Abstract: A method for controlling the speed of rotation of the drive motor for the movement of the needle bar(s) on embroidery, stitching or sewing machines, in which the relative movement between the material being worked and the needle bars is produced by motors which are separate from the needle bar drive. In order to obtain the highest possible output without excessive accelerations and abrupt changes in acceleration in the needle bar drive, the lengths of the next several stitches are read from the data carrier stored sequentially and cyclically measured, and the speed of rotation of the needle-bar drive motor is adapted in each case to the highest value measured. The number of sequentially stored stitches is in this connection selected as low as possible, corresponding to the inertia of the drive of the needle bars.