Add metronome sound when exporting to audio (mp3, wav, etc.)

This is deliberate. The metronome is not part of your score, it is just a temporary aid for playback. If you wish to include a click track in your score, you can create one manually.

However, someday a feature could be added to optionally allow these temporary settings like metronomes or play panel settings to be included in export as well, so I am reclassifying this as a feature request.

If you need a click, record a drum part with the click.

Must have been Sibelius then, as 1.x didn't have metronome and 2.0 doesn't export it to mp3.
And this certainly is not major.

Hi. I am interested in how a constant metronome click would vary from a constant drum click, and would appreciate it if you would expand on this idea.

The only way I could see this as being a problem is if you are changing the denominator of the time sig., and I don't think that would change the metronome.

Perhaps I'm missing something and I would appreciate being more informed.

Regards,

Well, important and major are different things ;-)

The point of MP3 export is to produce a recording of your actual score, so if it isn't in the the score, it normally doesn't belong in the export. Sounds like you are trying to produce something different from a recording of your actual score - like maybe, you are trying to create a practice track. Often a better way to do that is to use the mobile app, or you could record the audio of the playback using Audacity or the like. Or simply use MuseScore for your practice. So there are definitely ways of generating practice tracks already. It's simply a feature request to have yet another way of doing this. It's not a bad idea, but do realize that generating practice tracks is getting outside the primary purpose of MuseScore (which is about notation first and foremost).

FWIW, some general things to know about the issue tracker, to help in classifying issues you file:

"Priority" doesn't necessarily how important something is to the person submitting it the issue -it really needs to reflect the needs of MuseScore users in general. Basically, without knowing for absolute certainly that an issue is higher than average priority for MuseScore users in general, you should simply use "normal" for all bugs and feature requests.

There is basically no such thing as "major" or "critical" for feature requests. I suppose if some new music notation were invented and instantly became a worldwide standard, it would be critical that we start supporting it, but we already support everything we absolutely need to.

For bugs, "Critical" means a crash, score corruption, or other loss of data/work. "Major" typically means a key feature is essentially unusable. And by "key feature", that normally means something relating to notation. For the most part, unless playback produces entirely the wrong results or crashes the program, nothing relating to playback is likely to be consider major or critical. Especially if the playback itself works fine for *its* primary intended purpose - hearing your actual score - but happens to not work as well for alternate purposes such as generating practice tracks.

"Component" should almost always be "Code" - that's what we would need to change in order to implement almost all bugs or feature requests.

The "Version" field is generally used to specify the first version to *have* the issue. No need to try to second guess which version might possibly be the first to contain a fix.

However, lasconic started to move feature requests to 3.0...

This would be an extremely useful feature, as I have musicians & students who practice to an MP3 of their own part, and there is no baseline for tempo when there is no starting count-in or click track. As this is only required on audio not on the actual score it makes sense to include as an optional export feature rather than write into the score itself. Very useful for teaching and practicing. In fact a better solution for me would be the ability to select the parts to include in an audio export as well as a metronome, for example the whole brass section, or the rhythm section.

Meanwhile, though, if you do create your own click track, you can make it invisible in the score via Edit / Instruments.

Also, you can already select which parts get included in the audio via View / Mixer.

Came up again in https://musescore.org/de/node/274077

and again in #277185: Allow metronome sound to be exported to sound files.

Came up again in https://musescore.org/en/node/283847

Workaround is to add a percussion staff, fill the first measure with the desired rhythm and the rest with measure repeats, then hide that staff

Still works for a simple tack, tack, tack...

Came up again in https://musescore.org/en/node/285543

Came up again in https://musescore.org/en/node/294290

came up again in https://musescore.org/de/node/295596

"The point of MP3 export is to produce a recording of your actual score, so if it isn't in the the score, it normally doesn't belong in the export. Sounds like you are trying to produce something different from a recording of your actual score - like maybe, you are trying to create a practice track."

I completely disagree. You won't ever make real recordings with MuseScore MP3, it is always meant to listen to a score, clarify any doubts on how it sounds, AND therefore practice in order to play it with some ensemble of artists. I've used musescore for a couple of years and used MP3 export a lot to guide musicians to follow arrangements correctly. What would be the point of MP3 export if not for that?

In that context I had to manually add clicks many times especially when time signature changes a lot, which is very common in nowadays music. I wonder what is the disadvantage in adding such feature, it would have saved me a lot of work.

Accidentally I've changed the workaround option. It does have a workaround, even if tiresome sometimes.

It would be chaotic if the play panel "didn't work" because it had to compete with play-panel settings incoming in scores.... I vote to leave the way it is.

came up again in https://musescore.org/en/node/296977#comment-958279

It would NOT be chaotic at all.
The export could perfectly just follow the play panel options (metronome speed percentage, ...)
With a single check box in export, unselected by default, saying 'Use play panel option'

...play pqnle...?
Did Jojo teach you that word?

@the Munich beer feast, very late in the night

How can I upvote this request?

You just did ;-)

I need this function! Any teachers need it! This saves time when writing a lesson.
Please, let us record metronome in mp3!

absolutely agree!

+1
For what it's worth - I would also like this feature to be included (if the metronome is checked, export with the click sound).
I used the workaround by adding a drum click but that certainly wasn't easy for me.
For playing complicated rythms I export the MP3, load it with my sheet music into forScore on an iPad and it's all in once place during practice.

