Free Online Metronome

How to use the metronome

1. Set your tempo using the slider or +/- buttons.
2. Choose how many beats per measure to match your time signature.
3. Tap start — the first beat of each measure is accented.

What is an online metronome?

An online metronome is a browser-based tool that plays a steady beat at a chosen tempo, measured in beats per minute (BPM). Musicians use a metronome to practice timing, improve rhythm, learn songs, and gradually increase playing speed. This one lets you choose a BPM from 30 to 300 and set the number of beats in each measure to match your time signature.

What BPM should I practice at?

Start at a tempo where you can play the exercise accurately and comfortably. For difficult passages, many musicians begin slowly and increase the BPM gradually as their timing improves. There's no single ideal practice tempo — the right BPM depends on the exercise, the song, and your current playing level. If you already know a song's tempo and want to match it exactly, the Key & BPM Finder can detect it directly from an audio file.

Common metronome tempos

Slow practice tempos are often useful for learning difficult passages, while faster tempos can be used once the notes and rhythm are secure. A tempo like 60 BPM gives one beat per second, while 120 BPM gives two beats per second. Use the BPM controls above to find the tempo that fits your practice.

Why this metronome doesn't drift

Many simple online metronomes use a basic JavaScript timer to trigger each click, which can drift audibly out of time under normal browser load. This one schedules every click ahead of time directly against your browser's own audio clock — the same technique used in professional audio software — so timing stays consistent no matter how long you leave it running.

Want the fuller technical breakdown of why plain JavaScript timers drift and how look-ahead scheduling actually fixes it? Read Why Online Metronomes Drift Out of Time. Need to change a recording's tempo to match your practice speed instead? The Tempo Changer handles that.

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