Overview

MagicBPM is a microphone-based tempo detector with a metronome and song identification, aimed especially at musicians who want to find the beat of music playing aloud and practice against it. Its appeal is the move from live tempo readings to configurable metronome practice; it is a poor fit for anyone who needs to analyze saved audio files.

Key features

The live BPM reading updates as music plays and includes a confidence indicator as the result settles. A scrolling tempogram shows tempo changes over time, making it more informative than a single reading when the music varies in pace. Tap tempo offers a manual alternative when microphone detection is unsuitable.

The metronome reaches 300 BPM and offers eight time signatures, accented downbeats, and eighth-note, triplet, and sixteenth-note subdivisions. Those controls cover a broad range of practice needs, though custom time signatures are not supported. Apple Watch support is specifically for the metronome.

MagicBPM can listen while Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, and other services play aloud. Song identification is a separate, connectivity-dependent feature: it sends an acoustic fingerprint to Apple’s Shazam service and is disabled on CarPlay and Bluetooth hands-free routes. Detected-song history can link to Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TIDAL, or SoundCloud.

Tempo analysis happens on-device; microphone audio is not recorded or uploaded. The privacy policy says the free app uses Google AdMob, runs no company servers, and uses no analytics or crash-reporting tools. The maker also offers a licensable SDK for offline, on-device tempo detection on iOS and Android, but says it is tuned for steady rhythmic material rather than broad multi-genre analysis such as jazz, classical, or solo acoustic music.

Pricing

Free — 0.00 USD per free. The core app is free. The iPhone and Android apps show ads, while the Mac app is ad-free. This is the sensible starting point for tempo detection and metronome use; song identification and song history are not part of the free plan.

MagicBPM Pro — custom pricing, billed as a one-time purchase. Pro adds automatic song identification, song history, 12 additional metronome sounds, and removes ads on iPhone and Android. A one-time purchase avoids a recurring billing term, but the price is custom rather than a published amount.

Platforms

MagicBPM is available on the web, macOS, iOS, and Android, with support for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and an Apple Watch metronome. Minimum operating-system requirements are macOS 15, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, and Android 9. The maker accepts questions, bug reports, feature ideas, and purchase inquiries by email.

Who it's for

Choose MagicBPM if you want to read the tempo of music playing nearby, inspect changes over time, or set a matching beat for practice. It also suits listeners who value song recognition and history alongside a metronome, provided their audio route and internet connection allow identification. Look elsewhere if your workflow starts with an imported recording, or if custom time signatures are essential.

Pros and cons

Pros: Live readings, a confidence indicator, and a tempogram provide more context than a lone BPM result.
Pros: The metronome combines a 300 BPM ceiling with subdivisions and accented downbeats, and tap tempo gives users a manual option.
Pros: On-device tempo analysis keeps microphone audio from being recorded or uploaded.
Cons: Audio files cannot be imported, so saved tracks must be played aloud or entered by tapping.
Cons: Song identification needs internet access and is unavailable on CarPlay and Bluetooth hands-free routes.
Cons: The free iPhone and Android apps include ads, and the Pro purchase price is custom.

Alternatives

Metronome Beats is another freemium option across Android, iOS, macOS, and web. Its free app contains ads and in-app purchases; the listed iOS Pro purchase is 8.99 USD per once and includes saving presets. Choose it if saved presets and a stated one-time iOS Pro price matter more than MagicBPM’s microphone tempo detection and song identification.

True Metronome has a free plan covering 20–400 BPM, all backgrounds and time signatures, two skins, one bell accent, and background playback, plus a free trial. It is a better fit if that broader tempo range or those metronome controls are the priority.

Bounce Metronome Pro is a freemium alternative for Linux, macOS, and Windows users. Choose it if desktop platform coverage is the deciding factor.

PolyMetronome is freemium on Android, iOS, and web; its free plan is Simple Mode, while the yearly Pro plan adds Poly, Alphabet, and Score modes, a practice log, advanced settings, and full web access. Pick it if those modes and the practice log fit your work better.

The Metronome by Soundbrenner offers a free core app on Android, iOS, and macOS, with a Plus plan whose subscription pricing has multiple App Store prices and unspecified billing periods. It is an alternative if you want to compare another free metronome across those platforms.

Metronome Time is free on Android, iOS, and web, with all current features included and optional premium features planned for the future. Consider it if you want a free metronome on those platforms.

Easy Metronome is a freemium alternative for iOS, Android, and macOS.

Pro Metronome is freemium on Android and iOS, with an ad-free basic free version, a 0.99 USD per month plan, a 3.99 USD per once Pro version, and an annual plan. It is worth comparing if an ad-free basic version or one of those purchase formats suits you better.

For more options, browse Metronome Apps.

Verdict

MagicBPM is a strong choice for musicians who want live microphone tempo detection, a detailed metronome, and optional song identification in one app. Its on-device tempo analysis and tempogram are meaningful advantages, but the lack of file import and the limits on song identification make it the wrong choice for direct track analysis or uninterrupted recognition across every audio route.

	MagicBPM	Polytrome
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, macOS, Web	Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Maximum BPM	300 BPM	—
Tap tempo	Yes	Yes
Subdivision control	Yes	Yes
Custom time signatures	No	—
Platform coverage	web, macos, ios, android	web

MagicBPM vs Polytrome

MagicBPM

Polytrome