I vote for this option as well for the same reason expressed by others. It would be a great help when rehearsing. I also agree that adding a drum click as a workaround would be very cumbersome in a complex score.

It is a workaround though

I'll add my upvote : I'm sending my students mp3 exports and it would be great to have that metronome export option fast and easy...

Hi readers, I wish you all well in this time of trouble! I plead for adding the possibilty to make it hears as well. I think at least 50% of the users are the ones who make rehearsal files for their choirmembers, orchestra members and students in general. AND is this time of rehearsals online it has all the more become an absolute necessity. I know - corona will pass, but the phenomena online rehearsal will not. So please add the possibility to choose on exporting as a MP3 or preparing for videofiles (which is very much apprecieted!!) whether one yes or no want to add the metronome sound AND the directors counting off at the start of the piece. Thank you so much!

the MuseScore program doesn't do MP4. the renderer on musescore.co, or its 'send to youtube' might, but neither is something we'd deal with here on musescore.org

tnx. The mp4 is facilitated by musescore these days because the send to youtube is out of order. And the surprise is that it works even better this way. Musescore facilitateseither a standard video or a piano tutorial ofthe piece. It is great. Enjoy!

Well, MP4 is not facilitated/provided by the MuseScore program for Windows, macOS, Linux. Maybe by musescore.com, not sure, but as such (still) nothing dealt with here

sorry,forgot to mention that part - you upoload afile and then are given this opportunity when you have a pro-account

Interesting indeed, but still entirely off-topic here ;-)

PLEASE!!! For all of us teachers out there attempting to help kids learn their parts alone. I love Musescore! I'd give it a 9/10 right now but this feature would put me at 10/10!!!!

Thank you!

Still not a bug, but a feature request...

I would really like this option too. It is easy enough for me to add an additional percussion track and add it in, but then I also want a count in option so I also have to add an extra bar. I don't want the extra bar in the PDF export, so after I've exported an MP3 I have to remove it again. It is all possible, but time consuming.

Just reading through this it seems like the idea is just getting shot down as a workaround exists, but I would like to add that especially now, when many orchestras are attempting to make mash-up recordings using click tracks, the time saved by enabling the metronome to export would be great.

I just came upon this page as well, after finding my export did not save the clicks. In my case, I specifically typed up an entire score so that I could add the metronome to it because I have rits that I want to have followed. Otherwise, I would have just used a click track. It would be nice to have the option in the Play Panel to enable during export, or to have a dialog when exporting (perhaps only showing up when the metronome/count-in is enabled). As an aside, the ability to specify the amount of count-in would be very useful too. Often find it too short.

Workaround for too short count in is to add empty measures at beginning

See also #23224: Add a "CountIn" also in audio export

I want the metronome sound and count-in for mp3 tracks for practicing.

hi, I would want to be able to set the features 1) count-in (click of course) and 2) click during the score seperately

Upvote =) Tried exporting with metronome, and realised there is no such option.

Used Audacity to record the computer internal sound, so I could play the file with the metronome click from directly within Musescore and be able to export an audio file that way. [https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/tutorial_recording_computer_playbac…] To export to mp3 Audacity requires "Lame". Both are entirely free.

To combine also video, I could also use Zoom Meetings / Bandicam / OBS Studio or any other screen recording software, and this can replace the MuseScore site link that has autoplay.

Hope this can help someone!

I would really like this option as well, it is extremely helpful to have an intelligent metronome that recognizes tempo changes, fermatas, etc. to practice with. The mp3 export would be great because:
1) I can use it to practice with without the computer/musescore
2) Easy to play in earbuds (I can't hear the puny computer speaker over my own playing)

Using all the mixer settings is a great idea, because it would be easy to make practice versions at different speeds and with different parts.

I tried creating a drum track but it was a huge amount of work to create AND maintain every time you tweak the music. I am trying to use the workaround of recording into Audacity but I can't get the loopback recording to work, and this is still a hassle because you have to wait through the playback to record, trim the endings, and so on.

Thanks for all your work on this, the metronome is an awesome practice feature already, this would make it even better!

I would also like this option. It's a really nice way to automatically create a click track for students who are reading off of an orchestral score with a lot of rests.

I would also like to put in my vote for this. With the COVID-19 pandemic, I have students who will be doing distance learning from home via Google Meet and Google Classroom. I am setting up a Google Classroom class with students' sheet music and mp3 files, which would allow them to practice their parts with the exported sound files at home. Most parts don't have notes in every measure, so there needs to be a way for them to count a measure or multiple measures of rests during practice, and a metronome click would easily accomplish this.

Just continuing to tell those of us advocating for this feature to do the workaround isn't really productive. I would have to create another staff on the score, put in the quarter notes, hide the staff in the instrument list, and then export each part individually remembering to include that percussion click staff every time. And I would have to do this for every score. With the metronome option, I could choose "Export Parts" as mp3 files, and it's all done at one time without all the extra work.

MuseScore wasn't created for realistic playback like the Garriton sounds on Finale, so it's exported mp3 files are for rehearsal only at best. Having a metronome click track is exactly what many need for rehearsing. I truly don't understand the resistance to this feature being added. It's obviously wanted and could be an option that could be enabled for those that want it or disabled for those who don't with a simple check box or option in the settings.

Agreed. It would also be super cool if there would be a way to specify a different volume, or sound, for the first tick of a measure. Ultimately that's a nice to have.

