The product
What is DropWave?
DropWave is a native Mac app that reads the key, Camelot code, tempo, tuning, loudness and true peak of any audio file or whole folder, shows where a song changes key, and tells you how sure it is of each reading. Everything is worked out on your own Mac.
How do I get DropWave?
DropWave is in closed beta. Join the Discord: access is handed out there and every build is posted there first.
What do I need?
macOS 26 or later on a Mac with Apple silicon. DropWave V2 doesn't run on Intel Macs.
Does DropWave work on Windows?
Not yet. DropWave is a native Mac app. Other platforms are being worked on, but there is nothing to promise yet.
Is there a DropWave plugin?
Not in V2 yet. DropWave 2.1 shipped an Audio Unit plugin; the rebuilt V2 is the app only for now.
How much does it cost?
The beta is free. Pricing for the finished app hasn't been announced.
The readings
How does DropWave find the key?
It listens for the notes actually being played, bass line included, and weighs them the way your ear does, instead of judging the overall colour of the sound. That keeps it from landing a fifth away from the real key, the mistake key finders are known for.
What are key changes?
When a song modulates, for a last chorus or a bridge, DropWave shows each section's key and where it starts, on a strip under the waveform, instead of averaging them into one answer.
Can I check a reading by ear?
Yes. Click on beats plays a metronome along with the track, locked to the detected beat grid. Hear key plays the key's chord, tuned to the track. Two seconds and you know.
Why does it say the tempo could also be half or double?
Because both describe the same grid, counted at different levels: a drum & bass tune at 174 has a half-time feel at 87. Half / As detected / Double switches a track in one click, and the choice carries into the table, file names and export.
Does DropWave detect the key of detuned samples?
Yes. It measures the tuning rather than assuming A = 440, shows the offset in cents, and still reads the real key of material that sits off concert pitch.
What does the confidence mean?
How many sections of the song agreed with the reading. When two answers were close, the runner-up is named. Under about 30 seconds there aren't enough sections to compare, so short loops top out at Medium.
Does DropWave use AI?
No AI model is involved in the analysis. The same file always gives the same answer, and nothing is sent anywhere to produce it.
Files
What formats does DropWave open?
WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A / AAC / ALAC, FLAC, CAF, and the audio track of video files. What decodes decides what opens, not the file extension.
Can DropWave analyse a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop a folder and every file is read into a table you can sort, search by name, key or Camelot code, and export as CSV.
Does DropWave change my files?
Never the audio. It only changes a file's name, and only when you use Tag Filenames, which shows you every change first, never overwrites a file, and can be undone with ⌘Z.
Does it work with Logic Pro, FL Studio and Ableton Live?
DropWave works alongside any DAW: analyse the file, then copy the readings or tag the file names before you drag the file into your session.
Privacy and updates
Does DropWave upload my music?
No. Analysis happens entirely on your Mac and your audio is never sent anywhere. There is no account and no analytics. The app only goes online to check for updates.
How do updates work?
DropWave checks when it starts and about twice a day. New versions download in the background and install when you click Restart; DropWave reopens with your files.
What is Dev Beta?
An update channel that gets new builds first, for testers who want them early. It needs a personal code from the team, entered in Settings → Updates.
Why does macOS say it can’t open DropWave?
DropWave isn't notarised yet. The first time, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. After that it opens normally.