How I Built a Precise Browser Metronome (And Why setTimeout Wasn't Good Enough)

Browser-based metronomes often suffer from timing drift because JavaScript's setTimeout and setInterval are not precise enough for musical applications. The author solved this by using the Web Audio API's high-precision clock with a look-ahead scheduling technique, where a coarse setInterval wakes the main thread to schedule beats ahead of time on the sample-accurate audio thread. Beyond solid timing, the metronome includes features like multiple time signatures, subdivisions, tap tempo, and visual beat indicators.