How to use this workflow
Pick the beat you want to count
Listen for a steady pulse. Choose the main beats rather than alternating between beats and subdivisions.
Tap several times
Use the tap button or the keyboard controls, including Space or Enter when the page is not focused on another control. Keep tapping evenly rather than trying to force a particular number.
Confirm the estimate
Watch the estimate settle, then compare it with the metronome. Use Reset to start again. A gap longer than three seconds also starts a new sequence.
How the estimate is calculated
The counter uses the intervals between your recent taps and retains at most eight intervals. It ignores intervals below 100 milliseconds to reduce accidental double inputs. Your timing therefore matters: it is a measurement of your taps, not an analysis of the music waveform.
Several consistent taps are more informative than two. If the displayed number jumps, reset and follow one clearly defined pulse. Tapping twice per musical beat produces approximately twice the BPM.
Tapping versus file analysis
Tap BPM is useful for live music, an idea in your head or a recording you cannot load. The BPM finder is more appropriate when you have a file and want an automated estimate with candidates.
Neither approach makes every rhythm unambiguous. A rubato performance may need several local estimates. Do not describe one number as the exact tempo of a performance that speeds up and slows down.
Common questions
Does this page listen through the microphone?
No. This counter uses your taps or keyboard input. The microphone is not needed to estimate the tap intervals.
Why does the result reset after a pause?
A pause longer than three seconds is treated as a new tapping sequence, so it does not become an unusually long beat in the average.