BPM Counter
Tap along to any song and read its tempo โ outliers dropped.
About this counter
Tap the pad (or any key) in time with a song and the tempo appears in beats per minute, refined with every tap. The counter averages your intervals, quietly drops your single worst tap once it has enough data, and starts fresh after a 2.5-second pause โ so moving to the next song needs no reset button.
Reading tempos like a musician
The landmarks that make BPM numbers meaningful: 60 is one beat per second (and a resting heartbeat), 90โ100 is hip-hop's pocket, 120 is pop's default, 128 the house-music standard, 140 the trance/dubstep line, and 174 the drum-and-bass zone. DJs live by these numbers because beat-matching needs tempos within a few percent. Two practical notes: tap at least 8 beats before trusting the reading (the average needs data), and if a song feels ambiguous โ waltzes and half-time feels trip everyone โ tap the snare or count "1-2-3-4" aloud first. Setting a tempo rather than measuring one is the opposite job: that's the metronome, and running intervals to music pairs naturally with the interval timer.
Frequently asked questions
How many taps do I need for an accurate BPM?
About 8 beats gives a solid reading; 16 nails it. The counter also drops your single most out-of-rhythm tap once it has five intervals to judge from.
What tempo are most pop songs?
The great mass of pop sits between 100 and 130 BPM, with 120 the classic default. House clusters at 124-128, drum & bass around 174.
Why does my count seem to be double (or half) the real tempo?
Tempo ambiguity is real โ tapping every beat versus every other beat both feel natural on many songs. If your number looks like 60 or 240 for a normal pop song, halve or double it; tapping along to the snare usually settles it.
Does it work with a pause between songs?
Yes โ any gap over 2.5 seconds starts a fresh measurement automatically, so you can tap through a whole playlist without touching reset.