Free tools/From Growthr Labs
Tap tempo
Tap any key in time with the track. The average settles after a few beats.
Where that sits
Runs in your browser. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or stored.
How it works
BPM = 60 divided by the average seconds between your taps. Four taps gives a usable reading and eight gives a steady one, because a single early or late tap moves the average far less once there are more of them.
This drops the very first interval. The gap between your first and second tap is almost always long, since you are still finding the beat, and keeping it drags the whole average down.
If the reading is exactly half or double what you expect, you are tapping a different subdivision. Tapping every other beat halves it; tapping eighth notes doubles it.
Tempo drifts in anything not recorded to a click, so on live or older recordings expect the number to wander by a beat or two across a track.
Worked example
Taps half a second apart give 60 divided by 0.5, or 120 BPM. Taps 0.4 seconds apart give 150 BPM. House sits near 120 to 130, most hip hop between 80 and 100, and drum and bass around 170.
Common questions
How many times should I tap?
At least four for a rough figure, eight or more for a stable one. The counter shows how many beats are in the current average so you can watch it settle.
Why does my BPM read half or double?
You are tapping a different subdivision than the one you mean. Tap once per kick drum for the usual count, then halve or double to convert.
Can I use this without a keyboard?
Yes. Tap the pad with a mouse or a finger. The spacebar or any key works too and is easier to keep in time.
Does it detect BPM from audio?
No, and that is deliberate. It measures your taps, so it works on anything you can hear, including a record playing across the room, with no upload and nothing stored.
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