A free online metronome with musician-grade timing
The Metronome gives you a precise, steady click for practice, from a glacial 20 BPM to a blistering 300 BPM. Set the tempo with the slider, the ±1 and ±5 buttons, the arrow keys or by tapping along to a song, pick a time signature from 2/4 to 12/8, add eighth-note, triplet or sixteenth-note subdivisions, and choose a click, wood block or beep that cuts through whatever you are playing.
Timing is scheduled on the Web Audio clock rather than with JavaScript timers, so each click lands within a fraction of a millisecond of where it should — even while you scroll, switch tabs on desktop, or run other apps. The beat lights show where you are in the bar and the tempo marking (Adagio, Andante, Allegro…) updates as you change speed.
Nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded; your settings are remembered on this device so the metronome is ready at your last tempo next time.
How to use the Metronome
- Set the tempo: drag the slider, type a number, use the ±1 / ±5 buttons, or press Tap tempo four or more times in time with the music.
- Choose a Time signature. Compound metres such as 6/8 and 12/8 click the dotted-quarter beat; 7/8 is grouped 2+2+3.
- Pick a Subdivision if you want quieter ticks between the beats — eighths, triplets or sixteenths.
- Select a Sound and set the volume. Untick “Accent the first beat” for an even pulse.
- Press Start (or the space bar) and play along. Press again, or space, to stop.
Metronome features
Look-ahead scheduling
Clicks are queued 100 ms ahead on the audio hardware clock, the technique used by professional web sequencers, so timing does not drift or stutter.
Tap tempo
Tap the button or the T key; the average of your last eight taps becomes the tempo, and a pause of 2.5 seconds starts a fresh measurement.
Seven time signatures
2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8 and 12/8, with correct beat grouping for compound and odd metres.
Subdivisions and accents
Quarter, eighth, triplet and sixteenth subdivisions at a lower volume, with an accented downbeat you can switch off.
Three synthesised sounds
A sharp electronic click, a warm wood block and a clean beep — all generated on the fly, so nothing has to load.
Keyboard control
Space starts and stops, T taps, and the arrow keys nudge the tempo by 1 or 5 BPM without touching the mouse.
Tempo markings and what they mean
Italian tempo markings are approximate ranges rather than fixed numbers, and editions differ by a few BPM. The ranges used by this metronome are typical of modern reference tables and are highlighted in the list under the controls.
| Marking | Approx. BPM | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | 25–44 | slow and solemn |
| Largo | 45–59 | broad, very slow |
| Adagio | 60–72 | slow and stately |
| Andante | 73–85 | at a walking pace |
| Moderato | 86–108 | moderately |
| Allegro | 116–155 | fast, bright |
| Vivace | 156–175 | lively |
| Presto | 176–200 | very fast |
How to practise with a metronome
- Start slow. Set the tempo where you can play every note cleanly, even if that is half the final speed. Raise it 3–5 BPM at a time and only move on when a passage is clean three times in a row.
- Subdivide. Switching on eighths or sixteenths exposes rushing and dragging inside the beat — the most common timing problem.
- Play on the off-beats. Halve the tempo and treat the click as beats 2 and 4 (or the “and”). It feels strange at first and does wonders for your internal pulse.
- Take the click away. Mute the volume for a bar at a time and see whether you are still with it when it returns.
- To learn the tempo of a song you want to play, use the BPM Tapper, then set the metronome to match. Tune up first with the Online Tuner.
Why the timing is accurate
Simple metronomes built with setInterval drift because JavaScript timers are delayed by anything else the browser is doing. This metronome uses the approach described in Chris Wilson’s “A Tale of Two Clocks”: a timer wakes up every 25 ms, looks 100 ms into the future on the AudioContext clock and schedules every click that falls in that window at its exact sample-accurate time. Even if the timer is late, the clicks already queued play on time. The beat lights are synchronised to the same clock, adjusted for your device’s output latency.
Metronome FAQ
Is this online metronome free?
Yes — free, no sign-up, no ads inside the tool and no time limit. It runs entirely in your browser.
How accurate is the metronome?
Clicks are scheduled on the audio hardware clock, so each one is accurate to within a fraction of a millisecond. The only delay is your device’s fixed output latency, which is the same for every click and so does not affect the tempo.
Why does the metronome stop when I switch apps on my phone?
Mobile browsers suspend audio from background tabs to save battery. Keep the tab in the foreground while you practise; on desktop the metronome keeps running in a background tab.
What tempo should I use to start learning a piece?
Choose a tempo where you make no mistakes — often 50–60% of the final speed — then increase in small steps. Accuracy first, speed later.
What is the difference between 3/4 and 6/8?
Both have six eighth notes per bar, but 3/4 is felt as three quarter-note beats (ONE-and-two-and-three-and) while 6/8 is felt as two dotted-quarter beats (ONE-and-a-two-and-a). This metronome clicks two beats per bar in 6/8 with the subdivision set to triplets if you want every eighth.
Can I use it for running or studying?
Yes. Runners often set 170–180 BPM to match a cadence target, and some people study with a slow, quiet click. Use the beep sound at low volume for the least distraction.