diff --git a/beets/mediafile.py b/beets/mediafile.py
index 2032c78ff..9d7f35d9a 100644
--- a/beets/mediafile.py
+++ b/beets/mediafile.py
@@ -284,11 +284,19 @@ class MediaField(object):
         if self.out_type == int:
             if out is None:
                 return 0
+            elif isinstance(out, int) or isinstance(out, float):
+                # Just a number.
+                return int(out)
             else:
-                try:
+                # Process any other type as a string.
+                if not isinstance(out, basestring):
+                    out = unicode(out)
+                # Get a number from the front of the string.
+                out = re.match('[0-9]*', out.strip()).group(0)
+                if not out:
+                    return 0
+                else:
                     return int(out)
-                except: # in case out is not convertible directly to an int
-                    return int(unicode(out))
         elif self.out_type == bool:
             if out is None:
                 return False
diff --git a/test/rsrc/bpm.mp3 b/test/rsrc/bpm.mp3
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..1698bbe66
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/rsrc/bpm.mp3 differ
diff --git a/test/test_mediafile.py b/test/test_mediafile.py
index 7d0575b23..00b1acf94 100755
--- a/test/test_mediafile.py
+++ b/test/test_mediafile.py
@@ -250,6 +250,12 @@ class EdgeTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(t_time.month, 3)
         self.assertEqual(t_time.day, 31)
 
+    def test_tempo_with_bpm(self):
+        # Some files have a string like "128 BPM" in the tempo field
+        # rather than just a number.
+        f = beets.mediafile.MediaFile(os.path.join('rsrc', 'bpm.mp3'))
+        self.assertEqual(f.bpm, 128)
+
 
 def suite():
     s = unittest.TestSuite()
@@ -280,6 +286,7 @@ def suite():
     s.addTest(EdgeTest('test_emptylist'))
     s.addTest(EdgeTest('test_release_time_with_t'))
     s.addTest(EdgeTest('test_release_time_with_space'))
+    s.addTest(EdgeTest('test_tempo_with_bpm'))
     
     return s