When you combine the ability to export a metronome tick along with the upcoming chord playback feature in MuseScore 3.5, this would enable an automatic backing track with a makeshift rhythm section to help everyone practice. It would easily enable MuseScore to be used for functionality similar to iRealPro.

Here is how REAPER allows for metronome customization. In particular, the distinction between primary and secondary beats is useful to help musicians keep track of their place in time.

The metronome tick is different on the first tick of the measure, this is a current feature (yet another reason I heart the MuseScore metronome).

There is a workaround, even if you don't like it

If we had this directly supported, I would be able to programmatically generate practice tracks for every MuseScore file I ever create without having to manually program a drum track, which would be a huge win a project of mine that involves over 500 MuseScore files.

Agreeing with ‘Newsome’ I really love to be able to support my home working choirmembers with a rehearsal beat in the mp3 we export to facilitate them. The pandemic situation really calls for this possibility to be added.
Best regards
Mari’an

Agreeing with ‘Newsome’ I really love to be able to support my home working choirmembers with a rehearsal beat in the mp3 we export to facilitate them. The pandemic situation really calls for this possibility to be added.
Best regards
Mari’an

Adding another vote for this feature! I arrange music for my bands and export practice tracks with each individual's parts muted. Sometimes the part is soloing and there is no frame of reference for the time, so a metronome/click is essential. It's so frustrating to have to make a new drum part and manually put in woodblock quarter notes every time.

I upvote this feature as well, for the very same needs many upvoted it here: covid and the need to facilitate people rehearsing and recording their parts at home.

So far I could understand from this discussion, technically, this is not actually a bug, but rather a feature request, as Jojo-Schmitz said more than once.

To be true, I am not sure where a feature request should actually be done. I suggest posting a feature request somewhere and people upvoting there, because this is a real need, more than ever. And of course the technicians who are working on this free software need to have each request properly presented in the right session, so that priorities may be properly assessed.

Jojo, could you kindly give us a link to the proper page to request this much needed new feature? Then this request might hopefully find its own way towards a solution.

This is the proper page to make an official feature request by making the severity S5 - Suggestion as this issue currently has.

I also support the addition of a metronomic c;lick track for export to a WAV file. With COVID, my jazz ensemble can't play together, so I am composing a piece for them - it would be great to give them a basic rhythm section playalong for them to record with, so that I can assemble their various tracks into an ensemble recording. Click tracks make it SO much easier for alignment.

Came up again in https://musescore.org/pt-br/node/310441

I too would like to request this as a feature for all of the reasons mentioned above. I currently create a drum track and hide it in the score, but it would be amazing to be able to tick a box and make the met sound export as well.

Thanks for all your work on making MuseScore amazing!

Adding my vote for this necessary feature!

As @newsome explains, being able to export to an audio file with a metronome track (w/count-in) is ESSENTIAL for us music educators forced to do distance learning! Please implement this soon!

EDIT: I didn't intend to toggle the "Workaround" status to "No". Apparently I can't change that now. Oops.

I have no interest in navigating or commenting on a "Workround" for what is surely an URGENT requirement request to Musescore programmers to incorporate an "Export WITH metronome" option as soon as possible... most choirs would surely benefit. Thank you.

There is no such thing as an "URGENT feature request", even if your need is urgent. If your need is really urgent, i would think a workaround would be of the highest interest to you. Musescore development is not a vending machine.

Well, "Urgency" would be "Priority" here, currently set to Medium (and IMHO rightfully so, as there surely are more urgent things)

Lets be kind to one another, shall we? After all we all know and are grateful for what the developers of Musescore have achieved. And yes I myself really and deeply desire to get this possibility (export with metronome) ready. But still - frustration leads to more frustration. Why should we do that to each other in times like this - in any time for that matter

If I have offended any concerning my comment on this matter; - then please accept my sincere apology.
"Urgent"??? - well there have been requests for such feature dating back for well over three years...
and in the present situation where most choirs, orchestras, ensembles etc. are unable to meet; -
I truly think that the need / urgency / whatever for the requirement should be escalated.
I am sure sveral choral users would agree, thank you.

I appreciate the increased need because of the pandemic.

Please create a separate feature request for mp4, adding metronome to the existing mp3 and adding support for mp4 export are completely different and unrelated parts of the code

I have to be honest, I don't understand the resistance to adding this feature. Yes, there is a workaround, but it's clunky and time consuming, especially when I'm working with multiple files. Just because it can be done with a workaround doesn't mean that there shouldn't be an easier and more efficient way of doing it. And it can simply be a checkbox in the settings, even set to off by default if you like.

I don't think Bebbspoke was being rude, this is an urgent need in today's pandemic climate for we educators. To me, the short, terse workaround messages seem much rudder. For example, "There is a workaround, even if you don't like it" comes across far more condescending than a user's frustrated begging for a needed feature.

As I said before, MuseScore's purpose is not to provide realistic sound files like Garritan on Finale, it's to provide printed sheet music. I'm under the impression that playback is just to be used as a check of notes/chords/rhythms, and to aid in rehearsal. I don't understand the strong resistance to adding a feature that would be such a major help. I mean, this thread goes back over three years of users asking for this.

