Audacity is one of the most-used audio editors in the world, but it has no BPM detection, no key detection, and no chord analysis. These free browser tools fill every gap, working alongside Audacity on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
All six gaps are covered by free BeatKey browser tools below.
What Audacity cannot do natively
Upload any audio file. Get BPM and musical key instantly in your browser. Audacity has no BPM or key detection built in. BeatKey fills that gap for every recording and editing workflow.
Audacity use:
Before editing or pitch-shifting in Audacity, run your audio through BeatKey to get the exact BPM and key. Use the BPM to set up beat markers, calculate effect timing, or align tracks. The key prevents pitch-shift errors when transposing vocals or instruments.
Detect chords in any recording
Export audio from Audacity, then upload to Chord Finder. Get the full chord progression as a timeline. Audacity has no chord detection. Use Chord Finder to transcribe recordings or analyze what chords are in a song.
Audacity use:
Edit your recording in Audacity first (clean up noise, cut sections), export as MP3 or WAV, then upload to Chord Finder. Knowing the chord progression helps you add overdubs, write complementary parts, or transcribe the song.
BPM-synced delay times for Audacity Echo
Get exact millisecond values at any BPM. In Audacity, Effect > Echo uses seconds (not note divisions). This tool gives you the exact value to type.
Audacity use:
Detect BPM with BeatKey, get ms values from Delay Calculator, then enter into Audacity Echo as seconds (divide ms by 1000). For slapback: enter 0.05 to 0.1 seconds. For rhythmic echo: enter the dotted eighth or quarter note ms value.
Find scale notes for overdubs and transcription
Look up any scale across 18 types and all 12 keys. Audacity users editing recordings of instruments often need to know which notes are in the key to write compatible parts or correct pitch errors.
Audacity use:
After detecting the key with BeatKey, look up scale notes at scales.beatkey.app. Use the notes as a reference when recording overdubs in Audacity or when using Audacity's Change Pitch effect to shift notes to the correct scale.
Hz lookup for pitch correction and tuning
Find the exact Hz frequency of any musical note. Audacity uses Hz values in its spectral view and pitch correction tools. Use this to verify exact Hz before applying pitch correction.
Audacity use:
Use Audacity's Spectrogram view or Find Fundamental Frequency to identify the Hz of a note. Compare it to the notes.beatkey.app Hz chart to identify exactly which note the recording contains. Also useful for setting notch filters on specific out-of-tune frequencies.
Harmonic mixing after key detection
Click any key on the interactive Camelot Wheel to see all compatible keys highlighted. Audacity users who edit DJ mixes, podcast music beds, or layered recordings use this to avoid key clashes.
Audacity use:
After detecting the key of your track with BeatKey, use the Camelot Wheel to find harmonically compatible keys for other recordings you want to layer or transition to. Useful for editing DJ mixes, podcast background music, or multi-track vocal sessions.
Detect BPM and Key First
Before opening Audacity, upload your sample to BeatKey (beatkey.app). Note the BPM, musical key, and Camelot code. This prevents tempo mismatches and pitch shift errors later.
Open and Edit in Audacity
Import your sample in Audacity. Use Effect > Change Tempo (not Change Speed) to adjust tempo without pitch change. Use the detected BPM as your reference for precise tempo adjustment.
Detect Chord Progression
Export your edited clip (File > Export > Export as MP3/WAV), then upload to Chord Finder (chords.beatkey.app). Get the full chord progression for transcription or overdub planning.
Set Echo/Delay in Key
Go to Effect > Echo in Audacity. Use Delay Calculator (delay.beatkey.app) to get the exact second value for BPM-synced echo (divide the ms value by 1000 for Audacity's seconds field).
Pitch Shift Reference
If you need to pitch-shift a recording, use notes.beatkey.app to find the Hz of your target note. Use Effect > Change Pitch in Audacity and enter the percentage change based on Hz difference.
Tune and Verify
Use the Chromatic Tuner at notes.beatkey.app in a browser tab while monitoring your recording playback in Audacity. The tuner shows Hz in real time so you can verify pitch accuracy before committing an edit.
Beat Track Markers
After detecting BPM with BeatKey, use Analyze > Beat Finder in Audacity with your BPM as a starting point to create beat markers. More accurate with the correct BPM pre-loaded.
Echo Without Note Divisions
Audacity's Echo effect uses seconds, not note divisions. Delay Calculator gives you the ms value. Divide by 1000 for Audacity (e.g. 375ms at 120 BPM = 0.375 seconds).
Spectrogram + Hz Chart
Switch Audacity to Spectrogram view. Use notes.beatkey.app to cross-reference the Hz values you see against the note name chart, identifying pitches in your recording visually.
Change Pitch vs Change Speed
Use Effect > Change Pitch to transpose without tempo change. After detecting the key with BeatKey, you know exactly how many semitones to shift. The key detection prevents over/under-shifting.
Linux Browser Workflow
All BeatKey tools run in Firefox and Chromium on Linux with no Wine or compatibility layer needed. Keep BeatKey in one browser tab and Audacity open alongside it for a seamless workflow.
Noise Reduction + Key Check
Apply noise reduction first in Audacity, then detect the key in BeatKey. A noisy recording can cause slightly inaccurate key detection, so clean the audio first for best results.
| Feature | Audacity | BeatKey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (open source) | Free (no account) |
| Platform | Windows, Mac, Linux | Any browser |
| BPM detection from audio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Musical key detection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Camelot harmonic code | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chord progression analysis | ✗ | ✓ |
| BPM delay calculator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scale reference by key | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio editing | ✓ (full editor) | ✗ |
| Waveform display | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi-track recording | ✓ | ✗ |
| Effects (EQ, reverb, etc.) | ✓ | ✗ |