BPM finder and tap tempo
Tap the button (or press Space) in time with the music to measure its tempo, or drop in an audio file and let the BPM finder detect it.
0 taps. Pauses over 2.5 s start a new count.
Detect BPM from a file
Up to 60 seconds are analysed.
Tempo, beats and why doubling happens
BPM counts beats per minute: 120 BPM is two beats a second, 500 ms apart. The tapper divides the time between your first and last tap by the number of gaps, so more taps give a steadier average. Ten or more taps usually lands within 1 BPM.
Automatic detection finds moments where the sound gets suddenly louder (onsets like kick and snare hits), then looks for the repeating gap that best lines those onsets up. Because a pattern that repeats every beat also repeats every two beats, detectors can land on double or half the tempo you feel, so the alternatives are shown. Practise at that tempo with the online metronome, or find the song’s key with the key finder.
Questions
How do I find the BPM of a song?
Tap along to the beat (the pulse you’d clap or nod to) for about 10–15 seconds. The BPM finder averages the time between your taps. Or drop the audio file in and it detects the tempo automatically.
Why is the result double or half what I expected?
Tempo is ambiguous by a factor of two: a 70 BPM ballad and a 140 BPM song with a half-time feel can be the same pulse. Use the ×2 and ÷2 buttons to pick the one that matches how the song is usually counted.
What BPM are common genres?
Roughly: hip-hop 80–100, pop 100–130, house 120–128, techno 125–140, drum and bass 160–180. Ballads often sit at 60–80.
Is my audio uploaded?
No. The file is decoded and analysed entirely in your browser.