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Song key and BPM finder

Drop a song to find its key, its Camelot code for mixing, and its tempo in BPM — with the working shown, and a tap button to check the beat by ear.

I want Find key and BPM

Done on your device No upload, no queue, no sign-up.

Bytes sent anywhere: 0 B

Works offline after you’ve used it once.

How to use it

Your song goes into this browser tab, is analyzed on your device, and comes back as its key, Camelot code and tempo. 0 bytes uploaded

  1. Add your files

    Drop a song: MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, or a music video.

  2. Check the settings

    Press Find key and BPM. The audio is decoded and analyzed in this tab: the notes it uses give the key, the pattern of its beats gives the tempo.

  3. Save the result

    Read the key, its Camelot code and the BPM, with half- and double-time beside it. Tap along to check the tempo by ear.

Why it doesn’t upload

Unreleased mixes, demos and stems are exactly what producers don’t want on someone else’s server. Decoding, finding the notes and counting the beats all run in this tab, so a song you’re still working on stays yours.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • These are estimates, not a transcription. Songs that change key, modal and jazz harmony, and very sparse arrangements can come out as a neighboring key. The next closest keys are listed so you can check.
  • A major key and its relative minor use the same notes. When the two score close, both are shown.
  • Tempo can land on half or double the tempo you feel. Both are shown, and the tap button settles it.
  • It reads files, not links: it can’t analyze a YouTube or Spotify link. For a long DJ mix, trim the section you want first; only the first 10 minutes are analyzed.

How the key and tempo are worked out

The key. The song is split into short slices and each one’s spectrum is measured. Every clear peak between 60 Hz and 2 kHz is placed on the twelve-note circle, after checking how far the recording is tuned from A = 440 Hz, so a track tuned a little flat still lands on the right notes. That gives the chart you see: how much of each note the song uses. It is then compared with the Krumhansl–Kessler profiles — how much each note matters in each of the 24 major and minor keys — and the closest match is the answer.

The tempo. Each slice is compared with the one before to find where the sound suddenly gets louder: the drum hits, strums and note starts. That onset pattern is compared with itself shifted in time; the shift where it lines up best is the beat. It is then measured again across eight beats, which is why the result can be given to a tenth of a BPM.

Mixing in key with the Camelot wheel

Keys that sound good together sit next to each other on the Camelot wheel. From 8A (A minor) you can mix into 8A again, 7A or 9A (one step either way), or 8B (C major, its relative). A jump of two or more steps usually clashes unless the tracks are mostly drums.

Tempo matters as much as key. Tracks within about 6% of each other’s BPM can be matched with a pitch fader without sounding strange; beyond that, the key shifts audibly as you speed a track up. Half- and double-time pairs, like 70 and 140 BPM, also mix.

Questions

How do I find the key of a song?

Drop the song here and press Find key and BPM. The key comes from which notes the song uses and how often, compared with the pattern every major and minor key makes. By ear, the key’s home note is the one a melody feels finished on; hum along and it’s usually the last note of the chorus.

How do I find the BPM of a song?

Drop it here: the tempo is measured from the beats themselves, to a tenth of a beat per minute. To check it, press Tap along in time with the music; after a few taps it shows the BPM of your tapping. Counting the beats in 15 seconds and multiplying by 4 gets you close by hand.

What is the Camelot key?

A code DJs use for mixing in key: each key gets a number from 1 to 12 and a letter, A for minor and B for major. Tracks mix smoothly when they share a code, sit one number apart (8A to 9A), or share a number across letters (8A to 8B, which is a key and its relative).

Why does it show a major key and a minor key?

Every major key has a relative minor that uses exactly the same notes — C major and A minor, for example. A song can lean either way, and many sit between the two. When they score close, both are shown; musically either works for playing along, and for DJs they mix perfectly (8B and 8A).

Can it find the BPM of a YouTube or Spotify song?

Not from a link: streaming services don’t hand over the audio file. If you have the file — your own recording, a download you’re allowed to keep, a music video you made — drop it here. Released songs are also listed by name, with key and tempo, on song-database sites.

How accurate is it?

On a clear pop, rock, hip-hop or dance track the tempo is usually exact and the key is right, or its relative. It is less sure with songs that change key, heavy swing, or free tempo like classical and solo acoustic recordings, and says so. The confidence line under each result tells you how clear the answer was.

Read more about this

Next steps

Often used before or after Song Key & BPM Finder. These run on your device too.