How to find the BPM of a song
- Audio file: drop an MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC or OGG file onto the box (or click it to browse). The song is decoded and analyzed on your device, so even unreleased tracks stay private. You can add several files at once and download the list as a CSV.
- Tap tempo: switch to the tap tab and press Space in time with the music. After a few taps you get a stable BPM. This works for anything you can hear, including a song playing in another app.
- Listen: let the microphone hear music from a speaker, a band rehearsal or a turntable, and the BPM updates live.
How the tempo is detected
The analyzer turns the audio into an onset curve that peaks whenever a drum hit, pluck or chord starts, measured separately for the bass, mid and high frequencies so the kick drum counts as much as the hi-hats. It then looks for the beat period that both repeats (autocorrelation) and carries energy (a Fourier tempogram), which filters out most false candidates. Finally the tempo is refined on a fine grid across the whole track, which is why steady electronic tracks come out accurate to a hundredth of a BPM.
On a set of 300 genre-labelled music excerpts, the detected tempo or its half or double matched the annotated tempo more than 90% of the time, and on metronome click tracks it lands within 0.05 BPM.
Reading the result
- BPM and precise BPM: the big number is rounded for everyday use. The precise value helps DJs beat-match or set a DAW project to the exact tempo of a sample.
- Half time and double time: tempo is partly a matter of how you count. A hip-hop track at 90 BPM can also be felt at 180, and drum and bass is usually quoted at 174 even though the snare suggests 87. If the detected number feels twice too fast or slow, pick the other reading. The player and the CSV use your choice.
- Confidence: high means a steady, clear beat. Low confidence usually means rubato (classical, solo piano), no percussion, or tempo changes. Tap along to confirm.
- Tempo over time: for tracks longer than 30 seconds, the chart shows how the tempo drifts. A flat line means a click-tight production; a wandering line is typical for live bands.
- Play with click: plays the song with a metronome on the detected beats. If the clicks drift away from the drums, try the half or double reading or use tap tempo.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Use at least 20 seconds of music with a clear rhythm. Intros without drums and long fade-outs lower the confidence.
- For a video, extract the soundtrack first with the audio extractor, then drop the audio file here.
- If the Listen mode shows a flat meter, check your input device with the microphone test. Laptop microphones pick up bass poorly, so turn the music up a little.
- Tapping is most accurate with 8 to 16 taps. The steadiness value shows how evenly you tapped; under ±2 BPM is very consistent.
- Making a MIDI file from a recording? Set its tempo with the number you found here in the audio to MIDI converter so notes line up with bars in your DAW.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the BPM of a song?
Drop the song file (MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC or OGG) onto the BPM finder and the tempo appears a few seconds later. If you only have the song playing somewhere else, use Tap tempo and press Space on each beat, or use Listen mode so your microphone hears it.
How accurate is the BPM finder?
For music with a steady beat it is precise to a fraction of a BPM: metronome click tracks come out within 0.05 BPM, and the precise value shows two decimals for long, steady tracks. Songs without drums, with free timing or with tempo changes are harder, and the confidence rating tells you when to double-check with tap tempo.
Why is the BPM half or double what I expected?
Tempo depends on which pulse you count. A song can be felt at 85 or 170 BPM and both are valid readings, so tools and DJs sometimes disagree by a factor of two. Use the Half time or Double time buttons to switch; the player click and the CSV follow your choice.
Are my songs uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is decoded and analyzed by your own browser, and the microphone audio is processed in memory on your device. Nothing is sent to a server, so unreleased tracks and private recordings stay private.
Can I find the BPM of a song on Spotify, YouTube or the radio?
Yes. Streaming apps don't let websites read their audio, so switch to Listen mode and play the song out loud near your microphone, or use Tap tempo and tap along with the beat. For a video file you already have, extract its audio first and drop that file here.
What is a typical BPM for different genres?
Rough ranges: ballads 60 to 80, hip-hop 85 to 100, reggaeton 90 to 100, pop 100 to 130, house 118 to 130, techno 125 to 145, trance 130 to 140, dubstep around 140 (often felt as 70) and drum and bass 160 to 180. Individual songs can sit outside these ranges.
Can I analyze several songs at once?
Yes. Select or drop multiple files and they are analyzed one after another. The results table lists each song's BPM and confidence, and you can download the list as a CSV file for your DJ library or playlist notes.