Tap along to any song and this tempo tapper tells you its BPM after four taps. Tap the big pad, the space bar or any key; more taps make the number more precise, and stray taps are filtered out. Free, in your browser, no microphone.
Tempo Tapper
Tap the pad, or press Space or any key · Esc resets
- Beat length
- –
- Precision
- –
- Ignored taps
- 0
Play the song and tap along with the beat. After 4 taps you get the BPM; more taps make it more precise. No microphone needed.
Tap history
BPM of each tapresult×ignored tap
Note lengths at this tempo
| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet |
|---|
For delay and reverb times in your DAW or pedal.
Related Tools
- Online Metronome
Practise at the tempo you just tapped.
- BPM Detector
Find the BPM of an audio file automatically.
- Song Key Finder
Tempo found? Now find the key of the song.
- Pitch Shifter
Change the tempo or key of a song for practice.
- Chord Progression Finder
Find the chords of the song you are tapping, from audio.
- Pitch Detector
Live pitch of a voice or instrument.
How to Find the BPM of a Song by Tapping
- Play the song and listen for the main pulse: the kick and snare, or the beat you would clap or nod to.
- Tap the pad (or press Space or any key) on every beat. After 4 taps the BPM appears; keep going for 8–16 taps.
- Watch the stability meter. Green means your taps are even; amber or red means keep tapping or tap more evenly.
- If the number feels twice too fast or too slow, press ÷2 or ×2 for half time or double time.
- Press Copy, or Open in the metronome to practise at that exact tempo.
- Stop for two seconds (or press Esc) and the next tap starts a new count.
Tip: tap for at least 8 beats. With 16 steady taps the tool is usually within ±0.5 BPM of the real tempo.
How the Tempo Tapper Calculates BPM
The basic formula is BPM = 60,000 ÷ milliseconds per beat. Most tap tools stop there: they average the gaps between taps, so one late tap or a missed beat pulls the number off. This tool fits a straight line through all your recent taps on a beat grid instead. That uses every tap, not just the first and last, and it lets the tool:
- ignore extra taps: a double tap or a tap between beats is dropped (shown as a red × in the tap history);
- bridge missed beats: if you skip a beat, the gap counts as two beats instead of ruining the average;
- follow tempo changes: only the last 24 taps count by default (8, 16 or all are options), so a song that speeds up is tracked;
- show precision: the ± BPM value tells you how far the result could be off, based on how evenly you tapped.
| Milliseconds per beat | BPM | Milliseconds per beat | BPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 ms | 60 | 500 ms | 120 |
| 857 ms | 70 | 469 ms | 128 |
| 750 ms | 80 | 429 ms | 140 |
| 667 ms | 90 | 400 ms | 150 |
| 600 ms | 100 | 375 ms | 160 |
| 545 ms | 110 | 343 ms | 175 |
Stability and Precision: How Many Taps Do You Need?
Human taps wander by 10–30 ms even for good drummers. Each extra tap averages that wobble out, so precision improves quickly. The table shows typical results for steady tapping at 120 BPM.
| Taps | Typical precision | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | ± 2–4 BPM | A quick idea of the tempo |
| 8 | ± 1 BPM | Setting a metronome |
| 16 | ± 0.3–0.5 BPM | DAW projects, DJ sets |
| 24+ | ± 0.2 BPM | Checking a click-track recording |
The stability meter turns green when your taps sit within about 2.5% of a beat, amber up to 6% and red above that. If it stays red, the song may have a loose, live tempo, or you may be switching between the beat and its subdivisions.
Half Time and Double Time
Two people can tap the same song and get 70 and 140 BPM. Both are right: one tapped the half-time pulse, the other every beat. Hip hop, trap and drum and bass are often felt at half the written tempo. Press ×2 to double the result (72 BPM double time is 144 BPM) or ÷2 to halve it; a badge on the pad shows which one you are viewing.
Tap-Along Check
Not sure the result is right? Press Tap-along check. A click plays at your tempo, lined up with your taps. If it stays with the music, the BPM is correct. Keep tapping while it plays and the tool shows whether you tap early or late in milliseconds, a handy timing test for drummers.
Note Lengths and Delay Times
Under the graph the tool lists the length of a whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth and 32nd note at your tempo, straight, dotted and triplet. Producers use these values for delay and reverb times: at 120 BPM a quarter note is 500 ms and a dotted eighth is 375 ms. More studio uses are in how pitch detection helps in music production.
Tempo Tapper, BPM Detector or Metronome?
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Find the BPM of a song playing anywhere (radio, phone, live band) | Tempo Tapper (this page) |
| Find the BPM of an audio file without tapping | BPM Detector (upload the file) |
| Practise at a tempo, with accents and a speed trainer | Online Metronome |
| Slow a song down to learn it | Pitch Shifter (changes tempo and key) |
Looking for the pitch of a recording rather than its tempo? Use the audio file pitch detector. To work out the key after the tempo, read how to find the key of a song.
Tips for Accurate Tapping
- Tap on the snare or kick, not on the melody: vocals and solos push and pull against the beat.
- Use a fingertip on a phone or a key you can hit lightly; heavy taps land late.
- Start tapping after the intro, when the drums are in.
- Live recordings drift. Tap a whole verse, then another section, and compare.
- Found the tempo of a song you are learning? Build it into a guitar practice routine, starting 10–20 BPM slower.
- Practise your own timing with the check click; it trains the same skill as ear training does for pitch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tempo tapper?
A tool that measures tempo from your taps. You tap along with the beat and it converts the time between taps into beats per minute (BPM).
How accurate is tap tempo?
With 16 steady taps it is usually within half a BPM. The ± precision value on the tool shows the accuracy of your own run.
Why does my BPM change while I tap?
Early taps are uneven, the song may speed up or slow down, or you may be tapping a mix of beats and off-beats. Keep tapping evenly and the number settles.
Does it use my microphone?
No. It only measures your taps. Nothing is recorded or uploaded; your display settings are saved in this browser.
Can it find the time signature?
No. BPM is speed; the time signature is how beats are grouped. Count the beats between strong accents to find it, then set it on the metronome.