Tap Tempo
Tap tempo in time with any song and this BPM counter shows the tempo to one decimal, how steady your taps are, and the nearest tempo marking.
Keyboard: any key taps (Space is easiest), Esc resets. The count starts again by itself after a pause of 2.5 seconds.
How to use the tap tempo tool
To find the tempo of a song, tap BPM here: tap the pad or any key on every beat while the music plays, and this tap tempo tool shows the beats per minute to one decimal after a few taps, with a steadiness reading and half and double time. Play the song, then tap tempo along with it: tap the big pad, or press any key (the Space bar is easiest), once on every beat. After two taps the BPM counter shows a first reading; after 6 to 8 taps it settles. The large number is the tempo to one decimal, and next to it is the rounded BPM you would set on a metronome.
Under the number you see how many taps are counted and how steady they are, as plus or minus milliseconds between taps. Steady means your taps are within about 3% of each other, which is a reliable reading. If it says Uneven, keep tapping: a missed or doubled tap is ignored, and the reading gets better with each good tap.
Stop for 2.5 seconds and the next tap starts a new count, so you can measure another song without pressing anything. Reset or the Esc key clears it at once. Send to metronome opens the metronome at the tempo you found.
Half time and double time
The same song can be counted at two tempos. A slow ballad can feel like 70 BPM or 140 BPM depending on whether you tap on every beat or on every other one. If your number looks twice or half what you expected, press Half or Double. Neither one is wrong: pick the one that matches how the music is written or how you want to count it on the metronome.
How this tempo finder works out the BPM
BPM means beats per minute, so the tool measures the time between your taps and divides a minute by it. At 120 BPM there is exactly half a second between beats; at 60 BPM, one second. It keeps your last 12 taps, finds the middle (median) gap, drops any gap more than 35% away from it (a missed or extra tap), and averages the rest. The pad reacts to the moment your finger or mouse button goes down, not when you let go, so the timing follows your tap and not the length of your press.
Let it listen: clap to tap
Press Listen: tap for me, allow the microphone, and clap or play in front of your device. Each sharp sound it hears, such as a clap, a stick click or a kick drum, counts as a tap. It works best with clear, loud beats and a quiet room. A song played from speakers with a lot going on between the beats can give extra taps, so tap by hand for those. Your microphone is analysed on this device and is never recorded or sent.
Tempo markings and their BPM
The reading also names the nearest Italian tempo marking. The ranges are rough: they come from the Wikipedia article on tempo, which notes that the values vary a lot between composers and works.
| Marking | About (BPM) |
|---|---|
| Largo | 40 to 66 |
| Adagio | 44 to 66 |
| Andante | 56 to 108 |
| Moderato | 108 to 120 |
| Allegro | 120 to 156 |
| Vivace | 156 to 176 |
| Presto | 168 to 200 |
Want to play along once you know the tempo? Load a groove at that BPM on the online drums, or practise reading rhythms at it with the rhythm trainer.
More for timing: Metronome · BPM Finder · Rhythm Trainer · Drums
Questions
How many times should I tap?
At least 4 taps for a rough reading, and 8 or more for a reliable one. Watch the steadiness line: once it says Steady, the number will not move much.
Why does my BPM jump around?
Early readings use only a few gaps, so one late tap moves them a lot. Keep tapping and the median filter drops taps that are far off. If it still jumps, you may be switching between the beat and the off-beat.
Is the tempo 90 or 180?
Both can be right. Tap where you feel the beat, then use Half or Double to get the number that matches how the song is counted or how you want to practise it.
Can it find the BPM of an audio file?
This page works by tapping or listening. For a file on your device, use the BPM finder: it reads the tempo from the file itself, on your device, without uploading it.
What is the difference between tap tempo and a BPM counter?
They are the same thing, and so is a BPM tapper: you tap on each beat and the tool counts beats per minute from the time between taps.