How to Find the BPM of a Song

You don't need software to work out a track's tempo. Here are four ways, roughly in order of how much accuracy you need.

1. Tap it out

The fastest and most accurate option for most people: tap along on our BPM tap tempo counter for 8–10 beats. It averages your taps as you go, so it gets more precise the longer you keep going.

2. Count and multiply

Count how many beats land in 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 (or count for a full minute for the most accurate result, if the section stays steady that long). Good for a rough estimate with nothing but a stopwatch.

3. Check the streaming service

Spotify, Apple Music, and most DJ software (Serato, rekordbox, djay) analyze and display a track's tempo automatically. It's usually accurate, but can occasionally read at double or half the tempo a musician would call it — a track "at 70 BPM" that really feels like a fast 140 isn't unusual.

4. Use a metronome

Start a metronome app and adjust its tempo by ear until the clicks lock in with the beat. Slower but very precise once you're locked in, and useful for cross-checking a tap-tempo reading.

Once you have a number, our tap tempo counter can also convert it straight into note durations for a delay pedal or reverb plugin, and tell you its classical tempo marking.