+}
+
+
 
 // Explicit instantiation
 template class RTMidiBufferBase<samplepos_t,samplecnt_t>;