Free BPM Tapper
Tap along to any music to find its tempo in BPM. Use your mouse, a finger or the Space bar; no file or upload needed.
Tap tempo
No file needed
Tap the pad, or press Space, on every beat of the music. The reading settles after about eight taps; pause for more than 2 seconds to start over.
How to Tap the BPM of a Song
Play, tap, read. No file needed.
Play the music
Play the song anywhere: a music app, a video or a live band. The tapper needs no audio file and never uses your microphone.
Tap along on the beat
Tap the pad, or press Space or Enter, on every beat. A reading appears from the second tap and settles after about eight.
Read the BPM
The reading averages your last eight taps, so it follows the song if the tempo moves. Pause for more than 2 seconds to start a new count, or press Reset.
Why Use the SonusVid BPM Tapper
No File Needed
Measure any music you can hear, from streaming apps and videos to a live band, straight from the page.
Mouse, Touch or Keyboard
Click or press Space on a computer, or tap with a finger on a phone. Each beat counts the moment you press, not when you let go.
Follows Tempo Changes
The reading averages only your last eight taps, so it updates as a song speeds up or slows down.
Starts Over When You Pause
Pause for more than 2 seconds and the count starts fresh, so switching songs needs no clearing. Reset is there too.
No Microphone
The tapper only times your taps. It records no sound and never asks for microphone access.
Free, No Sign-In
No credits and no limit. To get a song's tempo automatically from an audio file, use the SonusVid BPM Detector.
Tap Tempo: How It Works and How to Get It Right
How does a BPM tapper work?
BPM, beats per minute, is the speed of a song's pulse: the steady count you nod your head or tap your foot to. A tapper turns your taps into that number. Each time you tap, it notes the time, and the gap between two taps is how long one beat lasts.
This tapper averages the gaps across your last eight taps and converts that to beats per minute, rounded to a whole number. Averaging smooths out the small wobble in any human tap, which is why the reading jumps around at first and settles after a few bars.
Because only the latest taps count, the reading follows the song if the tempo drifts, as it often does in live recordings. Stop for more than 2 seconds and the count starts again from zero, ready for the next song.
How do you tap a tempo accurately?
Tap on the beat you would clap to, usually the kick drum or the snare, not on every note of the melody. If you tap twice as often as the beat, the reading doubles; if you only tap on every other beat, it halves.
Pick a section with a steady groove, such as a chorus, and give it at least eight taps before you read the number. Listen for a couple of bars first so your hand locks in, then keep tapping until the reading stops changing.
Not sure whether a slow song is 70 or 140 BPM? Both can be right: one counts the half-time feel, the other the double-time hi-hats. Choose the one that matches how you will use it, such as the tempo of a DAW project or the pace of a video edit.
Should you tap or detect automatically?
Tapping works for any music you can hear, including songs on streaming apps, videos, a band playing in the room or a beat in your head, and it needs no file at all. It is the quickest check when you only need a rough tempo.
When you have the audio file, the BPM Detector measures the tempo from the recording itself, without depending on your timing, and also gives the half-time value and the length of a beat and a bar.
Many people use both: tap for a quick reading while listening, then confirm it from the file before setting a DAW tempo or cutting a video to the beat.
Reading Looks Off? Check Here
Common tapping slips and how to fix them.
| What you see | Likely reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Double what you expected | You tapped every eighth note or hi-hat | Tap only on the kick and snare |
| Half what you expected | You tapped every other beat | Tap every beat, including the weak ones |
| The reading keeps jumping | Too few taps, or uneven timing | Give it eight or more taps on a steady section |
| The count starts over | You paused for more than 2 seconds | Keep tapping without a break |
| A live recording drifts | The band's tempo really moves | Use the reading you see most often |
- The reading averages your last eight taps and is rounded to a whole BPM.
- With an audio file, confirm the tempo from the recording with the BPM Detector.
BPM Tapper FAQ
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