BPM Finder: Find the BPM of Any Song
Drop a song, read its tempo. Runs in your browser, no signup, and the file never leaves your computer. Below: the other three ways to find a BPM, the doubled-tempo trap, and typical tempos by genre.
Drop an audio file (MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, up to 100 MB) and the detector reads the BPM in a second or two. Sounds off by half or double? One click corrects it. Then carry the track straight into CountIn to bake in a synced count-in at that tempo, full preview free.
Nothing to drop in?
If it is just a song playing somewhere, with no file to upload, use tap tempo instead: tap along to the beat and read the BPM.
How the detector works
- Drop in the file. It is decoded right in your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to sign up for.
- The detector listens for the beat and reads the tempo, usually within a second or two.
- Read the number, or carry the track into CountIn to add a count-in at that tempo.
What a BPM tells you
BPM is how many beats land in a minute. With the number you can set a metronome, program a drum machine, build a setlist that flows, or line one track up against another. Typical ranges: ballads 60 to 80, hip hop 80 to 100, pop and rock 100 to 130, house and disco 115 to 130, punk 150 to 200, drum and bass 160 to 180. So 120 BPM is a moderate, danceable tempo rather than a fast one; a song only starts feeling fast above roughly 140.
Four ways to find the BPM of a song
1. Run the file through a detector
The quickest accurate route when you have the audio: the tool on this page listens to the file and reads the tempo off the waveform. It works on your own backing track, a live recording, a cover or a mix you just bounced, which is exactly the material no database knows.
2. Tap it out
No file, just a song playing somewhere? Tap along. Count the taps in 15 seconds and multiply by four for a rough number, or let tap tempo do the counting: tap any key in time, read the BPM, and hear it back as a click to check it sits with the drums. Tap at least eight times; by hand it drifts a beat or two.
3. Look it up in a database
For a released song, a BPM database such as Tunebat or GetSongBPM is fastest: type the title, read the number. Two caveats. Entries are submitted or auto-detected and are sometimes wrong, often by exactly double or half. And a database only knows released songs, not your own recordings.
4. Let your DAW work it out
If the song is already in a project, the software can estimate the tempo: Smart Tempo in Logic and GarageBand, warping in Ableton, tempo detection in FL Studio, Pro Tools, Reaper, Cubase and Studio One. Accurate, but a lot of menus if all you wanted was a number.
Doubled or halved? Check with your foot
Every automatic detector sometimes reports exactly double or half the real tempo: a 75 BPM ballad reads as 150, a 140 rocker as 70. Tap your foot to the song and compare; if your natural tap is about half the number on screen, halve it. Anything over about 180 for an ordinary pop or rock track is almost always a doubled reading, and anything under about 70 for an up-tempo song is usually halved.
What to do with the number
Set your metronome or click to it for practice. Add a count-in so the band starts on tempo, on a finished backing track or on a mix you just bounced out of a DAW. Match two songs for a setlist or a mashup by comparing their BPMs. Knowing the tempo is one piece of preparing backing tracks for live performance.
Frequently asked questions
Is the BPM finder free?
Yes, completely, with no account. It is the first step of CountIn's editor, offered on its own. You only ever pay if you export a track with a count-in or a click track added.
Does my file get uploaded?
Not on this page. The analysis runs in your browser with the Web Audio API. If you choose to add a count-in, the track goes into the editor, which stores it in your browser's own library.
How accurate is it?
On music with a steady beat it lands within a beat per minute. It is less sure on rubato intros, solo piano and very sparse arrangements, which is exactly when the tap tempo and the half and double buttons earn their keep.
Why does my detected BPM look doubled or halved?
The detector locked onto a faster or slower layer of the rhythm, eighth notes instead of quarters, say. Tap along to check: if your foot-tap matches half the number, use the lower one, and the other way around.
Can you check BPM on Spotify?
No, the Spotify app does not display tempo anywhere. For a released song, look it up in a BPM database. For your own audio, run the file through the detector or tap along.
Can I find the BPM with just my phone?
Yes, two ways. Open the tap tempo page and tap the beat on the screen. Or open the BPM finder in your phone's browser and drop in the file, the detector works on mobile too.
How do I calculate BPM manually?
Count the beats you hear in 15 seconds and multiply by four. For more precision, count over 30 seconds and multiply by two. If you can see the waveform, divide 60 by the number of seconds between two beats.
What audio formats can I use?
MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC and OGG, which covers what most music apps and DAWs export.
Can it find the key too?
Not yet. It reads tempo. CountIn can change the key of a track by semitones, and key detection is on the list.