BPM Detector

How to use the BPM Detector

1. Choose upload mode to analyze an audio file, or tap tempo mode to detect BPM manually.
2. In upload mode, drop your audio file and wait for the analysis to complete.
3. In tap tempo mode, tap the button in time with the beat you want to measure.
4. Read the detected BPM value displayed on screen.

Why automatic BPM detection sometimes gets tricked by half or double the real tempo

Beat-detection algorithms look for a regular, repeating pulse in the audio, but many songs have a strong sub-beat or a rhythmic emphasis that sits at exactly half or double the tempo a musician would actually call the song's "real" BPM. A song a drummer would call 90 BPM might get automatically detected as 180 BPM if the algorithm locks onto a strong secondary beat pattern instead of the main one. If an automatically detected BPM feels off when you try to count along with the music, checking whether half or double that number feels more natural is the standard fix, and it's a known limitation of automatic beat detection in general, not specific to any one tool.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is automatic BPM detection?

Generally quite reliable for tracks with a clear, steady beat (most electronic and pop music). It can be less reliable for music with a loose or variable tempo, or can occasionally detect exactly half or double the actual tempo, which is a known general limitation of beat-detection algorithms.

Can I manually tap along to find BPM instead of uploading a file?

Yes. Tap-tempo mode lets you tap in time with music playing from any source, averaging your taps into a BPM estimate. Useful when you don't have the actual audio file to upload.

What if the detected BPM seems exactly half or double what I'd expect?

This is a known and common false-detection pattern in automatic beat detection. Check whether doubling or halving the result matches what you'd count by ear.