There is no resistance at all, just nobody volunteering to do it

@sunsetandlabrea, you might not need to delete the extra bar to have a clean pdf, it is enough to make every note, graphic symbol or measure bar invisible, as well compressing the more you can its layout. You will have some extra white space before the first actual measure, and it would not be a problem if the layout is not too compressed in the first line (if you have too much close notes on the first line, it might affect the line break, the and possibly the page break, and mess up all your layout - but only if the score is already too compact).

Again, far from ideal, but you would have the counting beats in your file as well a decent score with no blank measure printed.

To make the drum click staff invisible open the instruments dialog by pressing i and uncheck Visible for that instrument.

I agree that the technique will be different. Nevertheless I have put up this request for the first time around three years ago too. For us users the reason to beg for this metronome sound is the very same whether we offer mp3 or mp4. . We want our choir and orchestra members (mostly amateurs) to be able to practise with our files. And now - with he pandemic - almost any choir and orchestra needs to find a way of home - practising. Also we are forced to use online mediums like Zoom, skype, jitsi and JAMULUS (the only one with the least latency) which means that video mp4 files are very important. And yes you might say they can look at the blue bar, but the movement is not consistant an on page turning it is always behind. So ...... please help us?

oke....... if no one is volunteering.....is it a matter of money? Maybe us beggars for this should then start a little crowdfunding to make it more attractive? Is anyone with me on this? After all if this feature (both for mp3 and mp4 - sorry Jojo) would be offered against a fee that I could afford I would most certainly be willing tot pay for it. For working around only gives us frustration and costs a lot of time and effort. After all - we are 'just' musicians, not software developers, not IT specialists of what so ever. Like in a car, We are the drivers not the mechanics. Also for better scanning results for importing pdf (Yes Jojo I know that is off topic too - but please allow me to just express urgent needs since a lot of us have the same and seem to be assembled here)

I am with you here Newsome and Bebbspoke - we do need this. Look for my comments on Jojo's reply. Anyone with me?

Whatever it might be, adding support for mp4 export has got nothing to do at all with adding metronome to mp3 export.

Another workaround: have your choir or orchestra members use MuseScore program or mobile app and they can switch on the metronome as needed

We've tried that but the app is not stable on both on ios and Android - many drop outs and hard to restart. Would certainly be a solution if it would be mor stable. Actually this is why I skipped to providing them youtube video's and audio mp3 and there we miss the metronome. By the way: Good morning Jojo ;)

Having that feature build in MuseScore would be great, but meanwhile the workaround suggested by Marc is still the best one I think: record output by Audacity. Meaning you can also activate the lead-in click, and that you can record the score at different % of the real tempo to enable practice at gradually increasing speed.

I actually tried to do this for a mashup recording with someone. We both recorded with Musescore playing in our headphones (different computers) and the two did not match.

Ok so you're saying MuseScore playing feature is not precise to millisecond so matching playing is not possible based on that. Good to know. I suppose each of you needed a recording of MuseScore playing the other part right? Otherwise you would surely have used a common file. In your case I would record the "main" part (difficult to define in some cases I know) first and record all the other parts based on that one.
P.S. note that a random millisecond difference between MuseScore recordings by audacity doesn't prevent to use that to distribute them for individual practice

Exporting count-in to mp3 and midi will save me a lot of time. Upvoted!

I'm planning to work on a new Export dialog, which can be a place for settings like this. However, I'm not sure if I will be able to implement things like metronome sound exporting. But I'll keep it in mind!

The dialog and what the saving/export does under the covers to generate the file are completely separate things

@Jojo-Schmitz True. But what I wanted to say was, that the question of where in the UI these options should be put, may be solved. But to get it working under the hood is a different story though.

Ah, yes. I guess some tick box would do, "Include metronome sound"

Actually what "would do" would be exactly the same options as the play panel:
-Tempo %
-Count in
-Metronome
-Metronome sound %

Why duplicate all that?

Well, I hope you guys someday, if not impossible, if the tech team really helps, you could implement a metronome export option. ASAT. Thanks.

Expidito & others - I've struggled with this myself but here is a relatively simple workround: -
/Edit/Instruments.../Percussion - Unpitched / select "Claves" for monotone or "Wood Blocks" for 1st beat stress & /Add/OK
You now have a "Percussion stave" - enter notes by usual methods & copy & paste to all bars.
If you want 1st beat stressed (Wood Blocks) - use A & B on bt#1 & B only for remainder of bar.
You can even be clever & apply a more gentle 2nd stress beat (e.g. on the 3rd triplet in 12/8 time) but you'll require another Wood Block for such fancy work.
I too would find it more convenient if someone at MuseScore could apply a real FIX...
but the workround described is little extra scoring, may be hidden off screen & you have full control via the virtual Mixer application.
Cheers, Bebbspoke.

So I'm just gonna chime in this discussion to simply add my upvote for this feature. I'm painfully aware of the constraints of open-source software community-driven development and I simply hope that someone will hear our call and rise to be the hero we all need! ;-)
Thanks to all the developers for building such an amazing tool!

I tried a great workaround: With SnagIt you can record the video and audio output of your Musescore. So you can practice with chords and metronom.

just commenting that this would be so handy - please make it happen :)

I'm so happy I found this thread, and my sincerest apologies for not finding it before posting a duplicate "issue" in the support forum. Here's another workaround that I haven't yet tried, but will try soon and report back. Musescore does support Jack Audio which would enable playback of the score (with the metronome) and simultaneous recording to a separate virtual device. Seeing all the people in this thread who would like it to happen makes it seem worthwhile to be the guinea pig!

