Tap the pulse, not the melody
Follow the kick and snare, or whatever you'd nod your head to. Melodies and vocals push and pull; the groove doesn't.
- StudioEars
- Tap tempo
Free BPM tapper
Tap tempo. Find the BPM of any song.
Tap along with the beat and get a steady BPM in seconds. A metronome check confirms you're locked in, and the delay calculator turns the tempo straight into milliseconds for your delays and reverbs.
- Free, no signup
- Tap, click or any key
- Metronome check
- BPM to ms calculator
Tap tempo tool
Taps0
One beat–
Stability (BPM)–
Half / double–
Confidence grows with every steady tap. Pause for 2 seconds to start over.
Delay calculator
BPM to milliseconds
Delay and reverb times that lock to your song. The table updates live as you tap, or when you type a tempo above.
quarter note ms = 60,000 ÷ BPM
dotted = note × 1.5
triplet = note × 2/3
BPM = 60,000 ÷ quarter note ms
Quick picks: a dotted eighth delay gives that rolling U2-style guitar echo. Quarter notes keep vocal throws tidy. For reverb, a pre-delay of a 1/64 or 1/128 note keeps the dry sound clear, and a decay that ends before the next downbeat keeps the mix breathing.
Delay times at120 BPM
| Note | Straight ms | Dotted ms | Triplet ms | Hz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1 | 2000 | 3000 | 1333 | 0.50 |
| 1/2 | 1000 | 1500 | 667 | 1.00 |
| 1/4 | 500 | 750 | 333 | 2.00 |
| 1/8 | 250 | 375 | 167 | 4.00 |
| 1/16 | 125 | 188 | 83.3 | 8.00 |
| 1/32 | 62.5 | 93.8 | 41.7 | 16.00 |
| 1/64 | 31.3 | 46.9 | 20.8 | 32.00 |
Technique
How to tap tempo accurately
A tap tempo tool is only as good as your taps. These habits get you a reliable number on the first try.
Give it 8 to 16 taps
The tool fits a line through your last 16 taps, so small timing errors cancel out. Watch the stability figure shrink as you go.
Check half and double
If 140 feels like 70, the song may be in half time. Pick whichever matches the genre convention, then confirm with the metronome.
Use the metronome check
Switch it on and the clicks continue from your last tap. If they drift against the song after a few bars, tap a few more beats.
Tap on a key, not a trackpad
Keys and touchscreens respond faster and more consistently than trackpad clicks. Space, Enter or any letter works.
Train the feel
Want to guess the BPM before you tap? That's a trainable skill, and it makes you faster at setting up sessions and catching drifting tempos.
Reference
Typical BPM by genre
Useful for checking a tapped tempo, picking a starting point for a new track, or deciding whether a song is felt in half or double time.
| Genre | Typical BPM |
|---|---|
| Ballads & slow R&B | 60–80 |
| Lo-fi hip-hop | 70–90 |
| Hip-hop (boom bap) | 85–95 |
| Reggaeton | 88–100 |
| Afrobeats | 100–115 |
| Pop | 100–130 |
| Rock | 110–140 |
| House | 120–128 |
| Techno | 125–150 |
| Trance | 130–140 |
| Trap | 130–150 (felt at 65–75) |
| Dubstep | 140 (felt at 70) |
| Drum & bass | 160–180 |
Classical terms
Tempo markings in BPM
Italian tempo terms describe a character as much as a speed, so their BPM ranges overlap and vary between sources and eras.
| Marking | Meaning | Approx. BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | Slow and solemn | 25–45 |
| Largo | Broadly | 40–60 |
| Adagio | Slow, at ease | 66–76 |
| Andante | At a walking pace | 76–108 |
| Moderato | Moderately | 108–120 |
| Allegretto | Fairly brisk | 112–120 |
| Allegro | Fast and bright | 120–156 |
| Vivace | Lively | 156–176 |
| Presto | Very fast | 168–200 |
| Prestissimo | As fast as possible | 200+ |
StudioEarsEar training for iPhone & iPad
Feel the tempo before you tap.
StudioEars trains your sense of time: guess BPMs by ear, read and recognise rhythms, and hear delay timing. The BPM tapper and metronome are built in too.
Download on theApp Store- BPM DetectionFeel the tempo in beats per minute
- Rhythmic PatternsRecognise and notate rhythms
- Delay Time UnitGet a feeling for delay timing
- Daily sessions & streaksTwo fresh units a day, picked for you
More free tools
Keep training
FAQ
Tempo questions, answered
How do I find the BPM of a song?
Play the song and tap along with the beat, usually the kick and snare pulse, on the tap pad or any key. After eight or more steady taps the BPM reading settles. Use the metronome check to confirm that the clicks stay locked to the song.
How accurate is tap tempo?
It depends on how many taps you make and how steady they are. This tool fits a line through your last 16 taps, so small timing errors cancel out. After about 8 to 16 steady taps the reading is usually within one or two BPM, and the stability figure shows how consistent your taps are.
Why does the tool show half and double the tempo?
Many songs can be felt at two tempos. A trap beat at 140 BPM often feels like 70, and a reggae groove at 75 can be counted at 150. If your tapped value seems off, check whether the half or double figure matches how the song is usually described.
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get the length of one quarter note in milliseconds. At 120 BPM a quarter note is 500 ms, an eighth note is 250 ms and a dotted eighth is 375 ms. Multiply by 1.5 for dotted notes and by two-thirds for triplets.
What is the BPM of most pop songs?
Most pop songs sit roughly between 100 and 130 BPM, with many around 120. Ballads are slower, often 60 to 80 BPM, while dance styles like house usually sit around 120 to 128 BPM.
How do I set a delay to the tempo of my song?
Find the BPM, then read the delay time from the table for the note value you want. A quarter or dotted eighth note is a classic choice for vocals and guitars. If your plugin has a sync option, choose the note value directly; otherwise type the milliseconds in.