John Scalco

Beat Maker: Make Beats Online in Your Browser

This free beat maker runs right in your browser. Pick sounds from the sample library and click steps on the grid to place them. Hit play to hear the loop, then export the beat as an MP3 or a MIDI file. There’s nothing to download and no account to make.

I built this beat maker so you can start a beat the second an idea hits, without installing anything first. Here’s how to get a good one out of it.

How to make a beat online

To make a beat online, place sounds on a step grid and loop them. Each track holds one sound. Each lit step fires that sound once per loop, and the BPM sets the speed. Build one track at a time and the beat comes together quickly.

  1. Load the demo beat first if you want to hear what the grid can do.
  2. Add a track and pick a sound from the sample library.
  3. Click steps on the grid to place hits, then press play.
  4. Set the BPM, and use mute and solo to hear one track at a time.
  5. Save the beat, or export it as an MP3 or MIDI file.

The sample library is sorted into categories, so you can go straight to the sound you need. The samples come from Echo Sound Works, credited inside the tool.

CategoryWhat it’s for
KickThe low thump that anchors the beat
Snare and clapsThe backbeat, usually on beats 2 and 4
PercussionExtra hits that fill the space between kick and snare
Bass, 808 and synthThe notes that give the beat weight and a melody
Risers, downlifters and impactsBuild-ups and hits for moving into a new section
Sub drops and reversed FXTension right before a drop or a change

The simple pattern most beats start from

Most beats start from the same simple skeleton. In a bar of 16 steps, put the kick on steps 1 and 9 and the snare or clap on steps 5 and 13. Add a hi-hat on every other step. That lines the kick up with beats 1 and 3 and the snare with beats 2 and 4.

A basic beat on a 16-step gridOne bar of sixteen steps. Kick on steps 1 and 9, snare on steps 5 and 13, and a hi-hat on every other step.1234KickSnareHi-hat
The skeleton under a lot of the music you already know: kick on beats 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4, with a hi-hat keeping time in between.

Once that loops, start breaking it. Move one kick to step 11 or 12 and the groove starts to bounce. Drop a percussion hit just before the snare and the bar feels busier without getting louder. Mute everything except the kick and snare now and then. That’s where you’ll hear whether the beat actually works.

Set the BPM to suit the style you’re after. If you’re building a beat to match a song you already love, tap out its tempo with the tempo tapper first.

Take your beat into a DAW

Export as MIDI and the pattern opens in any DAW. From there you can swap sounds and record vocals over the top. GarageBand and LMMS are both free places to start, and the best DAWs for beginners guide compares the rest.

Export as MP3 when you just want to share the loop or write lyrics over it. It plays on anything.

Frequently asked questions

Is this beat maker free?

Yes, it’s free. The beat maker runs in your browser, so there’s nothing to install and no account to create.

Yes. Export your beat as an MP3 to share it or play it back anywhere, or as a MIDI file to open the pattern in a DAW like GarageBand or FL Studio.

Yes. Use Save Beat to keep a pattern, then load it again when you want to pick up where you left off.

Most producers who make beats for rappers work in a full DAW, and FL Studio is especially common in hip-hop. A browser beat maker like this one is a quick way to sketch the idea first. Export it as MIDI and the pattern goes straight into the DAW.

No. Start from the demo beat, mute everything except the kick, and add one track at a time. The grid shows you exactly where every hit lands, so you learn by looking as much as by listening.

So load the demo, strip it down to the kick, and build back up from there. Your first beat won’t be your best one, and that’s fine. Put the first foot forward.

Read this next: when you’re ready for a full program, here are the best beat making software picks.
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