Many thanks!

I didn't realise that I was asking something already well flagged.
The work around is quite usable and some of the comments on here are quite ungracious.

I agree exactly. To get (what has been called) a practice piece, with metronome clicks and count in you can either
1a. Save as MyScore.Pdf
1bAdd an extra instrument, eg drum set, and laboriously add the notes then
1c add an extra bar or two at the beginning with notes for the count in
1d save score as MyScoreClicked.mscz
1e Export as MyScoreClicked.MP3
1e Distribute MyScore.Pdf and MyScoreClicked.MP3
or
2a From MyScoreClicked.mscz EXPORT PARTS as mp3 format
2b Import the above mp3 files into audacity
2c Time shift all parts accept the drum track in order to get a count in
2d Export all tracks to MP3 file as MyScoreClicked.MP3
WHAT A PERFORMANCE!
All that is needed is, in MuscScore, when exporting AS mp3 file, any playback metronome/count-ins are included in the mp3 file. Obv to not get the metronome/count-ins included in the mp3 file, you simply unselect these in play back options. Thus what you hear on playback is what you get in your mp3 file.

I realize this is a very, very long thread, but I'd really like to +1 this feature.

The *.wav output is really only useful for practicing (or, as in my case, I am using a score I've created as a backing-track in my DAW to do recording myself with real instruments), and this feature really would be quite nice.

I'm working around it by creating and exporting a separate click-track instrument manually and lining it up, but it'd be very nice to not have to do that.

Is this popular suggestion, (for count-in and metronome clicks to ie optionally exported to audio files) to avoid the necessity for work-arounds, now logged as a "feature request"?

That is the whole point of this issue, indeed. A "Suggestion" (as per the "Severity" field) is a feature request.

Just gonna toss in my +1 for this feature request! I googled it thinking there would be a way to set the click on for export, and it took me here. I agree with the others above me, this would be nice to have.

I appreciate this is a long thread - the original req for the feature goes back some FOUR years! - so it would appear that MuseScore either do not wish to include it as an optional feature or it may be simply too complex to incorporate and code it into the current software architecture.
I offered a feasible "workround" diy fix on Oct 20th 2020 in this thread. Others too have presented alternative workrounds.
I realize workrounds usually involve additional user effort but effectively my resolution only involves writing one extra stave.
I think we must accept and be grateful that Musescore is a free & open source package... I am not aware if any paid for packages offer this function...

"Don't think what MuseScore can do for you, think what you can to for MuseScore" (after JFK).
"MuseScore" is you as well as every other member of the community.
It is Open Source, so go ahead and implement it, then create a Pull Request

FWIW, I am guessing it would be pretty simple to add this, for anyone familiar with that part of the code (which I'm not). I would also assume this part of the code is no harder to become familiar with than any other. So all it takes is one person to say, "I want this enough to be willing to invest a little effort into making it happen". Who will volunteer?

I'll even go out on a limb and flag this as "easy" and suggest it might make a good initial PR for a prospective GSoC student.

Does Musescore have an organized bounty system? This seems to be an issue that has widespread support among users, but is of little interest to developers (i.e., those with the knowledge and skill to actually make the change and submit a pull request). In many open-source communities, these kinds of situations are handled with a bounty system. That would allow those of us who would like to see this prioritized get it up higher on the list by contributing cash instead of skills.

Good grief. I do not at all like the idea of design being bought.

No, we don't have such a system. I have mixed feeling about the bounty idea, but more importantly, I would challenge the artificial distinction being made between "users" and "developers". In MuseScore - as with most open source software - virtually all developers are users, and all users are welcome to contribute to development. Best thing for everyone is if one of those users who does want to see this happen would simply join the development effort! Because surely if it's something with such widespread support among users, at least one of those users would be able to do some coding.

Hopefully my having marked this "easy" will entice one of the prospective GSoC students to give it a shot!

Okay, I’m not trying to be antagonizing, I’m asking some honest questions. I attached a LONG list below of additions, improvements, and fixes that came with version 3.6. Who made all of these? Were all of these user contributions? Doesn’t MuseScore have developers that make some of these changes and additions?

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never written a single line of code for any program, so I don’t know how difficult it would be, but I’m guessing that the implementation of the metronome click in the audio export can’t be that much more difficult to implement than some of the additions on the list below. If I had the ability or time to learn to read/write code, I would absolutely give it a go, but the truth is I don’t. And the workarounds would require so much extra work for the number of pieces and individual parts that I would need to apply them to as to make them seriously impractical. MuseScore is supposed to make my life easier, not more convoluted!

Maybe I’m mistaken, but I wasn’t under the impression that every fix, update, or addition was community added. I’m clear that open source means that anyone can add to the code, but aren’t there MuseScore developers as well?

Again, the nature of open source software is that the developers are the users. There is indeed a small paid staff as well - some do development, others work on design, website maintenance, etc. But virtually all of the changes listed for 3.6 were implemented by ordinary users who volunteered to get involved in the development. And the same for the vast majority of the code implemented previously - over a million of lines of code written by over a hundred users who contribute their talents. This artificial distinction being made between "users" and "developers" bears no relationship to the reality of how MuseScore got where it is.

