What the BPM and key finder tells you
BPM means beats per minute, the speed of the pulse you would tap your foot to. The key is the set of notes the song is built from, such as A minor or E-flat major. DJs, producers, singers and editors want both numbers for the same reasons: to blend one track into another, to pick a compatible sample, to set a metronome, to cut a video to the beat, or to find a comfortable range for a singer.
The tool reports five things for each file.
- BPM. The main tempo estimate, rounded to a number you can type into a DAW or DJ deck.
- Half-time and double-time alternatives. The same music felt at half or twice the speed, which is where most tempo detectors go wrong.
- Confidence. A measure of how clearly the audio pulses at the stated tempo.
- Key, Camelot code and runner-up key. The best-fitting key, the DJ-friendly code for it, and the second guess.
- Pitch-class chart. A twelve-bar chart showing how much of each note, C through B, appears in the audio.
A tap-tempo button sits next to the analyser for the times when your ear is faster than an algorithm, such as a live recording or a track with a drifting tempo.
Try it on a file whose tempo you can check
A BPM tool is easiest to trust when you can test it against something you know. The two examples below are songs we generated with TuneSplit, and both came from the same prompt, which asked for upbeat indie pop at 112 BPM. One was made by MiniMax Music v2 and the other by ACE-Step. Download either, drop it on the finder, and see what it reports.
We are not claiming either file lands exactly on 112. A text prompt is a request, and generative models drift, so the interesting result is the comparison: what the finder reports for each version, and whether the two versions agree. If the tool shows a half-time or double-time alternative that matches 112 more closely, that is the common octave issue explained further down.
The same check works with your own music. Pick a track where you know the tempo from the DAW project, run it, and see how the result compares. That kind of test teaches you far more about a tool than a marketing page does.
BPM ranges by genre
Tempo guides are useful as a sanity check. If you are analysing a house track and the tool says 64, you probably have a half-time reading. The ranges below are typical, not strict rules, and plenty of good records sit outside them.
| Genre | Typical BPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ballad and slow R&B | 60 to 80 | Often felt at half time, so a double-time reading is common |
| Hip hop and boom bap | 80 to 100 | Many tracks are felt at half time of a 160-ish pulse |
| Lo-fi hip hop | 70 to 90 | Swung hats can confuse the detector |
| Trap | 130 to 170 | Usually felt at about 65 to 85 because of half-time drums |
| Pop | 100 to 130 | A wide range, centred around the low 120s |
| Reggaeton | 90 to 100 | Dembow pattern keeps the pulse steady |
| Rock | 110 to 150 | Wide, with drifting tempo in live-played tracks |
| Disco and funk | 100 to 125 | Four on the floor with syncopated bass |
| House | 118 to 130 | Very stable grid, easy to detect |
| Techno | 125 to 145 | Stable and dense |
| Drum and bass | 160 to 180 | Often read at half time near 85 |
| Dubstep | 135 to 145 | Half-time feel gives about 70 |
Notice how often a genre appears with a half-time or double-time feel. That is not a bug in the table. It is how musicians describe those styles, and it is why the tool lists both alternatives.
The Camelot wheel in one table
The Camelot system relabels the twelve major and twelve minor keys as numbers from 1 to 12 plus a letter. A means minor and B means major. DJs use it because compatible keys sit next to each other on the wheel, so you do not have to remember music theory in the middle of a set. Every code the tool shows maps to a key in this table.
| Camelot | Minor key (A) | Camelot | Major key (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | A-flat minor | 1B | B major |
| 2A | E-flat minor | 2B | F-sharp major |
| 3A | B-flat minor | 3B | D-flat major |
| 4A | F minor | 4B | A-flat major |
| 5A | C minor | 5B | E-flat major |
| 6A | G minor | 6B | B-flat major |
| 7A | D minor | 7B | F major |
| 8A | A minor | 8B | C major |
| 9A | E minor | 9B | G major |
| 10A | B minor | 10B | D major |
| 11A | F-sharp minor | 11B | A major |
| 12A | D-flat minor | 12B | E major |
Take a track the tool labels 8A. That is A minor. Its close neighbours are 7A, which is D minor, and 9A, which is E minor, plus 8B, which is C major, the relative major with exactly the same notes.
How to mix by Camelot code
- Same code. The safest move: 8A to 8A.
- One step up or down with the same letter. 8A to 9A or 7A. The energy lifts or settles but the blend still works.
- Same number, other letter. 8A to 8B. Same notes, so minor to relative major sounds natural.
- Two steps, or a jump of seven. These can work as a deliberate energy change, but they are riskier and you should hear them in the headphones first.
Harmonic mixing is a guide, not a law. Some of the best blends break the rules on purpose, and a long vocal over a clashing instrumental still needs your ears.
Half-time and double-time: why BPM tools disagree
Almost every tempo detector faces the octave problem. A song at 140 BPM can feel like a song at 70 BPM, because the snare lands on beats two and four of a slower count. Both answers describe the same music. A DJ reading 70 and a producer reading 140 are not in disagreement, they are counting at different resolutions.
TuneSplit shows the main estimate and the half and double alternatives side by side, with a confidence score for the pick. If you are about to match two tracks, choose the reading closest to the range where you work. Most DJ sets live between about 90 and 150, so a track at 70 is usually used at 140.
