diff --git a/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.test.ts b/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31bd167535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { loadBpmDetective } from "./beatDetection";
+
+describe("loadBpmDetective", () => {
+  it("resolves to null when the import is unavailable", async () => {
+    const detect = await loadBpmDetective(() => Promise.reject(new Error("missing")));
+    expect(detect).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("retries a previously failed import instead of caching null forever", async () => {
+    let shouldFail = true;
+    const importFn = async () => {
+      if (shouldFail) {
+        throw new Error("transient");
+      }
+      return { default: () => 120 };
+    };
+
+    const first = await loadBpmDetective(importFn);
+    expect(first).toBeNull();
+
+    shouldFail = false;
+    const second = await loadBpmDetective(importFn);
+    expect(second).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(second?.({} as AudioBuffer)).toBe(120);
+  });
+
+  it("uses the default export if present, otherwise the module object", async () => {
+    const importFn = async () => ({ default: () => 90 });
+    const detect = await loadBpmDetective(importFn);
+    expect(detect?.({} as AudioBuffer)).toBe(90);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the module object when there is no default export", async () => {
+    const fn = (buffer: AudioBuffer) => buffer.duration;
+    const importFn = async () => fn as unknown;
+    const detect = await loadBpmDetective(importFn);
+    expect(detect).toBe(fn);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.ts b/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.ts
index 2b59b79ad8..59bc109f6b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/beats/beatDetection.ts
@@ -4,16 +4,32 @@
 // in the browser.
 type BpmDetect = (buffer: AudioBuffer) => number;
 let bpmDetectivePromise: Promise<BpmDetect | null> | null = null;
-function loadBpmDetective(): Promise<BpmDetect | null> {
-  if (!bpmDetectivePromise) {
-    bpmDetectivePromise = import(
-      // @ts-ignore -- no type declarations for bpm-detective
-      "bpm-detective"
-    )
-      .then((m) => ((m as { default?: BpmDetect }).default ?? (m as unknown as BpmDetect)) || null)
-      .catch(() => null);
+
+const defaultBpmDetectiveImport = () =>
+  // @ts-ignore -- no type declarations for bpm-detective
+  import("bpm-detective");
+
+export function loadBpmDetective(
+  importFn: () => Promise<unknown> = defaultBpmDetectiveImport,
+): Promise<BpmDetect | null> {
+  const useCache = importFn === defaultBpmDetectiveImport;
+  if (useCache && bpmDetectivePromise) {
+    return bpmDetectivePromise;
+  }
+
+  const promise = importFn()
+    .then((m) => ((m as { default?: BpmDetect }).default ?? (m as unknown as BpmDetect)) || null)
+    .catch(() => {
+      // Reset the cached promise so a transient import failure can be retried
+      // on the next call instead of being cached as null for the session.
+      if (useCache) bpmDetectivePromise = null;
+      return null;
+    });
+
+  if (useCache) {
+    bpmDetectivePromise = promise;
   }
-  return bpmDetectivePromise;
+  return promise;
 }
 
 const WINDOW_SIZE = 1024;