How many taps do I need?
Two taps give a first number, but it settles after about eight. For a song with a steady tempo, tapping a little longer and setting Average over to 16 gives the most reliable reading.
Free · runs in your browser
Tap tempo: count the BPM by tapping
Tap along with the music on the big pad, the space bar or any letter key. The beats per minute settle after a few taps, and a metronome plays them back to check.
To find a tempo by tapping, tap the pad above in time with the music, or press the space bar or any letter key on each beat. The BPM appears from the second tap and settles as you go; after eight or so steady taps it is usually within a beat per minute of the true tempo.
This BPM counter averages the gaps between your most recent taps, so one early or late tap doesn’t throw it, and a pause of about two seconds starts a fresh count for the next song. Average over sets how many taps it uses, Half and Double switch between counting every beat and every other beat, and the Metronome clicks at the tapped tempo so you can hear whether it agrees with the song.
It is the quickest way to get a number when the music is playing somewhere else: a band, the radio, a track on another device. If you have the song as a file, the BPM finder measures it from the audio, and Use this BPM in beat sync takes your tapped tempo straight into beat sync to cut clips to it.
How to tap the tempo of a song
Play the music
Start the song on any device, or just listen to the band. Nothing is recorded; the tool only counts your taps.
Tap on every beat
Tap the pad where it says Tap here, or press Space or any letter key. Follow the kick drum or the beat you would clap to; the BPM updates with every tap.
Let it settle
Keep tapping for eight beats or more. Choose Average over 4 for quick changes, 16 or All for a steadier reading. Press Reset (Esc), or pause for two seconds, to start again.
Check and use it
Turn on Metronome and listen against the song; press Half or Double if it is an octave out. Then Copy BPM, or Use this BPM in beat sync.
How tapping turns into BPM
Beats per minute is simply how many beats fit in sixty seconds. If your taps arrive every half second, that is 60 ÷ 0.5 = 120 BPM. One gap is not enough to trust, though: nobody taps perfectly, and a single gap can be off by a few hundredths of a second, which at 120 BPM is several beats per minute. Averaging many gaps cancels most of that out.
That is what Average over controls. Four taps react quickly when a song changes speed; eight is a good everyday choice; sixteen or All give the steadiest number for a song with a fixed tempo. The readout uses one decimal place, which is finer than a human can tap, so treat the decimal as a guide.
Tips for a cleaner count
- Tap on the kick drum or the clap, not on a busy hi-hat or a melody that skips about.
- Use a key rather than a mouse click if you can: keyboards respond faster and more evenly.
- Count in fours under your breath; it keeps you from drifting onto the off-beats.
- Give it at least eight taps before reading the number.
Half time and double time
Two people tapping the same song can honestly arrive at 85 and 170 BPM. One is tapping every beat and the other every second beat; both are following the music. Hip-hop, drum and bass and many ballads invite this. Half and Double convert between the two without tapping again, so you can match whatever your DJ software, drum machine or editor expects.
If you are unsure which is “right”, think about what you will do with the number. For dancing or cutting video, the pace you would naturally clap at is usually the useful one. For DJ software, use the value its library shows for similar tracks.
When to tap and when to measure
- Tap when the music isn’t a file on this device: live music, a speaker in another room, a song stuck in your head.
- Measure with the BPM finder when you have the file: it reads every beat from the audio and doesn’t depend on your timing.
- Combine them when a song is tricky: measure it, then tap along with Tap to check in the BPM finder to make sure it picked the pulse you feel.
Whichever way you get it, the tempo is the starting point for cutting to music. In beat sync, Tap tempo in the studio (T) re-taps the grid while the song plays, and the slideshow maker uses it to change photos on the beat.
Tap tempo questions
Why does my BPM keep jumping?
Usually because a few taps landed early or late. Tap on a clear, regular sound such as the kick drum, or average over more taps. If you stopped for a moment, the count may have restarted; it starts fresh after a two-second pause.
Can I use the keyboard?
Yes. Space or any letter key taps while the tool is on screen, and Esc resets. On a phone or tablet, tap the large pad.
Is a BPM counter the same as tap tempo?
They are two names for the same idea: counting beats per minute by tapping. Some BPM counters also measure a file; for that, use the BPM finder.
What does the metronome do?
It clicks at the tempo you tapped. Play it alongside the song: if the clicks stay on the beat, the number is right; if they slowly slide away, tap a little longer.
Does it listen through my microphone?
No. It only counts your taps; nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.