Confidence is a signal, not a verdict. A high number means the pulse is clear. A low one often shows up for ambient material, live recordings, classical pieces with rubato, and tracks with a tempo change. For those, tap tempo can be the better tool.
Key detection has its own pitfalls. A song that leans on a few notes, or modulates in the middle, may place two keys close together. That is why you get a runner-up key and a pitch-class chart. If the first key is only slightly ahead, play the track against both and listen.
Where TuneSplit fits among BPM and key tools
There are three kinds of BPM tool: databases you search by title, tap counters you tap along to, and analysers that process a file. TuneSplit is the third kind, with a tap counter included. These are the tools people compare, with what we could confirm in October 2026. Items marked unverified come from third-party sources, as Tunebat blocked our automated check.
| Tool | How it works | Needs an upload? | Price (as of Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TuneSplit | Analyses your own file in the browser, plus tap tempo | No, runs locally | Free |
| Tunebat | Searchable database of songs; analyser tools | Unverified | Basic BPM and key free; paid plan around 6.99 euros in a 2024 snapshot (unverified) |
| SongBPM | Looks up a song title in a database | No, you search by name | Free, ad-supported |
| BeatsPerMinuteOnline | Tap counter | No | Free, ad-supported |
| freemusic.ai and AudioStrip | Key and BPM finder tools inside larger sites | Not verified | Not verified |
Databases are the right choice when you want a quick answer for a commercial release and you do not have the file at hand. They can only tell you what they already know. They can be wrong for remixes and alternate versions, and they cannot analyse your own unreleased track. A tap counter is fine for a rough pulse but depends on your timing.
The reason to use a file analyser is simple: you get an answer for the exact audio in front of you, including demos, bounces and edits that no database has. Because TuneSplit runs it locally, you also avoid uploading a private mix to find out its tempo.
Use cases: what to do with the numbers
- DJ prep. Tag every track with a BPM and Camelot code, then sort your crates by key.
- Remix and mashup work. Check that a vocal and an instrumental share a key before you stretch either.
- Sampling. Know the tempo and key of a loop before you drop it in a project, so you can pitch it by the right number of semitones.
- Singing. Find the key of a backing track and decide whether it sits in your range. The pitch and speed changer can shift it.
- Video editing. Set cut points on beat when you know the exact tempo.
- Practice. Put a metronome on the right BPM when learning a song by ear.
- Splitting stems first. The vocal remover, stem splitter and vocal isolator pages cover separation. Running the BPM finder on a split drums stem often gives a steadier reading than the full mix.
That last tip is worth trying. Drums carry the pulse, and a drums stem has no vocals or pads to blur the beat grid.
Privacy: your file stays on your device
The BPM and key analysis runs fully in your browser. The file is never uploaded, so there is nothing for us to store or delete, and nothing is used for training. That makes it a good fit for unreleased demos, client mixes and anything under NDA.
TuneSplit's separation tools work differently, because source separation needs server power. Files sent to the vocal remover, stem splitter and vocal isolator go to private storage, are deleted within 24 hours, and are never used for training. For either kind of tool, only use audio you own or have the rights to use.
Frequently asked questions
Is the BPM finder free?
Yes. The BPM and key finder is free to use, and it runs in your browser, so there is no upload step and no credit cost. It returns the BPM, half-time and double-time alternatives, a confidence score, the key, the Camelot code, a runner-up key and a pitch-class chart.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
No. The analysis runs entirely in your browser, so the file stays on your device. That also means there is nothing to delete afterwards and nothing that could be used for training. Please still only analyse audio that you own or have the rights to use.
How accurate is the BPM detection?
It is accurate on tracks with a clear, steady beat, such as electronic and pop music, and less certain on live recordings, rubato playing or tracks that change tempo. The confidence score tells you how clear the pulse was. When it is low, check the result with tap tempo.
Why does my BPM look twice as fast or half as slow?
That is the octave problem. Many songs can be counted at two speeds that describe the same music, for example 70 and 140. The tool shows half-time and double-time alternatives, so you can pick the one that matches how you count the track in your DAW or on the decks.
What is a Camelot code?
A Camelot code is a label from 1A to 12B that names a musical key. The number places the key on a wheel, A means minor and B means major. Keys with the same number or one step apart blend well, which is why DJs sort tracks by it. 8A is A minor and 8B is C major.
How does the key detection work?
The tool measures how much of each of the twelve notes appears in the audio, shown in the pitch-class chart, and compares that profile with major and minor key patterns. The best match is the key and the second best is the runner-up. When they are close, trust your ears too.
Which file types can I use?
MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC and other common audio files that your browser can decode work. Because the analysis happens on your device, the file size limits of the upload tools do not apply in the same way, but very long files may take longer on a slow phone or laptop.
Can I find the BPM without a file?
Yes. Use the tap-tempo button. Press it in time with the music for several beats, and it averages the gaps to get a BPM. It is handy for live music, a song playing on another device, or a quick check on a track you are hearing right now.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. It runs in a modern mobile browser, so there is nothing to install. Choose a file from your phone and the analysis happens on the device. Very long tracks may be slower than on a laptop, and tap tempo works well on a touchscreen.
How is this different from Tunebat or SongBPM?
Those sites mostly look up a song by title in a database. TuneSplit analyses the exact file you give it, so it works for demos, remixes and unreleased tracks. A database may be better when you only want a quick figure for a well-known release and have no file at hand.