Free tool · Tap tempo

Tap tempo: find the BPM of any song

Tap tempo finds the BPM (beats per minute) of a song: tap the button or the space bar in time with the beat, and the average of your last eight taps gives the tempo. It is free and runs in your browser. The BPM shows after the second tap, and it starts again if you stop for two seconds.

How to use the tap tempo tool

Put the song on, or play your idea on guitar or piano. Tap on each beat, the one you would clap along to. After the second tap you get a first number; it gets steadier with every tap because it averages the last eight gaps between taps. Leave it for two seconds and it resets, ready for the next song. Half time and double time are shown underneath in case the song feels twice as slow or twice as fast as the number.

Why tempo matters when you write

A few BPM can change how a song feels. A chorus that feels urgent at 120 can drag at 100, and a lyric that sits easily at 80 can turn into a tongue twister at 100. Tempo also decides how many words fit in a line: the faster it goes, the fewer syllables you can sing clearly.

That is why it is worth writing the tempo down the moment you find a groove you like. Voice memos do not save it, and three months later you will play the idea back at a different speed and wonder why it lost something. Tap it here, note it with the idea, and set your recording software's click to the same number when you demo it.

Rough tempos to start from

Not rules, just where a lot of songs sit. Slow ballads often land around 60 to 80 BPM. A lot of pop and rock sits somewhere between 100 and 130. House music is usually around 120 to 128, and drum and bass around 170 to 175. Hip hop varies widely, with a lot of it between 80 and 100, or felt in half time over a faster beat.

Common questions

What is BPM?

Beats per minute: how many beats land in one minute. 60 BPM is one beat a second, 120 BPM is two.

How do I find the BPM of a song?

Play the song and tap along with the beat you would clap or nod your head to. After eight or so taps the number settles. Keep tapping through a bar or two for a steadier reading.

Why does it show half and double time?

People feel the same song at different speeds. One person taps every beat of a slow song, another taps every other one. If 140 feels wrong, the song might be 70, or the other way round. Pick the one that matches the count you would give a drummer.

How accurate is tap tempo?

As accurate as your taps. It averages your last eight gaps between taps, so one early or late tap only nudges the number. For an exact tempo, set it in your recording software and play along to the click.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. Tap the big button with your thumb. On a computer you can also press the space bar.

Are my taps recorded or sent anywhere?

No. Your taps are only timed in your browser. The tool never uses your microphone.

Keeping a song? songdrafts keeps the key, tempo and lyrics on every song, next to every take of it.