Click Track with Count-In
Generate a click track with a count-in ahead of bar 1 — two bars of clicks so everyone starts together. Play it in your browser or download the WAV. Free, no signup.
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Why the count-in matters
A click track without a count-in starts cold: bar 1 hits and nobody was breathing with it. The fix is the same in a studio, on a stage, or in a rehearsal room — one or two bars of clicks before the music starts, at exactly the song's tempo, so every player feels the pulse before they have to play it. It's the recorded equivalent of a drummer's stick count: "one, two, one-two-three-four."
The track above is preloaded with a two-measure count-in section followed by the song body at the same tempo. Set both sections to your song's BPM and meter, adjust the body's length, and you have a count-in click ready to play or download.
Using the count-in when you record
- In a DAW: import the WAV so the count-in sits ahead of your session's bar 1 — either start the click two bars early on the timeline, or set the session to treat bar 3 as the song's downbeat. The performers hear two bars of click, then the song begins on the grid.
- On stage or with backing tracks: keep the count-in in the file. The band hears the two-bar count in their ears, the audience hears nothing, and the tracks fire in time from the first note.
- Different feel for the count? Give the count-in section a subdivision (eighth notes) and leave the body on quarter notes — a subdivided count is easier to lock onto at slow tempos.
The count-in lives inside the track
Here, the count-in is a real section — it's part of the audio and counts as bars in the WAV, which is exactly what you want for a backing-track rig or a DAW import. If you'd rather have a count-off that isn't part of the track — spoken or clicked, added automatically before any track without shifting its bar numbers — Subdivide for iOS does that, plus repeats, smooth tempo ramps, and QR sharing so a whole ensemble loads the same track.
Frequently asked questions
How many bars should a count-in be?
Two bars is the standard — enough to feel the pulse and the downbeat. Use one bar when the tempo is fast or the players know the song cold, and consider a subdivided two-bar count at very slow tempos so there is more information to lock onto.
What tempo should the count-in be?
Exactly the tempo of bar 1. A count-in at any other speed makes the start worse, not better. If the song changes tempo later, that's fine — add more sections and the click follows your arrangement.
Is the count-in part of the downloaded WAV?
Yes — the count-in section is real bars of audio at the start of the file. In a DAW, place the file so the song section lands on bar 1, or trim the count-in if you only need the body. For a count-off added outside the track itself, see the Subdivide iOS app.
Can the count-in sound different from the song click?
The first beat of every measure is accented, so the count-in already has a clear downbeat. To make it stand out further, set the count-in section to a different subdivision — for example eighth notes against a quarter-note song click.