As I've said multiple times, indeed, I agree this would probably not be hard to implement, for anyone who knows the basics of C++ development. That is, once more, why I've marked this "easy" and invited contribution from the crop of new students looking to establish themselves as developers through the Google Summer of Code program.

Okay, fair enough. That does answer my questions.

Again, I wish I had even a beginner's knowledge of coding, but alas, that's beyond my expertise. I can write you a song about coding - using MuseScore of course - but that's as close as I can come.

A beginner's knowledge of "coding" (i.e.., software design and implementation) will be of little use in modifying, let alone adding function to, a complex, multilayered, mature product in a modern language, any more than knowledge of the basics of music will help you modify a symphony (I speak as a lifelong professional software engineer). To be fair, though, at least one prodigiously talented engineer now on this staff reports acquiring the necessary skills, from zero, in far less time than expected.

This is a really great conversation about open source, users and developers. My understanding is the current fix to this problem is to add a drum part that functions like a click-track. In the future, it would be nice to be able to export the metronome score, if desired, for rehearsal.

I’m also trying to figure out the metronome sound. Apparently, default_click.h was copied from MusE into MuseScore when the latter gained a metronome click. MusE almost certainly copied it from libardour (pre-ardour2), but I cannot find its history. It’s probably been recorded by Paul Davis. (Note that Ardour nowadays ships ones recorded by Nick Mainsbridge… unless they just added the sound attribution later.)

It’s two samples, “tick” and “tack”.

Incidentally, I need to sound the S/A/T/B voices first, then count in, so I need a percussion instrument in the score anyway. Or make a soundfont with only these two samples… ouch.

So, what percussion instrument, and what sounds on that, sound close to it?

I’ve got this.

I’m really busy with preparing that score and exports, but watch this space, I’ll document once done.

Hi Mirabilos - very pleased to hear someone is at last working this issue...
Cheers, good luck, safe programming & THANKYOU!!!

Just add the "Wood blocks" percussion instrument and use it.

Only commented on this in 2017, so good to see it finally has traction. Thank you

Sure Ziya - we're aware of that workround & numerous others.... but the additional work & time involved would be completely REMOVED by application of a simple mod requested over four years ago....!

I just answered the above question of a few posts from mirabilos user:
"So, what percussion instrument, and what sounds on that, sound close to it?"
In case it might have been overlooked.

Ziya: right… except the Woodblocks preset in MuseScore_General only has one sample, not two.

Please hold for a bit, I’m still documenting…

OK. Here we are:

For a fix, I’ve “packaged” the metronome click samples included in MuseScore (and MusE and Ardour, though the latter may change them) as SoundFont and made it publicly available; see https://musescore.org/en/node/320431 for further information. The samples themselves are Public Domain, so using this does not impose any restrictions on the resulting audio.

This cries for two companion plugins.

One to create a hidden first measure that counts in, one to create an entire hidden click track…

… not going to do that part myself, it’s easy enough to do on the fly or copy/paste.

MuseScore is perfectly able to produce the sound with metronome clicks (and even at any percentage of speed) when you click on "play"
Sorry to say so, but why the export function doesn't allow the same looks a lot like a try to preserve some advantage to the paid mobile app

MP3 export doesn't allow for that because that sound is not from a soundfont, not created via the Fluid or Zerberus synthesizer. but synthesized internally, programatically, hard coded. (That also the reason why the metronome does sound even if MuseScore doesn't produce any other sound)
Not a good cause, it should export somehow, but that is the technical reason, currently. Not related to the mobile app in any form or shape.
Hence the workaround of using woodblocks, or @mirabilos ' metronom sound font

"not from a soundfont"
Now I'm confused.
Is the MP3 sounding different from what you hear from "normal" (no metronome, no change of speed) in MuseScore itself ?
If not, do you mean there is a complex programming in MuseScore to emulate the soundfonts?

See above and ...mscore/click.h, this is where (the sound of) tack and tick is coded.
That code seems to have been removed from master, so probably won't be in MuseScore 4 (unless added back somehow)

Ok now I get it better. I had misread.
You doesn't mean the MP3 sound is internal, you mean the metronome click added by MuseScore is hard coded.
Well still no reason to not output it in the mp3

It currently is the technical reason though

To be clear: the reason the metronome does not export current has absolutely nothing to do with any mobile app. The metronome didn't export back before there even was a mobile app. It doesn't export by default because most of the time, most people would not wnt it to. There is no option to make it do so simply because until now no one has had the necessary combination of skills, motivation, and time to make it happen - nothing more.

Nobody has ever asked to export the metronome sound "by default", that would be a pretty bad idea

Obviously. I was just explaining the background and correcting the misinformation in an earlier comment.

Well, if the metronome is switched on it should export, it is is off it should not. No need for an extra option. Just export what is heard on playback.

I don't necessarily agree, I think a lot of people may use metronome during playback then export without thinking that they'd need to turn it off. Maybe they could be retrained, but a change like that would invite a lot of complaints, I think.

Marc et al - you deserve a medal for what you are putting up with on this thread.

Just displaying clearly and unambiguously the current playback options in the export dialog would avoid any confusion/surprise

Here I have to agree with Jojo. For me, I believe it is important to have a fixed point of constancy and reliability for audio exports - and that should be simply that 'what you hear when you push Play on your PC is what shows up in the exported sound file.' I believe that any other rule will only lead to confusion and frustration. I would argue that users will quickly come to understand - and appreciate this.

