Online metronome
This free online metronome keeps a steady click anywhere from 30 to 300 BPM, with 1 to 12 beats per bar and an accented first beat so you always know where the bar starts. You can type a tempo, tap one in, and see its traditional Italian marking from Largo to Prestissimo. The click is scheduled with the Web Audio API, so it stays far steadier than a metronome built on ordinary browser timers.
How to use it
- Set the tempo. Enter a value between 30 and 300 BPM. The tempo marking updates to show where that speed sits on the Largo to Prestissimo scale.
- Or tap it in. If you know how a song should feel but not its number, tap a steady pulse with the tap tempo control. The metronome works out the BPM from the time between your taps. Four or more even taps give a more reliable reading than two.
- Choose beats per bar. Pick 4 for most pop and rock, 3 for waltzes, 2 for marches, and so on up to 12. The first beat of each bar is accented.
- Start the click. Browsers only allow audio after you interact with the page, so the sound begins when you press start, not when the page loads.
- Practise slow, then raise it. A common method is to play a passage cleanly at a comfortable tempo, then increase by a few BPM at a time.
The tool does not listen to you through your microphone, detect the tempo of a recording, or record your playing. It counts beats, not note values, so it has no separate setting for time signature denominators like the 8 in 6/8.
How metronome timing works
BPM means beats per minute, so the gap between clicks is a simple division:
interval in seconds = 60 ÷ BPM (or 60,000 ÷ BPM in milliseconds)
| Tempo | Time between clicks |
|---|---|
| 30 BPM | 2,000 ms (2 seconds) |
| 60 BPM | 1,000 ms (1 second) |
| 120 BPM | 500 ms |
| 240 BPM | 250 ms |
| 300 BPM | 200 ms |
Tap tempo runs the same formula in reverse. It measures the milliseconds between your taps and divides 60,000 by that interval. Taps 500 ms apart give 120 BPM.
Why Web Audio matters. Many simple web metronomes fire each click with JavaScript timers such as setTimeout. Those timers run on the browser’s main thread, so they can arrive late when the page is busy, and browsers deliberately slow them in background tabs. The result is audible wobble. The Web Audio API has its own clock, tied to the audio hardware’s sample rate, and lets code schedule a sound for an exact future moment on that clock. A metronome that schedules clicks slightly ahead in this way plays them on time even if the page briefly stalls. That is the approach this tool uses.
Tempo markings. Italian terms predate the metronome and describe character as much as speed, so published BPM ranges differ between sources. Commonly cited approximate ranges are:
- Largo: about 40 to 60 BPM (broad, very slow)
- Adagio: about 66 to 76 BPM (slow, at ease)
- Andante: about 76 to 108 BPM (walking pace)
- Moderato: about 108 to 120 BPM (moderate)
- Allegro: about 120 to 156 BPM (fast, bright)
- Vivace: about 156 to 176 BPM (lively)
- Presto: about 168 to 200 BPM (very fast)
- Prestissimo: above 200 BPM (as fast as possible)
Treat the marking shown as a guide, not a rule. A conductor’s Allegro in Mozart may be slower than a drummer’s Allegro in punk. When you see “M.M. = 120” in a score, M.M. stands for Maelzel’s Metronome, and the number is the BPM to set here.
FAQ
Is this online metronome accurate enough for serious practice?
Yes. Because clicks are scheduled on the Web Audio clock rather than ordinary browser timers, the spacing stays consistent at both 30 and 300 BPM. Very heavy system load or aggressive power saving on some devices can still interrupt audio, so close demanding apps if you hear gaps.
How do I set 6/8 or other compound meters?
Set 6 beats per bar if you want to hear every eighth note, with the accent on beat one. At faster tempos many players prefer 2 beats per bar, with each click standing for a dotted quarter. The tool has no subdivision accents beyond the first beat, so you hear that pulse yourself.
Why does tap tempo give a slightly different number each time?
Your taps are never perfectly even, and small differences of a few milliseconds change the result. Tap at least four beats with a relaxed, steady motion, then fine-tune the number by typing it if needed.
Why is there no sound when the page opens?
Browsers block audio until you interact with a page, which stops websites from playing sound unexpectedly. Press start and the click begins. Also check that your device is not muted and that the tab itself is not muted in your browser.