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Key and BPM finder
Drop a song to find its key and tempo. You get the Camelot code, the chords of the key, and a tap button to check the beat yourself.
Drop a song here
MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, FLAC, or MP4. It is analysed in your browser and never leaves your device.
How to find the key and BPM of a song
- 1
Drop the song
Drop an MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, FLAC, or MP4 file on the finder. It is analysed in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
- 2
Read the key and tempo
In a few seconds you get the key, its Camelot code, and the tempo in BPM, with the half and double readings next to it.
- 3
Check by ear
Play the key's chord and listen for the one that sounds like home. Tap along with the beat to confirm the tempo.
- 4
Play along
Use the chords of the key to jam along, or change the key with the transposer if it is too high to sing.
How the key is found
The finder measures how much of each of the twelve notes the song uses, from its bass and chords, and compares that profile with what songs in each of the 24 major and minor keys typically use. The closest match is the key. A major key and its relative minor, such as C major and A minor, share every note, so the finder also looks at which note the bass keeps returning to.
How the tempo is found
The finder marks where notes and drum hits start, then looks for the time gap that repeats most evenly through the song. That gap is one beat. Many songs can be counted two ways, at 70 or at 140 BPM, depending on whether you tap on every beat or every other one; both are shown, and the tap button settles it.
How accurate is it?
On a test set of 360 recorded guitar parts with known keys and tempos, the finder named the exact key 70% of the time; most misses were the relative key or a key a fifth away, which share all but one note. It got the tempo within one BPM 70% of the time, and most of the rest at half or double speed. Full songs with drums and bass are usually easier than solo guitar.
Camelot wheel
DJs use the Camelot wheel to mix songs in key. Each key has a number from 1 to 12 and a letter: A for minor, B for major. Songs with the same number, or a number one apart, mix smoothly.
| Number | Minor (A) | Major (B) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1A G♯ minor | 1B B major |
| 2 | 2A E♭ minor | 2B F♯ major |
| 3 | 3A B♭ minor | 3B D♭ major |
| 4 | 4A F minor | 4B A♭ major |
| 5 | 5A C minor | 5B E♭ major |
| 6 | 6A G minor | 6B B♭ major |
| 7 | 7A D minor | 7B F major |
| 8 | 8A A minor | 8B C major |
| 9 | 9A E minor | 9B G major |
| 10 | 10A B minor | 10B D major |
| 11 | 11A F♯ minor | 11B A major |
| 12 | 12A C♯ minor | 12B E major |
Know the key? Get the notes too
Upload the same song to the converter, and Tabtify writes the tab, so you can play the melody and chords, not just know the key.
Turn a song into tabKey and BPM finder FAQ
Is my song uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is decoded and analysed in your browser and never leaves your device.
Why does the finder show two possible keys?
A major key and its relative minor, such as G major and E minor, use the same notes. Songs often sit between the two. Play each key's chord and listen for the one that sounds like the song's home.
Why is the BPM half or double what I expected?
Many songs can be counted at two speeds. A ballad at 70 BPM can be felt at 140, and a fast punk song at 180 can be felt at 90. Tap along to see which one you count.
What is a Camelot code?
A short code DJs use for keys: 8A is A minor, 8B is C major. Codes with the same number or a number next to each other mix well together.
Can it find the key of a song on YouTube?
It works with audio files on your device. To get the tab of a song on YouTube, paste the link into the converter instead.
Does it work with songs that change key?
It gives the key that fits the whole song best, which is usually the main key. For a song that modulates, cut out the section you want and analyse that part on its own.