For what it's worth, I'm with Marc on this one.

For what it’s worth, I’m with both Jojo and Marc on this… but I think to implement this would not suffice anyway, so I’m tending more towards the “keep as is and use the soundfont”; however if it’s implemented it should definitely be consistent with the normal playback settings, not another new knob.

I’ve needed to do this:

For this, the normal count-in would not have sufficed. I need to give the remote singers their starting tone in the recording.

Others need an entire click track.

Neither will work with the normal metronome, they all need the soundfont solution anyway. (I’ve also mailed s.chriscollins about this, maybe it will even be included in a next MS_General version.) I managed to figure out exactly how mu͒’s metronome works and included the MIDI notes and velocities to use in the documentation (weblog entry on my site, and some even in the soundfont metadata).

FWIW, I don't actually have strong feelings one way or another. I would say I have concerns about making the default be "whatever happens to be enabled in the play panel", based on the fact that a) it never worked that before so it may surprise people, and b) I don't think anything else in the play panel works that way. But I'm not opposed to any well-thought-out design that seems to have widespread support.

Feels like the design team should probably have the final say, though.

The "execute repeats" in the play panel corrupts , sorry, affects, the MP3 and men, women, and children have perished on that beach. It shouldn't.

Good point! Here as well I could see arguments for wanting it either way, but what we don't want is confusion and surprise. To me a checkbox in the export dialog that says "use current play panel settings" could be an interesting possibility, then it would apply to metronome, coun-in, repeats, tempo, and volume. Well, maybe not loop, unless you want an infinitely large output file.

A check box "use play panel setting" in the export panel...
Why not, but I would much rather have the settings themselves displayed in the export dialog.

That then begs the question: What do you get if that box goes unchecked? And how would a user know what they'll get if unchecked? Seems to me that if unchecked it then implies you go hunting around for other settings here-and-there to control for the export result. Which, then, wouldn't those alternative settings end up being, in effect, a duplicate of configuring the mixer for playback?

mac wrote >> [this could be handled with] a checkbox in the export dialog that says "use current play panel settings." [Then sound file export would include] metronome, count-in, repeats, tempo, and volume. Well, ... not loop ...

Thanks Marc!

I like that idea.

I definitely need the option of exporting sound files with count-in clicks. And I can see how metronome clicks could also prove helpful.

I could see a checkbox to use the play panel settings, and also options to override each. Kind of like what the "realize chord symbols" dialog does. As for what you get if you don't check these boxes, I'd assume you get normal defaults: tempo 100%, no metronome, repeats on, etc.

I think that gets too complicated, and argue that one should either export what is heard when playing back in-äpp, or one different but consistent state (i.e. the current behaviour).

Too many knobs confuse users (and people giving support).

When choosing "export" a popup window is opened, the "include metronome" checkbox -for audio formats - can be added there.
In this case, there is no ambiguity; and a permanent preferences setting is not required.

And an extra switch will also be required to export from the command line. eg: -metronome: on

Why would you want to limit that to the metronome setting ???
The other play panel settings are as useful as the metronome one, being speed percentage and lead-in count.

@Ziya: argh no, not a popup… this is going to annoy people to hell.

@frfancha true that. And having so many more knobs is going to be a nightmare.

Also, command-line conversations. It’s not done with a simple switch either… although I’d argue that batch conversions won’t need it or people should include the clicks manually… or with a plugin, you can run a plugin in batch convert (json) mode already, so…

… I’m becoming more and more convinced the less undesirable option is to change nothing to how MuseScore itself currently works and deal with playback changes by changing the score (perhaps with a plugin), including introduction of metronome clicks.

If I had more time I’d even write a couple of plugins related to this and document potential conversion workflows, but I’m barely keeping up with $dayjob work as is…

However, a popup for the export command is already opening. I'm talking about this window. There are even normalization and bitrate options for audio-export in this window. Or am I the only user to see this popup?

Nope, I just get a file dialogue.

Maybe something new in mu͒4?

Check the GIF I attached.
Is this specific to the Windows version only?

… hmm, probably introduced recently in a version I’m not yet cought up with.

So it’s a redesigned export dialogue, not an extra popup, that’s okay.

It is the export dialog of 3.6

I'd be keen to help on this issue too. I'm a music teacher doing a fair number of virtual ensembles and see the necessity for this feature. I'm finishing up a CompSci degree so hopefully I can take some time to figure out the code and then get cracking. If mirabilos hasn't come up with a great plugin first!

Paying customer. When will this become a feature? Not having to open separate software or create extra drum tracks saves A LOT of time. The program really needs this for music educators and professional musicians!

There's no such thing as a paying customer, MuseScore is free and open source, as in free beer and in free speech. Don't confuse musescore.org and the MuseScore Editor for Windows, Mac and Lunx with musescore.com and the mobibe apps for iOS and Android. Only the latter have a paid component.
Being open source also means: if you need it, go and implement it.

I also vote for this feature!
It would be great to have those two icons from the Play Panel included in the export menu screen (but off by default).
If not, maybe somebody could please come up with a plugin that builds drum tracks automatically?

Dear ones: The easiest way out is:
Add woodblocks to your sheetmusic. Fill them in (contr D or B) then hide the staff. Here is your metronome!

