MagicBPM vs PolyMetronome

MagicBPM listens through a microphone to measure music tempo in real time, with a metronome and song identification. Its BPM readout updates as music plays and shows a confidence indicator as the reading settles; a scrolling tempogram displays tempo changes over time. The metronome supports up to 300 BPM, eight time signatures, accented downbeats, and eighth-note, triplet and sixteenth-note subdivisions. It can listen while music plays aloud from services including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Deezer. Tempo analysis runs on-device, and microphone audio is not recorded or uploaded. Song identification sends an acoustic fingerprint to Apple’s Shazam service, requires internet access, and is disabled on CarPlay and Bluetooth hands-free routes. The app does not import audio files: users measure microphone-captured sound or tap the beat. Apps are listed for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, with an Apple Watch metronome. The core app is free; iPhone and Android versions show ads, while the Mac app is ad-free.

PolyMetronome is a metronome for musicians building practice around complex rhythms. Simple Mode covers time signatures from 2 to 32 beats, tap tempo, subdivisions, and visual beat indicators. Poly Mode runs two metronomes together, with separate beat counts, volumes, stereo positions, and sounds. Alphabet Mode provides 32 subdivision patterns for 16th-note and triplet figures, with notation and multi-bar loops. Score Mode lets users assemble multi-section compositions with individual tempos, repeat counts, and speed-training settings, then organize scores in folders and sync them. Bar Muting can silence beats in cycles or randomly at an adjustable probability; Speed Trainer moves from a starting BPM to a target through linear or stepped changes. Practice Log records dates, notes, BPM, and duration. The app includes 13 sounds, beat flashes, vibration, beat-position indicators, two themes, and six languages. It runs on Android, iOS, and the web; the web app supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. The free plan is free and includes Simple Mode.