Make Rap Beats Online
Load a drum kit, program a pattern, add swing, export. Free hip-hop production in your browser.
The Rap Beat Formula
Every rap beat follows the same core structure: 1. Kick — the low-end thump that drives the rhythm 2. Snare/Clap — the backbeat crack 3. Hi-hat — the rhythmic texture 4. 808 bass — the sustained low-end (trap/modern) or a bass sample (boom bap) The genre differences come from tempo, swing, and how busy the pattern is. Let's cover the three main styles.
Modern Hip-Hop (Drake / 21 Savage style)
Tempo: 130-145 BPM (half-time feel)
The kick and 808 hit together. The snare is on beat 3 only (half-time). Hi-hats are straight 8th notes with occasional rolls — select a step and use the Step button to add ×3 triplet subdivisions for fills. Swing: 50% (straight). Modern hip-hop is quantized.
Try this patternBoom Bap (J Dilla / 9th Wonder style)
Tempo: 85-95 BPM
The kick has a syncopated pattern — that extra kick on step 4 gives it bounce. The snare is a classic backbeat. Hi-hats are straight 8th notes. Swing: 56-62%. This is where boom bap gets its soul. Turn swing up until the pattern feels lazy and head-nodding, not stiff. Load a dusty, vinyl-sounding drum kit for authenticity.
Make boom bap beatsTrap Rap (Future / Metro Boomin style)
Tempo: 140 BPM
All 16 hi-hat steps active. Now add rolls: select step 7 and step 15, open the Step editor, set ×3 (triplet) with velocity ramp Down. This creates the classic trap roll at the end of each half-bar. The 808 bass carries the melody in trap. Load an 808 on multiple pads at different pitches (use semitone control) to create a bassline across the pattern. Swing: 50% (dead straight).
Make trap beatsBuilding Your Sound Library
You need drum sounds. Free sources: • r/drumkits on Reddit — massive community-shared collection • Looperman.com — free loops and one-shots • SampleFocus.com — curated free samples • Goldbaby — free vintage drum machine samples • Cymatics — free sample packs (email required) For rap beats, start with a classic 808 kit and a boom bap vinyl kit. Those two cover 90% of hip-hop production.
From Loop to Song
A single 16-step pattern is a loop, not a song. To build structure: • Use Block A for your verse pattern and Block B for a variation • Set mode to AB for verse/chorus alternation, or AAAB for a pattern that changes every 4th bar • Layer sounds across your 16 pads: add percussion (shakers, tambourines), vocal chops, FX hits • Change the feel between sections by adding or removing hi-hat rolls Export the final loop as WAV and import into a free DAW (Audacity, BandLab, Cakewalk) to arrange into a full song with verses, hooks, and bridges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Load three sounds (kick, snare, hi-hat), program the beginner pattern above, hit play. You just made a rap beat. Getting good takes practice, but making your first beat takes five minutes.
It depends on the style: 85-95 for boom bap, 100-120 for old-school hip-hop, 130-145 for trap. Start at 140 if you want modern, 90 if you want classic.
Not for drums. Drum programming is about rhythm and feel. If you're adding 808 bass (which is pitched), knowing what key your beat is in helps — but you can find it by ear. If it sounds right, it is right.