That indeed is the workaround mentioned in this issue already further up ;-)

And if you use the https://musescore.org/en/node/320431 soundfont for the woodblocks and use the correct tones (E₅/F₅ or High/Low Woodblock) you even get identical ticks and tacks to the MuseScore metronome. The link also contains information on what velocities to use for what beat.

Yeah, the plugin… I don’t even have enough time for dayjob and necessary other tasks right now, so I’m sorry I can’t work on that right now.

please do. thank you

"I completely disagree. You won't ever make real recordings with MuseScore MP3, it is always meant to listen to a score, clarify any doubts on how it sounds"

I totally agree with you. Making a track for my guitarist to practice is exactly what I was just trying to do. The workaround is cumbersome.

This issues goes round and round and must be vexatious to the expert developers who we all benefit from.
The work around is a bit inconvenient the first time but straightforward thereafter. Also has there is an advantage over the metronome in that you can change the instrument to what ever is most useful given the other sounds in the score.

And it is by far not the eldest still open issue

Starting with version 0.2.1 of the MuseScore SoundFont, there is a new Metronome preset that can be used to either emulate the sound of MuseScore's built-in metronome, or if you prefer, you can use the metronome from MuseScore Drumline instead. Instructions for use will be similar to those posted on @mirabilos' blog, except that you will no longer need to download a separate SoundFont to use the sounds.

If placing the metronome sounds on a percussion staff, it should be easy to find the "Metronome" preset in the mixer. If using a melodic staff, you will have to scroll to the bottom of the preset list, where it will be the 16th preset from the bottom.

Until MuseScore_General version 0.2.1 is included with MuseScore, you can download the SoundFont here:

• MuseScore_General_0.2.1.7z
• MuseScore_General_HQ_0.2.1.7z

If you have trouble uncompressing the files, you can use 7-zip for Windows, or The Unarchiver for Mac. Linux users should be able to use their built-in archive manager.

Here are the two included metronome sounds and their associated MIDI notes:

• Metronome #1: The metronome sound from MuseScore Drumline. I synthesized these samples to resemble the sound of the BOSS DB-90 metronome, which is commonly used in drumline percussion.
  • Note A1: normal click
  • Note A#1: emphasis click
• Metronome #2: The metronome sound that MuseScore uses when its built-in metronome is enabled. These samples were originally created years ago by Paul Davis for Ardour.
  • Note E5: emphasis click
  • Note F5: normal click

request to make a button that includes internal metronome sound in the exported mpg3.

my hope is that the developers will listen to the musicians
time = money or creative time
making another track = time

... and I couldn't help but jump in...
Having this complicated piece with 5/8 2/4 11/8 4/4 all over the place, I needed a click for recording, and no... no way.
Here is just another story:
This piece has been written, parts delivered, remote recording (musicians spread all over the world), no money, no time. I export every part as WAV and MIDI, and then at the DAW I either keep Musescore audio or synth a new one. That makes a nice demo, then each part gets replaced when each musician delivers his take.
It is a bit hard to record this piece, so the drummer suggested we have a click...
To properly click on 4ths and 8ths and keep the accent on the 1, I just mouse click on the metronome, but no, it can't be exported so now I have to write a track; though what I need is already there, I already indicated what I needed, it is sounding great, but no, it can not be exported because... OK. Never mind, whatever. Let's thank it does what it does, as it is supposed to be free score scripting software, not a music production suite. I'll tell the drummer if he wants a click, he writes a click track...
PS: No, adding it in the DAW is not an option, everyone uses his own DAW choice.

Coming very late to this thread to say I am super confused - I just recently exported mp3 scores WITH the metronome clicking. My version says 2.3.2. I didn't make a special effort to do this, didn't search it up or anything. I'm now trying to do the same again, and I've found this thread (and a few others) saying it's impossible and you have to use a wood block workaround (or something similar). So confused because I definitely have a metronome click going in my mp3 files from the other day and I have no idea how!!! I can't remember what I did to achieve this...

I don't think this did work in 2.x, but it surely doesn't in 3.x

Thanks for a quick reply.
I've been using version 2 for a long time now, I guess because it's familiar. Very strange that the metronome click happened to export for me with several files...

Please leave the Workaround checkbox ticked. Anyway, I've just checked: 2.3.2 doesn't export the metronome to MP3 either.
Infos how you got it to work would be welcome

Most likely the scores that have a clicking sound had invisible percussion staves providing it - the workaround that has always existed. Because no version of MuseScore incorporated the metronome sound itself, which is why this suggestion is as old as it is (note was submitted well during MuseScore 2 days).

Here we are many versions later and this feature is still being clamored for. it must be hard to implement.
for me, busy work like making an extra track, populating it, making invisible, is what makes me tend to lose focus on the music.
being the musician, and not the programmer, I just want a little box to check and, bingo!
:-)

Yes peterein, I feel that.

If this were one of the software projects I designed, the metronome would be implemented as a subclass of a rhythm Instrument.

This would enable certain functionality:

1. Metronome could appear as a channel strip in the Play Panel, allowing you to mix or mute as needed using that familiar and existing feature

2. Metronome could simply be excluded or included in the mix down that creates the mp3.

3. Metronome rhythms could easily be enhanced with accents, eighth notes, just like you can do today with a custom rhythm track. The key being that you don’t have to do any of that hassle if you don’t want to because a default “metronome” will still be accessible from the toolbar.

In short, it would enable the perfect blend of convenience and flexibility.