Tap tempo: find the BPM of any song
Tap along with the beat — on the pad, or with the T key — and see the tempo in beats per minute. Then play it back on the metronome.
- Taps
- 0
- Beat length
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- Tempo marking
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Andante
Space start/stop · ↑ ↓ ±1 BPM · Shift ±10 · T tap
Speed trainer
Practice timer
How to find the BPM of a song
- Play the music. Start the song or recording you want to measure, or simply imagine the tempo you want.
- Tap along. Tap the big pad, or press T on your keyboard, on every beat. Four taps give a first reading.
- Read the BPM. The average tempo, beat length in milliseconds and the matching tempo marking update with every tap.
- Play it back. Press "Play this tempo" to hear the metronome at the measured BPM and check it against the music.
Tips for an accurate reading
- Tap on the kick and snare — the main pulse you would nod your head to — not on fast hi-hats or vocal syllables.
- Keep going for 8–16 taps. Single taps are always slightly early or late; averaging cancels that out.
- Wait two seconds to start over. A pause resets the measurement, which is handy when you move to a different song.
- Check half and double time. If the result feels too slow or too fast, double or halve it — a 70 BPM ballad may be listed as 140.
What the numbers mean
BPM counts beats per minute. The beat length is 60,000 divided by the BPM, in milliseconds: at 120 BPM each beat lasts 500 ms, at 90 BPM about 667 ms. Producers use the beat length to set delay and reverb times; the BPM pages list them for common tempos. The tempo marking shows which Italian term — Andante, Allegro and so on — usually covers that speed.
Read our full guide on how to find the BPM of a song for counting methods and typical tempos by genre.
FAQ
How many times should I tap?
Tap at least 4 times; 8 or more taps give a steadier reading. The tool keeps your last 8 taps, so the result keeps improving as you tap and adapts if the music changes tempo.
Why is my tap tempo half or double the real BPM?
Songs can be felt at different levels of the beat. If you tap on every other beat you get half the tempo; if you tap on eighth notes you get double. Most pop and rock tempos fall between 70 and 180 BPM.
How does the tap tempo calculate BPM?
It measures the time between your taps, drops intervals that differ by more than 25% from the median (missed or doubled taps) and divides 60 by the average interval in seconds.
Can I start the metronome at the tapped tempo?
Yes. Every tap sets the metronome below to the measured tempo. Press "Play this tempo" or the space bar to start it.