Overview

MagicBPM is a microphone-based tempo detector with a metronome and optional song identification, for musicians who want to measure music playing aloud and practice at its pace. It is a focused choice for live listening rather than track-by-track library analysis.

Key features

The live BPM readout updates as the music plays, with a confidence indicator that helps show when a reading has settled. A scrolling tempogram adds context when tempo changes over time, while tap tempo gives users a manual fallback when microphone detection is not suitable.

The metronome reaches 300 BPM and offers eight time signatures, accented downbeats, and eighth-note, triplet, and sixteenth-note subdivisions. That is a useful range for practice, though users needing custom time signatures should look elsewhere. MagicBPM can listen while Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, and other services play aloud; it does not import audio files, so it cannot analyze a saved track directly.

Tempo analysis runs on-device, and microphone audio is not recorded or uploaded. Song identification is separate: it requires internet access and sends an acoustic fingerprint to Apple’s Shazam service. Identification is disabled on CarPlay and Bluetooth hands-free routes. The free app uses Google AdMob; its privacy policy says it runs no proprietary servers and uses neither analytics nor crash-reporting tools.

Detected-song history can link to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TIDAL, or SoundCloud. Automatic identification and song history are Pro features, so the free tier does not provide that full workflow.

Pricing

MagicBPM is freemium. The Free plan is free and includes the core app. iPhone and Android apps show ads, while the Mac app is ad-free. It is a practical way to use the basic tempo and metronome tools without paying, but it gives up automatic song identification, song history, and the additional metronome sounds.

MagicBPM Pro is a one-time purchase with custom pricing. It adds automatic song identification, song history, 12 additional metronome sounds, and removes ads on iPhone and Android.

Platforms

MagicBPM is available on web, macOS, iOS, and Android. Device support includes Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and an Apple Watch metronome. Minimums are macOS 15, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, and Android 9, so older devices may not qualify. Developers can contact the maker about licensing an SDK for on-device, offline tempo detection on iOS and Android. It is tuned for steady rhythmic material; the maker says general-purpose libraries are stronger for broad multi-genre offline analysis, including jazz, classical, and solo acoustic music.

Who it's for

MagicBPM fits musicians who want a live tempo estimate, a capable practice metronome, and optionally song recognition while music plays through a speaker. It is less suitable for people who need direct audio-file import, song identification on every audio route, or custom time signatures. Developers considering the SDK should weigh its stated focus on steady rhythms against broader offline-analysis needs.

Pros and cons

Pro: Live BPM, confidence feedback, and a tempogram make tempo changes more informative than a single reading.
Pro: Metronome subdivisions, accented downbeats, and support up to 300 BPM cover a broad practice range.
Pro: On-device tempo analysis keeps microphone audio from being recorded or uploaded.
Con: No audio-file import means users must play music aloud or tap the beat.
Con: Song identification needs internet access and is unavailable on CarPlay and Bluetooth hands-free routes.
Con: The Free tier has mobile ads, and Pro’s price is custom rather than stated.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, browse Metronome Apps. Choose Bounce Metronome Pro if Linux or Windows support matters; it also has a free plan and trial. MetroGnome is an iOS option with a rhythm pattern editor and tuner in its ad-supported free plan, plus a 4.99 USD one-time ad-removal purchase.

Metronome Beats covers Android, iOS, macOS, and web, with a free ad-supported tier and an 8.99 USD one-time iOS Pro purchase. PolyMetronome is available on Android, iOS, and web; its Pro plan adds Poly, Alphabet, and Score modes, a practice log, advanced settings, and full web access. Pro Metronome is a fit for Android or iOS users who want an ad-free basic free version, with paid monthly and one-time options.

The Metronome by Soundbrenner is another free option across Android, iOS, and macOS. True Metronome offers a free plan with 20–400 BPM and all time signatures, and supports Android, iOS, macOS, and web. Metronome Time is a free alternative for Android, iOS, and web.

Verdict

Choose MagicBPM if you want live microphone-based tempo detection paired with a flexible metronome, especially when practicing along with music playing aloud. Its on-device tempo processing and broad platform coverage strengthen the case. Look elsewhere if you need imported-track analysis, custom time signatures, or song recognition across CarPlay and hands-free Bluetooth routes.

	MagicBPM	The Metronome by Soundbrenner
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	Free	Free
Platforms	Android, iOS, macOS, Web	Android, iOS, macOS
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Maximum BPM	300 BPM	400 BPM
Tap tempo	Yes	Yes
Subdivision control	Yes	Yes
Custom time signatures	No	Yes
Platform coverage	web, macos, ios, android	iOS, Android, macOS
Polyrhythm support		No

MagicBPM vs The Metronome by Soundbrenner

MagicBPM

The Metronome by Soundbrenner