See the beat, not just hear it.
Beat Map draws each beat and its subdivisions on a dial while the click plays. Levels sets how strongly each beat is accented, and Patterns applies rhythm tiles in one step.
Music Practice
A metronome that shows you the groove.
Groove Metronome puts every beat and subdivision on a dial, handles polyrhythms and polymeters, finds the tempo of a recording and keeps your setlist, in a Mac window or the menu bar.
A practical setup
See every beat and subdivision on a dial, practise polyrhythms and polymeters, find a recording's tempo and run a concert setlist.
Practise a tricky passage at the right speed
- 01
Drop the recording into the Analyzer to find its tempo, then set the meter and subdivision.
- 02
Watch Beat Map while you play; use Levels to change which beats are accented.
- 03
Save the song to Setlist Studio so its tempo and meter are ready for the next rehearsal or concert.
Before you begin
Free for Macs on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel; tested on an Apple-silicon Mac so far. Analyzer tempo suggestions can need a manual adjustment.
What it does
See every beat, practise polyrhythms and polymeters, find a recording's tempo and run a setlist, from a window or the menu bar. Free for Mac.
Polyrhythms and polymeters.
Polyrhythm lays two rhythms over a shared grid; Polymeter chains bars of different meters so you can practise odd-meter passages as they are written.
Find the tempo of a recording.
The Analyzer listens to an audio file or MIDI and suggests its tempo, so you can start practising at the speed of the track.
A setlist for the stage.
Setlist Studio keeps each song's tempo and meter, and steps through them in order during a concert.
Always one click away.
A menu-bar panel starts and stops the click, taps in a tempo and changes the meter and volume without opening the full window. Your keyboard's play/pause key starts and stops the click too.
Works offline.
The click runs inside the app, with the same engine as the free web metronome at metronome.nathanielschool.com, so it keeps time with no internet connection.
Honest expectations
Groove Metronome is free for Macs on macOS 13 or later. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel; it was tested on an Apple-silicon Mac mini, and the Intel version has not yet been run on a physical Intel Mac. Tempo suggestions from the Analyzer depend on the recording and can need a manual adjustment.
What's new
- New click sounds: real marimba, woodblock, cowbell, claves and rim recordings, cut so every click lands exactly on the beat. The marimba rings shorter, so fast subdivisions stay clean.
- Accents & volume, right under the controls: tap a beat to make it an accent, tap again to put it back. Soft and Off are one tap too, with a slider for each level and the main volume.
- By default the notes between the beats play on your own click, softer. You can still pick a different instrument for them.
Downloads
Known issues
- Copies older than 1.3.1 have no in-app updater and need one download; after that, signed updates arrive inside the app and install only after the user's choice.
- Runtime verified on Apple silicon; the Intel slice has not been run on a physical Intel Mac.
Follow Groove Metronome
Release notes and early build calls for this product.
FAQ
Is this the same as the web metronome?
It uses the same click engine as metronome.nathanielschool.com, in a native Mac window with a menu-bar panel, media-key control and offline use.
How do updates work?
Groove Metronome checks once a day for a new version signed by us. It asks before downloading and again before installing, and never while the click is playing. Check for Updates is in the app menu, where automatic checks can also be switched off.
What do I need?
A Mac on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. Open the download, drag Groove Metronome to Applications and open it. It is signed and notarized by Apple.