Picking the best metronome app can be a little difficult since the only way to test out an app is to buy it. Most only cost a few dollars, but that can add up pretty quickly given the number of apps that are available.
Earlier this week I asked which metronome apps you thought were the best, and you nominated 20 of your favorites. Based on the number of nominations I received, here are your top five:
Metronome Plus
Metronome Plus (iOS – $1.99) is a simple, elegant, and easy to use metronome app. It’s accurate and loud, includes a tapping feature to gauge tempo, and allows for some customization of meters and customizations. It also has multitasking capabilities, so you could read sheet music on your iPad, while keeping the metronome going in the background. But most of all, Metronome Plus is easy to use, and has a beautifully uncluttered interface. It’s about as intuitive and visually attractive a metronome app as you’ll find.
UPDATE (6.21.2019): The Metronome+ app is now part of a larger suite of practice tools (via in-app purchases), but the metronome functions are totally free.
Tempo/Tempo Advance
Tempo (iOS – $1.99 & Android – $.99) and its more full-featured sibling Tempo Advance (iOS only – $2.99) is another popular metronome app. Offers the usual range of features, from a variety of time signatures and compound meters to saving of custom rhythm presents and the ability to keep the metronome going even when your device is locked or running another app. The Advance version adds additional customization options and nice little touches like the ability to control the volume of the app independently of the phone’s volume.
Time Guru
Time Guru (iOS – $2.99 & Android – $1.99) is a unique metronome app developed by guitarist Avi Bortnick. It does all the things you’d expect a metronome to do, but it’s killer feature is that the app gives you the ability to selectively – or randomly – mute the sound. This can be very revealing, and let you know if you have a tendency to rush or drag. It could also help you develop a stronger internal sense of time, rather than becoming reliant on a continuous external beat.
Dr. Betotte
Dr. Betotte (iOS – $9.99) is the most expensive of the top five, and the most Dr. Beat-like of the bunch. Most musicians will probably never use half of what it’s capable of, but it does all sorts of weird funky rhythms and allows you to save all of these settings for future practice sessions (unlike apps like Polynome, which won’t save your settings). It also has a cool feature where you can program it to slowly increase the tempo over time, which can come in handy when you want to start working a tricky passage slowly, and gradually get it up to full speed without having to fiddle with the metronome settings in between reps.
Metronomics
Metronomics (iOS – $2.99) is not the most attractive metronome in the world, but it has a unique beat randomization feature (which looks and sounds cool, but I can’t for the life of me figure out how/why I’d use this – what am I missing here?). You can save your rhythm settings, and even send/receive them with other Metronomics-using friends. This app also has an “Independence” setting which allows you to mute the sound for a certain number of bars. This is similar to Time Guru’s random muting, just without the randomness.
The winner!
Metronome Plus was the resounding winner, with 79% of the votes.
Honorable mention goes to Polynome (iOS – $1.99), and Mobile Metronome (Android – free) also gets a nod.
Have something to say about one of the finalists? Want to make a case for your favorite, even if it didn’t make the top five? Make your case down below.
What's the Best Metronome App?
- Metronome Plus (79%, 41 Votes)
- Tempo/Tempo Advance (12%, 6 Votes)
- Time Guru (6%, 3 Votes)
- Dr. Betotte (4%, 2 Votes)
- Metronomics (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 52
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92 Responses
Thanks for the recommendation. Time Guru has transformed me from someone with poor rhythm into someone feeling a beat in everything around me. Been using it over the year, and most likely to accompany me for the rest of my music life.
Hi, great article!
Since this was first written we’ve released a new metronome app aimed at improving rhythm recognition and sight reading skills. It allows you to input any rhythm, in any time signature, and hear it played back in a loop against a metronome click track. Very useful as a practice aid for any level of musician.
Please check it out.
http://www.rhythmcalculatorapp.com
I prefer the Cadenza: Tuner + Metronome for ease of use and the accuracy is fine. There are other music apps, but this one is just quicker to tune with.
You can find it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cadenza-tuner-+-metronome/id482745751?mt=8
for those looking for an app that will listen and give you back a BPM, ” LiveBPM ” is available for both ios and android. I was skeptical being a drummer and playing a lot of odd time signatures, and busy fusion/jazz,… but I honestly was very impressed at how well the app works. it analyzes what it hears in real-time, so it’s excellent for practicing and seeing if you’re staying around the same tempo. if it appears to be giving you a tempo that is half or double what it should be, adjust the slider on the left side.
In some ways, I still like my old Dr. Beat DB-66 better than the Tempo app on my iPhone because of the ability to control the subdivision volume levels. Do you know any for the iPhone which have this ability?
Hmm…I’m not aware of an app that allows for this level of control, but perhaps I’ve missed one that does?
Metronomics definitely has level control and a wider range of subdivisions.
Clockwork! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clockwork-metronome-click/id383338773?mt=8
Probably you guys know about Zetronome. iOS version is just released…
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zetronome+/id889040381?mt=8
Thanks. This was very useful. Does anyone know of a metronome app that works by feel rather than (or in addition to) sound? I would like to hold it while singing but not have to hear or see it.
Just saw this. I’m glad to see Dr. Betotte for iOS. I’ve used that before and liked the options it had.
I should mention that what sets Metronomics apart from ALL other metronome apps is its ability to generate a wide array of rhythms. You can setup patterns with a setting. Each pattern has its own sound, and you can set the pattern to be any ratio of steps to beats (x steps in y beats), you can set the probability that the pattern will tap, you can also set a “sequence” to turn individual steps of a pattern on/off. FURTHERMORE, you can offset each pattern by any number of steps (the offset can have its own step/beat ratio!). There very few limitations to this powerhouse metronome. It is a must for the rhythmically forward thinking.
Have you checked out http://www.drummersmetronome.com? I love this one.
Also love Timetrainer in itunes store from justinguitar.com
Like others, the app will run independently from sheet music you may be using on the device. Also has extensive options for kinds of sound, the volume independent from device, and large selection of “trainers” that allow you to change customize. For example, change tempo over time – start slower and build tempo.
As self teaching student of the acoustic guitar I have found this app incredibly useful, easy to use, and flexible.
If anyone has an iPhone or iPad doesn’t want to pay for a metronome app – Garageband is free and has very easy to use metronome functionality. You just load an empty song, go into song settings and choose tempo, and set the tempo.
You can tap to set it as well. Then exit settings, and press play on the empty song, making sure the metronome icon is selected.
There are four metronome sounds. Sadly the only time signature choices are 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8, but still, you can’t beat the price.
There are many quite interesting iOS metronome apps but what about OS X metronome apps? For me the one of the bests is MetroKit from Granny’s Audio. http://www.grannysaudio.com/metrokit/
This blog article is named five best. So I started with my favorite OS X metronome app but here two more professional apps:
– Speed Upp http://www.speedupp.com
– Metronomics http://www.metronomicsapp.com
Already three best …
I built this one. This is an Indian Metronome. Hope you all like it. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rajaramaniyer.jalra
Hi!!!
I like your metronome!!! Bravo!!!