When it comes to picking the best metronome app, things can get tricky quickly considering the only way to test out how good or awful the product is to buy it. Sure, it doesn’t cost a lot, but the amount can add up before you even know it given there are a ton of these services available online.
Not too long ago people would spend a pretty penny to buy a digital metronome. If you’re older, you may have seen or used those bulky mechanical ones. But times have changed — we now have smartphones and the internet within our hands. Today, it only takes software to build a fully functional metronome.
We’ve rounded up some of the best online metronomes and metronome apps so you can make a decision easily.
Top 6 Online Metronome and Metronome Apps
The Google Metronome
Is simple always better? In the case of Google Metronome, it is.
Google has plenty of tools that appear when you type in a query. Like when you type “calculator,” a fully functional calculator will appear right in front of you, ready to use. The same thing happens when you type “metronome.” A tool pops up right in front of you. Just ensure you have a stable internet connection.
Mobile browsers do the same thing, too. This means you don’t need anything else — no app, no nothing. You always have a working metronome right in your pocket.
Google Metronome is pretty basic. You choose a BMP and tap the play icon. It’s consistent although it could do a lot better. But in case of musical emergencies, you get to avoid panicking. Simply reach for your pocket.
Time Guru
First things first: Time Guru is a paid app. You’ll have to spend some dollars to own this thing, but it’s a small asking price for the tailored solutions.
While a lot of metronome apps these days promote their software as the most sophisticated there is, Time Guri prides itself as a regular metronome, but with some neat features to boot. It does a great job giving the user an accurate sense of time. For instance, this app allows you to randomly mute beats so you can challenge yourself, see if you can keep a consistent time even without the metronome assisting you at all.
Time Guru’s interface isn’t the prettiest of the bunch, but it’s got a host of clever features that make it a good buy, especially for students who want to perfect their sense of time.
Soundbrenner’s The Metronome
Soundbrenner has quite a bold claim on The Metronome, saying they developed it as a response to all the subpar metronomes out there. And it appears they did something right, based on the five-star average rating and over 50,000 reviews.
And you’d think they’ll end there, but no, they even made the app completely free of charge. Soundbrenner figured that if you were to spend your money on something, it will have to be their wristwatch metronomes that work with the app. Smart, huh?
Without the fancy wristwatch, the app works just fine. It’s incredible even, including its looks. UI looks like you paid for it, and it has all the functions any musician would ever need, including note subdivisions, time signatures, beat tapping, and more. You can also load up presets for different songs.
The Metronome is one of the best online metronome apps ever and a lot of people agree.
Metronome+
Metronome+ is perhaps the most popular metronome app. It’s been around for so long it has evolved into more than just the tool it was built for. It’s a free app, but only the metronome tools are free of charge. The rest of the features, such as the chromatic tuner and recorder you have to pay for.
Perhaps one thing to whine about is the popup video that occupies the whole screen when you first open the app. But it’s a minor thing compared to the features you get for free.
Using the app is both easy and intuitive. Setting the BPM is fuss-free and a thing to love is the fact that the different tempos are named, like andante, adagio, etc.
Metronomics
Available for $3, Metronomics doesn’t look much but it has a feature unique to the app (at least we think so) — the beat randomization feature. It’s sort of confusing but it’s supposed to improve your timing.
Other features include saving your rhythm settings and sending it to friends, that is if they’re using Metronomics, too. It has a setting called Independence, which lets you mute the sound for a specific number of bars. Time Guru has this feature as well, albeit minus the randomness.
Dr. Betotte
Among the six programs mentioned here, Dr. Betotte is the most expensive. This app has got a lot of weird rhythms, which you can practice along with if you’re feeling a little adventurous. And there’s an option to save your settings too, in case you need a little weirdness later on in one of your practice sessions.
Dr. Betotte’s coolest feature, and arguably the most helpful, is the option to increase your tempo gradually over time. This is incredibly handy if you’re a musician looking to perfect a challenging passage — you can decrease the tempo at the beginning and slowly increase once you get the hang of it. No need to tinker with the metronome in between sessions.
Keeping the Right Timing
Metronomes have long been used to help musicians develop and improve their sense of timing. It cures the “swinging the beat” phenomenon, wherein a player would speed up and slow down instead of playing consistently.
In addition to helping you master consistency, musicians would benefit from using a metronome so much in recording professional material. This click track that recording engineers use is simply a metronome. It ensures that each musician playing in a multitrack recording will keep their sync together even though they are recording their parts individually.
And yes, live performers can make use of a metronome, too! No musician wants to be a dragger or a rusher, so if you’re one, you better learn to use a metronome!