BPM Counter for Windows

DJs have always used "digital technology" to time the beats per minute (BPM) of a song; they tapped it out with their fingers on the desktop while timing the beat with a stopwatch or wristwatch or by saying, "One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand." Was there a better way? Sure, but it cost thousands of dollars. Today, better tools are available, and they're free. One such tool is AbyssMedia's BPM Counter. It detects, counts, and displays the beats per minute of your MP3s and WAVs. It can analyze single tunes or whole collections. It avoids the mistakes common to other BPM counters, such as inaccurately decoding MP3s, which can drastically alter the count. BMP Counter is useful for studio mixing and sampling as well as DJ work.

The BPM Counter is fully automatic, which means it requires very little setup and is straightforward to learn. After you select a folder, it automatically scans and analyzes the music files inside, saving time because you don't have to add tracks manually.

The fast BPM detection feature uses advanced technology to quickly analyze tempo. It delivers BPM results swiftly, though these are not as precise as those from more specialized tools. Nevertheless, it can process many files simultaneously, which is useful for handling large music collections.

It also supports ID3 tags, saving BPM data directly into MP3 files using the common ID3v2.3 standard. This compatibility with major music editing software is crucial. You can choose to enable or disable this feature, giving you control over whether to modify your files.

There are two versions of BPM Counter: one with a graphical user interface (GUI) and another that operates through the command line. The GUI is high-resolution and looks good on all types of displays, including 4K. The command line version is perfect for those who like to integrate BPM counting into their own programs or scripts.

The program also integrates well with other audio utilities, enhancing its functionality. You can convert audio files or change their tempo, even if the original file format isn't supported by the program. Importantly, BPM Counter is completely free. It comes without ads, spyware, or any other unwanted software, ensuring a clean and secure user experience.

BPM Counter's simple, clean interface is based on a tree view in its left sidebar and a gridded main view. The toolbar handles basic functions: Recording, Convert, Edit Audio, and Tempo. The Tools menu also contains a CD burner and MIDI converter. BPM Counter is easy to use, front to back, but it has a pretty good Help file, too, if you need it. We started by loading an MP3. You don't need to play an MP3 for BPM Counter to dissect its beats; the program scanned our tune as soon as we loaded it, displaying its file name and BMP (75.36, a driving beat, yet sultry) as well as Title, Artist, and Duration. Next we tried a batch of tunes. BPM Counter processed them quickly and displayed the results. But there doesn't seem to be a way to save or print the results, at least not in the freeware, which is more nuisance than inducement to upgrade, frankly.

The Audio Recorder, Audio Converter, Tempo Changer, and Audio Editor are unavailable in the freeware, and you must visit the program's site and download the paid updates to use them. That's not so bad since the tools BPM Counter's free version omits are commonly available as freeware, and its main feature, the beats-per-minute counter, is what most users need BPM Counter for in any case.

• Updated audio decoder and tag writer.