How it works

Make Afrobeat in your browser

Everything you need to produce afrobeat — drum sequencer, melodic tracks, audio effects and AI composer — runs directly in your browser at no cost.

🥁

Layered percussion

Afrobeat is built on multiple percussion layers working together. Use the Kick, Snare, Clap and Hi-Hat tracks simultaneously, each with a different pattern — the interaction between them creates the polyrhythmic texture of the genre.

🎹

Melodic bass

In afrobeat, the bass is a lead instrument. Use the Bass track to write a melody that moves through the bar — not just root notes, but a vocal-like line that answers the kick and snare groove.

🌍

Call-and-response melody

Afrobeat melodies often work in pairs — a phrase followed by an answering phrase. Use the Lead track to write a 4-note phrase in bars 1–2, then a different 4-note answer in bars 3–4 (switch to 32 steps for two-bar phrasing).

🎚️

Natural reverb space

Afrobeat has room — instruments breathe. Add moderate reverb (20–30) for space without washing out the rhythmic precision. Keep the filter open and the drive minimal for a clean, organic sound.

Pro tip: start with the bass, not the drums. In afrobeat, the bass melody defines the harmony and the drums decorate it — reverse of most Western production. Get the bass groove right first, then build the percussion around it.

FAQ

Afrobeat questions

Common questions about making afrobeat online.

What is the difference between afrobeat and afrobeats? +

Afrobeat (one word) is the 1970s genre created by Fela Kuti — a fusion of West African rhythms, jazz and funk with political lyrics. Afrobeats (plural) is the modern Nigerian pop sound from the 2000s onward, blending afrobeat, hip-hop, dancehall and R&B. Both share rhythmic complexity and melodic bass.

What BPM is afrobeat? +

Classic Fela Kuti afrobeat can be anywhere from 90–115 BPM. Modern afrobeats (Burna Boy, Wizkid) typically runs 100–110 BPM. The groove feels slower than the actual tempo because of how the syncopation works.

What is polyrhythm in afrobeat? +

Polyrhythm means two or more different rhythmic patterns playing simultaneously — for example, a kick in groups of 3 over a hi-hat in groups of 4. Afrobeat is built on these overlapping patterns, creating a hypnotic, complex groove. In BeatsMaker, assign different patterns to each drum track to create polyrhythm.

How do I make an afrobeats beat? +

Start with a mid-tempo groove (105 BPM), program a syncopated kick that avoids beats 1 and 3 directly, add a snare on unexpected positions, layer hi-hats in triplet groupings, and write a melodic bass line that moves through all 16 steps. Less swing than hip-hop, more rhythmic precision.

Make afrobeat online.
Rhythmic. Melodic. Free.