1. Use a BPM finder (most accurate)
Open the free Key & BPM Finder and drop in an MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, AAC or OGG file. It analyses the song in your browser, never uploads it, and gives you:
- The tempo in BPM, with half-time and double-time readings beside it.
- Tempo changes, read in 16-second stretches, so a bridge that slows down or a live band that pushes shows up.
- The beats themselves, placed by a neural beat tracker, so the click it plays follows the song.
- The key in the same pass (see how to find the key of a song).
Measuring the whole song is what makes it accurate. On generated test signals with a known tempo between 80 and 150 BPM, it read 157 of 159 within 0.1 BPM.
2. Tap tempo (no file needed)
Play the song from anywhere and tap a tap tempo pad in time with the beat, or click it once and keep time on the space bar. Four taps give a reading; keep tapping and it steadies. Tap the beat you would nod your head to, not every hi-hat. Tap tempo is great for a quick number, but your hand drifts, so treat it as accurate to a few BPM.
3. Count with a clock
Start a stopwatch on a beat, count the beats for 15 seconds, and multiply by 4. Thirty beats in 15 seconds is 120 BPM. Counting for 30 seconds and doubling is more accurate. It works anywhere, including a gig, but expect to land within a few BPM.
| Method | Needs | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| BPM finder | The audio file | A fraction of a BPM, plus tempo changes |
| Tap tempo | The song playing | Within a few BPM |
| Counting with a clock | A stopwatch | Within a few BPM |
Finding the BPM in your DAW
Most DAWs can estimate the tempo of imported audio: Logic Pro’s Smart Tempo, Ableton Live’s warping and FL Studio’s tempo detection all do it. They work well on songs recorded to a click. For a live recording, download the finder’s tempo map as a MIDI file and import its tempo into Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase or Reaper with the song at the start of the session: the grid then follows the song’s own timing, beat by beat.
Half time or double time?
A hip-hop track at 85 BPM can feel like 170, and a drum and bass track at 174 can feel like 87. Both readings are “right”; they count different note values as the beat. Pick the one that matches where you tap your foot, or the one your DAW or DJ software expects. The finder shows both and its ÷2 and ×2 buttons switch between them, with the click following.
Songs that don’t sit on one tempo
Many records were never played to a click. Bands speed up into the chorus, ballads breathe, and some songs change tempo outright. A single BPM number set on a metronome will drift away from the song within a few bars. The finder handles this the other way round: its song metronome clicks on the song’s own beats, drift and all, with a count-in, subdivisions and a loop that snaps to the bars. You can download that click as a WAV that lines up with the song.
What to do with the BPM
- Practise with a click. Play along with the song metronome, or set the free online metronome to the number for drills.
- Slow it down to learn it. Drop the speed to 70% without changing the pitch with the free slow-down player, then build back up.
- Loop the hard part. Loop a section on the bar lines until it sits.
- Beatmatch or remix. Set your DJ software or DAW project to the tempo, or use the tempo map.
Frequently asked questions
What BPM is this song?
Drop the audio file into a free BPM finder such as the StemConsole Key & BPM Finder. It measures the tempo across the whole song in your browser and shows half-time and double-time readings. With no file, tap along on a tap tempo pad.
How do I find the BPM of a song online for free?
Use the free StemConsole Key & BPM Finder. It needs no account, analyses the file on your device without uploading it, and also finds the key. Its tap tempo pad works with no file at all.
How accurate is tap tempo?
Usually within a few BPM. Your taps drift a little, so more taps give a steadier reading. A BPM finder that analyses the audio is more accurate and also catches tempo changes.
Why does the BPM finder show half or double time?
Slow or fast grooves can be counted two ways, such as 85 or 170 BPM. Both describe the same song; choose the one that matches the beat you tap your foot to.
Dan Murtagh is a mixing engineer and audio educator, and the builder of StemConsole. He has spent years separating, mixing and teaching music; StemConsole is the stem tool he wanted to use himself.