Online Metronome
A free, accurate metronome you can play right in your browser. Set the tempo or tap it in, choose a time signature and subdivision, and follow the swinging pendulum and beat lights.
How the Online Metronome works
A metronome keeps a steady beat so you can practise in time, lock in a tempo and build even rhythm. This one runs entirely in your browser — set the tempo anywhere from 30 to 300 BPM with the slider or the number box, or hit Tap tempo to feel it in. Pick a time signature to set how many beats are in each bar and beat one is accented with a higher, louder click, while the subdivision setting adds eighths, triplets or sixteenths inside each beat. The click is scheduled against the Web Audio clock with a lookahead scheduler, so the beat stays tight and does not drift. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is downloaded. Warming up on an instrument? Tune first with the Guitar Tuner or play along on the Online Piano.
Tempo markings and their BPM ranges
Italian tempo markings on sheet music describe a speed rather than an exact number, and the conventional ranges below cover the whole 30–300 BPM span this metronome offers. Editions differ by a few beats either way, so treat these as the accepted bands rather than fixed values.
| Marking | Meaning | BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | Broad and very slow | 40 – 60 |
| Adagio | Slow and stately | 66 – 76 |
| Andante | Walking pace | 76 – 108 |
| Moderato | Moderate | 108 – 120 |
| Allegro | Fast and bright | 120 – 168 |
| Presto | Very fast | 168 – 200 |
| Prestissimo | As fast as possible | 200 – 300 |
When practising a difficult passage, a common approach is to set the tempo about 20 percent below the marked speed, play it cleanly three times in a row, then raise the tempo by four or five BPM and repeat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this online metronome?
This online metronome is designed to be tight. Instead of playing each click with a plain timer, it uses the Web Audio API's own clock and a lookahead scheduler: a short interval runs several times a second and schedules every click a fraction of a second in advance at an exact audio time. That keeps the beat steady even if the browser tab is briefly busy, so the timing does not drift the way a simple setInterval click would.
What is tap tempo and how do I use it?
Tap tempo lets you find a tempo by feel. Click or tap the Tap tempo button in time with a song or a beat in your head, and the metronome measures the time between your taps and sets the BPM to match. It averages your most recent taps, so a few taps give a stable reading. If you pause for a couple of seconds it starts a fresh measurement.
What do the time signature and subdivision settings do?
The time signature sets how many beats are in each bar, shown as the row of dots — for example 4/4 gives four beats and 3/4 gives three. Beat one of every bar is accented with a higher, louder click so you can hear where the bar starts. The subdivision setting adds extra clicks inside each beat: eighth notes play two per beat, triplets three and sixteenths four, using a quieter, higher click so the main beats still stand out.
Is the metronome free and does it work offline?
Yes — the metronome is completely free, with no sign-up and nothing to install. The clicks are generated on your device with the Web Audio API, so no audio is downloaded and nothing is uploaded. Once the page has loaded it keeps working offline, right in your browser. There is no sign-up and nothing to install. The clicks are generated on your device with the Web Audio API rather than downloaded as audio files, so once the page has loaded the metronome keeps working with no network connection, which makes it usable in a rehearsal room or anywhere else with poor reception.
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