Make a song play at one constant tempo

Updated 16 October 2026

To snap an out-of-time recording to the grid, you need to change the timing inside the audio. BPM Lock detects the beats, lets you check them, then renders the song at one constant, whole-number BPM with the pitch preserved.

What BPM Lock changes

BPM Lock detects beat positions, then stretches the audio between them onto one steady BPM. It preserves pitch and exports a corrected file. Changing a metadata tag, moving a DJ grid or tapping a BPM number does not do that.

A single speed change makes the whole file faster or slower, including its tempo fluctuations. Removing drift needs timing changes that follow the actual beat positions, rather than one stretch ratio for the whole song.

This is useful when you need rigid bars for a remix, a long DJ blend or a drum loop underneath a live performance. If you want the original push and pull for listening, keep it. Tight timing is a choice, not a requirement for a good recording.

Map the song to the grid, or the grid to the song?

A tempo map lets your project follow the original performance. A fixed-tempo audio export makes the recording follow a steady grid. Choose the first to preserve its changing pace, or the second when you want rigid loops and bars. Check which problem you have.

From drifting recording to steady file

1. Open the track. Drop it into BPM Lock. WAV, AIFF, MP3, FLAC and M4A are supported. No account is needed.
2. Check the tempo and beat markers. The target is the detected tempo rounded to a whole BPM. Check that the markers follow the pulse you hear.
3. Listen against the click. Play Original, then BPM locked. Check the intro, a busy section and the ending. A strong verdict is useful guidance, not a reason to skip listening.
4. Correct missed markers. Try the additional tracker if needed. Zoom in and move a misplaced anchor onto the beat. Skipping an anchor leaves its grid slot intact and lets the audio stretch between its neighbors.
5. Choose the start and format. Keep the intro or crop to your chosen bar 1. WAV and AIFF suit further editing; MP3 gives you a smaller file.
6. Render and download. Put the export in your session at the displayed BPM and check it against your project click.

What to listen for

Listen to attacks and tails as well as the click. A kick can line up while a cymbal sounds smeared or a sustained vocal sounds unsettled. Try a different tracker or adjust the problem markers before rendering again.

Sparse intros, abrupt tempo changes, swing and rubato can need more judgment. Do not force every visible peak onto a quarter note. If the tracker does not follow the song reliably, work in smaller sections in a DAW.

Want to hear the difference first? The sample track is an original drum loop with deliberately wandering timing. It is analyzed by the same tool as your own file.

What if I do not know the song's BPM?

The tool detects it from the file. Check the tempo against the pulse you hear, including whether it feels halved or doubled, before deciding that the whole song needs correction.

Can I set it to 128 BPM?

BPM Lock corrects drift at the track's nearest whole-number BPM. It does not offer an arbitrary target-tempo control. To use another speed, first make the track steady, then stretch the corrected file to your project tempo in a DAW.

That separates two decisions: removing small timing changes inside the performance, then choosing the overall speed of the finished mix.

Does quantizing change the key?

The time-stretching preserves pitch. That does not mean every correction will be inaudible. Large stretches, dense mixes and poor beat placement can affect the sound, so keep your original and compare the export.

Next: prepare an acapella for a remix, line up an export with a DAW click, fix a downloaded Suno song, or browse all guides.