The invention relates to a method for preparing BTX and co-producing tetramethylbenzene from C9<+> heavy aromatic hydrocarbons. The method comprises: carrying out catalytic cracking conversion on C9<+> heavy aromatic hydrocarbons to obtain a first-stage hydrocarbon mixing product using BTX and trimethylbenzene as main components, and separating respectively with an ethane removing tower, a butane removing tower, a hexane removing tower, a BTX removing tower and a trimethylbenzene removing tower to obtain dry gas, liquefied gas, C5-C6 non-aromatic hydrocarbons, BTX, trimethylbenzene and C10<+> heavy aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the dry gas, the liquefied gas, the C5-C6 non-aromatic hydrocarbons and the BTX are adopted as products; carrying out a reaction on the trimethylbenzene and a certain amount of methanol to obtain a tetramethylbenzene-rich second-stage mixing product, and separating the products to obtain dry gas, wastewater and liquid-state hydrocarbons, wherein the liquid-state hydrocarbon products return to the ethane removing tower so as to be separated; and carrying out crystallization separation on the C10<+> heavy aromatic hydrocarbons to obtain tetramethylbenzene and a heavy component residue liquid, wherein the tetramethylbenzene and the part of the heavy component residue liquid are adopted as the product, and the remaining heavy component residue liquid return to a catalytic cracking reactor. According to the present invention, with the method, the moving bed non-hydrogen cracking and the tetramethylbenzene preparation using trimethylbenzene alkylation are compounded, such that the BTX is produced at a maximum while the high added value tetramethylbenzene can be co-produced.