YouTube BPM Finder: Get the BPM and Key of Any Video
There is no key or BPM readout on a YouTube video, and YouTube has no way to show one. To get it you need either a database that already knows the song, or a tool that listens to the audio and works it out.
The short version: if it is a released song, look it up by name, which takes half a minute. If it is a remix, an edit, a DJ mix or anything unreleased, paste the link into a finder that reads the audio, or record the audio and analyze that. Each route is below.
1. Look up the song, not the video
If the video is an official release, you can skip the video. Search the song name on Tunebat, which lists the key, Camelot code and BPM for over 100 million songs, or on a store page such as Beatport, which lists the key and BPM of the tracks it sells.
Two cautions. Match the exact version: the radio edit, the extended mix and a remix can differ in BPM and sometimes in key. And a database only knows released songs. For a bootleg, a flip, a DJ mix, a live set or an unreleased track there is nothing to look up, so go to route 2 or 3.
2. Paste the link into a finder that reads the audio
This is the route most people searching for a YouTube key finder want. Premix is our plugin and app, and you can type a song name or paste a YouTube link into it. It reads the key (with the Camelot code and the relative key) and the BPM from the audio, and the BPM has a one-click half-time and double-time switch. It saves a 24-bit WAV and a 320 kbps MP3 with the key and BPM in the file name and tags (for example, "Artist - Title [C#m 126 BPM]"), can split the song into stems, and puts it in your project on the grid.
Paste a link and it works on that video's audio. Type a name and it picks the official audio instead of the music video, then asks you to confirm it is the right one.
Premix is a paid, one-time-purchase plugin and app for Mac and Windows, with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and it needs the internet. See the current price on the Premix page. To read the audio it fetches a copy. It is meant for your own sessions, practice and reference, and the first time you open it, it asks you to confirm you have the right to use the music you fetch. If you only need one number, route 1 is quicker.
Other online tools and browser extensions also take a link or listen to a browser tab. Quality varies a lot, some may conflict with YouTube's terms, and an extension that captures a tab's audio asks for wide permissions, so read what it asks for before you install it.
3. Record the audio and analyze it yourself
This works for anything you can play, and it needs no link at all.
- On a Mac: BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver. Route the browser's audio into your DAW through it, record the section you want, and export the clip.
- On Windows: VB-Audio Virtual Cable does the same job.
- With an interface: if yours has a loopback input, record the system audio directly.
- With a screen recorder: OBS can record your computer's audio. Depending on your system you may still need a virtual driver such as BlackHole.
Record a full section of the song, not a few seconds: a detector needs enough music to hear the tempo and the harmony. Then run the file through an analyzer:
- Tunebat's online analyzer lets you upload an audio file in your browser. (It is Tunebat's site, not ours: our Key & BPM Finder is the plugin further down this list.)
- KeyFinder is a free, open-source desktop app for the key.
- DJ software such as rekordbox, Serato DJ Pro, Traktor and VirtualDJ analyzes the tracks you import.
- Key & BPM Finder is our $14.99 VST3 and AU plugin for Mac and Windows. Put it on the track with the recording, press play, and it shows the key, the relative key and the BPM inside your DAW. The original Max for Live device for Ableton is included. It is built for full tracks and longer audio, not one-shots or short samples.
4. Use your ears
With a keyboard and a minute: play the video, find the bass note that feels like home, then decide whether the chord on top sounds major or minor. For tempo, tap along with a tap-tempo tool for 10 to 20 seconds. It is slower and less exact than a tool, and it is the check that settles an argument between two of them. Our guides to finding the key of a song and finding the BPM of any song cover both.
Which route to use
| What the video is | Use |
|---|---|
| A released song | Look it up by name (route 1) |
| A remix, edit, bootleg or DJ mix | Paste the link into a finder (route 2) or record it (route 3) |
| An unreleased track you can only hear on YouTube | Route 2 or 3 |
| A song you want in your DAW, on the grid | Premix |
| Just one number, no software | Route 1, or your ears |
Check the result before you trust it
- Half time and double time. If a tool says 70 and the track feels like 140, both can be right. BPM by genre explains how that works.
- Relative major and minor. A minor and C major share the same notes and the same Camelot number (8A and 8B). Play the root note and listen for which one sounds like home. The Camelot wheel explained has the full map.
- Intros and key changes. Analyze the part you plan to use, not just the first ten seconds.
To compare more tools, see our Tunebat alternatives.
FAQ
How do I find the BPM of a YouTube video?
Look the song up by name if it is released. Otherwise paste the link into a finder that reads the audio, record the audio and analyze it, or tap along with a tap-tempo tool.
What key is a song on YouTube in?
The same routes work. A lookup gives the key and Camelot code of a released song, and a finder that reads the audio works for anything else. If the answer sounds off, check the relative major or minor.
Is there a key finder that works with a YouTube link?
Yes. Some tools take a link, including Premix. Check what any tool fetches and what permissions it asks for.
What is the best YouTube BPM finder?
For a released song, a lookup site such as Tunebat is fastest. For a remix, DJ mix or anything unreleased, use a finder that reads the audio from the link, such as Premix, or record the audio and analyze it.
Can I do it without downloading anything?
Only by looking up a released song. Any tool that reads the audio has to get a copy of it first.
A note on rights
Analyzing a song to learn its key and tempo for your own practice or reference is one thing. Releasing something built from someone else's recording is another: if you sample or reuse audio from a YouTube video in music you release, you need permission from the rights holders, wherever you heard it. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you want the key, the BPM and the song in your session in one step, see Premix.