liveBPM - Beat Detector

Daniel Bach

About this app

Sharpen your sense of time! liveBPM is the tempo monitoring tool for drummers, bands and DJs. It detects music and beats via the microphone and continuously displays the current tempo in beats per minute (BPM). It is easy to use and delivers high-quality results while being energy efficient.


★★★ Detailed Description ★★★

This is a tool designed for professional use:
- Well-tested beat detection engine guarantees trustworthiness
- Can handle most genres. Produces the best results under the following conditions:
-- The tempo is constant or almost constant
-- Strong impulses are defining the beat (drums, accentuated rhythm instruments like bass/guitar, etc.)
-- Time signature is 4/4, 3/4 or a multiple of either of these
- If the music meets these conditions liveBPM will produce results accurate to within 0.1 BPM


Further features:
- Tempo curve shows the development of tempo over time
- Multiple zoom modes to show last 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes
- Advanced audio spectrum analysis via FFT
- More accessible and usually more accurate than BPM counters that function through tapping
- Relatively low battery drain thanks to high performance code and efficient algorithms


Using it as a musician:
- Use it as an objective tempo reference like a metronome
- It actually has several advantages over a metronome:
-- You are not tied to a click, giving you more flexibility
-- Helps you use tempo changes to enhance your musical expression
-- With blind tests, it can massively improve your timing confidence, which is especially important if you are in a tempo leading role (e.g. drummer)
- Discover how/whether your favorite artists use tempo changes
- Measure and improve your time-keeping skills
- Identify slowdowns and speedups while practicing your instrument
- Always be in control of the tempo during your live gigs and rehearsals


Controls:
- Power Button: For freezing the tempo curve and minimizing battery drain
- Clear Button: Clears the tempo curve
- Slider: Adjusts the target tempo, ranging from 60 to 200 BPM
- Zoom Buttons: Switch between zoom modes for the tempo curve. (2-30 minutes)


Note: In cases where the music is characterized by soft impulses, you may improve the detection by clapping loud to the beat. Also, results can be improved by plugging in a suitable external microphone pointing to the beat-defining elements of your band setup.

Ratings and reviews

I have been so happy to have found this app. I had previously spent a bunch of money on a reverse metronome that didn't work well (which I then returned). Finding this app has been just great. Sometimes bands/drummers playing live to a metronome doesn't work well since once you are off, you are off. But, being able to see the tempo in real time makes that so easy. I highly recommend it for people who play live.

This ol' thing is so dependable and barely uses any battery, even when the screen is on for hours. I rely on it!

Meh. There isn't a way to adjust the scale of the graph. My experience is that the more refined a player gets with the tempo, the graph zooms in, reflecting minor inconsistencies in a larger view. I would like to be able to set the graph at one view/zoom setting and leave it.

What’s new

- Android 16 support