Two decimal places, and why
If you are stretching a loop into a 128 BPM session, the difference between 127.5 and 128.0 is a beat of drift every four bars. That is the error you notice at bar 33 and then spend twenty minutes hunting. DropWave reports a real estimate to two places, not a rounded integer with digits added to look precise.
The grid, drawn
Every detected beat is drawn on the waveform, with the first beat of each bar marked. You see at a glance whether the grid sits on the kicks, and where the track starts.
Click on beats
Turn on Click on beats and a metronome plays along with the track, locked to the grid DropWave found. If the click stays glued to the drums, the tempo is right. If it drifts, you hear it in two bars.
Half time or double time?
Often both. A drum & bass tune at 174 has a half-time feel at 87; a trap beat at 140 is often felt at 70. DropWave names the other reading, and Half / As detected / Double switches a track in one click. Your choice carries into the table, the file names and the CSV export.
The grid survives a breakdown
DropWave reads the pulse from across the whole mix: hats, snares, rims and percussion all count, not just the kick. A breakdown, a half-time section or an arrangement without four-to-the-floor still gives you a grid that holds.
When there is no tempo
- Vocals and soft-transient material often have no beat at all. Low confidence there is the correct answer.
- Rubato, live and unquantised playing moves, so there is no single number.
- One-shots, ambient and drones have nothing periodic to measure.
Requirements
macOS 26 or later, on a Mac with Apple silicon. Well under a second for a full song, worked out on your own machine. Closed beta: Join the beta.
Related
Key finder · Key & BPM finder · How to find the BPM of a sample · How to find the BPM of a drum loop