Free plugin
A free key finder that lives in your DAW
To find the key of a song or sample, play it through a key finder, read the key and BPM, then check the root note by ear. Key Finder does it inside your DAW: put it on any track or your master and it shows the key, BPM and chords as they play. VST3 and AU, Mac and Windows.
Get Key Finder freeHow to find the key of a song or sample
- Put a key finder on the track (or on your master to read the whole song) and play the part you want to know.
- Let it run through a few bars, ideally a section with chords or a bassline, not just drums or a single held note.
- Read the key (for example A minor) and the BPM. Set your project tempo to that BPM.
- Check it by ear: hum or play the root note over the music. If it sounds like home, that's the key.
- Write your chords, bass and 808 in that key, or pitch the sample up or down to the key of your beat.
See it work
What you get
- Finds the musical key of whatever is playing
- BPM recognition
- Lists the chords it hears, in order
- Drag chords into your DAW as MIDI
- Save the chords as a .mid file
Questions
How do I find the key of a song by ear?
Play the song and find the one note on a keyboard that sounds 'at rest' over most of it, especially at the end of phrases: that's the root. Then play the major and the minor chord on that note and hear which one fits. A key finder does the same job in seconds and helps when you're not sure.
Why does a key finder sometimes say the relative key?
Every major key shares its notes with a minor key (C major and A minor, for example). A song that sits between them can read as either one. Both work for writing: the notes are the same, only the 'home' note differs.
Is Key Finder really free?
Yes. Make a free RODA Audio account (no card), claim Key Finder on its page and it goes into My plugins. Use it on up to 2 computers.
What does it show besides the key?
The BPM and the chords it hears, in order, on a keyboard and a circle of fifths. You can drag the chords straight into your DAW as MIDI or save them as a .mid file.
Which DAWs does it work in?
Any DAW that loads VST3 or AU plugins: FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubase, Reaper, Studio One, Bitwig and more, on Mac and Windows.
I just have an audio file. Do I need a plugin?
No: our free Key & BPM Finder runs in the browser. Drop in a song, loop or sample and get its key, BPM and Camelot code. The plugin is handier when you want it live inside your project.
Only have a file? Use the free online Key & BPM Finder. Sample rubbing against your beat? Here's how to match the keys, and how to tune your 808 to the key.
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