Tap Tempo & BPM Tapper
Tap along to the beat of any song and read its tempo back in beats per minute. A free tap tempo tool and tempo counter that runs in the browser - use the spacebar or click the button.
Tap Tempo & BPM Tapper
Tempo trace
waiting for taps- Steadiness
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- Interval
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- Spread
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- Taps used
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space tap↑↓ ±1 BPM[ ] half / doublen new takes save takec copyd dark mode
Eight taps is all it takes: the tapper averages the intervals between them, shows how steady you were, and keeps the reading on screen until you start a new take. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is timed out from under you.
Saved takes
Nothing saved yet. Finish a take and press Save take — takes stay in this browser.
How to find the BPM of a song
Four steps, about thirty seconds. It works with anything you can hear — a track, a rehearsal room, a drummer counting in.
- Step 1
Play the track
Listen for the kick drum or the strongest pulse. That pulse is the beat you count.
- Step 2
Tap every beat
Tap the pad or press space. If the song is fast, tap every other beat and set I tap on to a half note.
- Step 3
Read the tempo
After eight taps the number settles. The trace shows whether you drifted; steadiness above 95% means the reading is solid.
- Step 4
Use it
Open the metronome at that tempo, copy the number into your DAW, or save the take with the song's name.
Tap tempo, tempo counter, BPM counter
Tap tempo, tempo counter, BPM counter, beat counter online — they all describe the same measurement: intervals between taps, averaged and expressed in beats per minute. A drum machine's tap-tempo button does it to set its own clock; this page does it so you can read the number and take it somewhere else.
Typical BPM by genre
Where a style usually sits. Useful as a sanity check: if you tapped 174 on a house track, you probably tapped eighth notes.
| Genre | BPM | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Hip-hop | 80–100 | Half-time, heavy backbeat |
| Reggaeton | 88–100 | Dembow pattern |
| Reggae | 60–90 | One-drop, relaxed |
| Pop | 100–130 | Four-on-the-floor to mid |
| Rock | 110–140 | Driving backbeat |
| House | 118–128 | Steady four-on-the-floor |
| Techno | 125–150 | Machine-tight |
| Trance | 130–145 | Rolling, long builds |
| Dubstep | 138–142 | Half-time snare on 3 |
| Drum & bass | 170–180 | Breakbeat, half-time feel |
| Jazz swing | 110–200 | Counted in two or four |
| Ballad | 60–80 | Slow, often in 6/8 |
Tempo markings in music
Italian tempo markings have been used in Western music since the 17th century to indicate the speed of a piece. The row matching your reading is highlighted while you tap.
| Marking | BPM | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | 20–40 | Solemn, very slow |
| Largo | 40–60 | Broad, slow |
| Adagio | 60–76 | Slow, expressive |
| Andante | 76–108 | Walking pace |
| Moderato | 108–120 | Moderate speed |
| Allegro | 120–140 | Fast, lively |
| Vivace | 140–168 | Lively, brisk |
| Presto | 168–240 | Very fast |
BPM of well-known tracks
Approximate values, rounded — live versions and remasters drift. Tap along to any of them to see the tapper agree with the number.
| Track | Artist | ≈ BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Stayin' Alive | Bee Gees | 104 |
| Billie Jean | Michael Jackson | 117 |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | 117 |
| Uptown Funk | Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | 115 |
| Levels | Avicii | 126 |
| Blinding Lights | The Weeknd | 171 |
BPM converter: ms, Hz, note lengths
Live from your current reading — the numbers a delay, an LFO or a sample stretch needs. Tap a new tempo and the table follows.
| Value | at -- BPM | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter note (beat) | 500 ms | Delay time, one beat |
| Eighth note | 250 ms | Ping-pong delay |
| Sixteenth note | 125 ms | Slapback, gate rate |
| Dotted eighth | 375 ms | The classic guitar delay |
| Eighth triplet | 167 ms | Swung delays |
| Bar of 4 | 2000 ms | Loop length, riser length |
| Beat frequency | 2.00 Hz | LFO sync, tremolo rate |
When to use a BPM tapper
- Finding the right metronome tempo for a song you're learning.
- Matching BPM when beatmatching tracks for a DJ set.
- Setting the correct tempo when transcribing or arranging music.
- Measuring the BPM of workout music to maintain a target pace.
- Determining the tempo of a sample or loop before importing into a DAW.
- Checking whether a live take drifted against the tempo you rehearsed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a BPM tapper?
A BPM tapper (also called tap tempo) measures musical tempo by calculating the average interval between your taps and converting it to beats per minute.
How many taps do I need?
Two taps give a rough estimate. Eight or more taps produce a stable and accurate BPM reading.
How accurate is the result?
The tool uses high-resolution timestamps (performance.now) and averages your last 12 intervals. With consistent tapping, accuracy is within ±1 BPM of the actual tempo.
Does the reading disappear if I stop tapping?
No. The tempo, the trace and the statistics stay until you press New take or start tapping a clearly different tempo. The previous take is kept in the list below the tool.
The song is very fast or very slow. What do I do?
Tap what is comfortable and tell the tool what you tapped: set I tap on to a half note if you tapped every other beat, or to an eighth if you tapped twice per beat. ×½ and ×2 do the same to a finished reading.
What does steadiness mean?
How consistent your intervals were, not how correct the tempo is. It is a measure of your tapping: high steadiness means the BPM number is trustworthy.
Why ignore the first taps?
The first one or two taps are usually the ones where you are still finding the beat. Ignoring them removes that settle-in error from the average.
Can I use my keyboard?
Yes - press the spacebar to tap instead of clicking the button.
Can I send the tempo to the metronome?
Yes. The button under the console opens the metronome already set to your reading, and every saved take carries its own link. Half and double tempos are one click away for practising under tempo.
Is my tap history stored anywhere?
Only in your own browser, and only the takes you save. Nothing is sent to a server; clearing site data removes them.
What is the difference between this and the metronome?
A metronome plays clicks at a set tempo to help you keep time. A BPM tapper does the reverse - it measures the tempo of music you're listening to.
Keep exploring
Pair the BPM tapper with these tools to practice, compose, and improve your timing.