Algoriddim’s djay line of DJ tools is getting a lot more Apple-y. That includes a native spatial version for Apple Vision Pro. Since very few of you likely have that, the more pressing news may be complete integration with Apple Music – including your uploaded personal library.
djay on Apple Vision Pro
Algoriddim has always been at the forefront of supporting new stuff from Apple, and they’re one of a handful of developers with genuinely compelling use cases for Apple’s immersive headset on launch today.
Some of this we’ve seen before – virtual decks, virtual vinyl, virtual perspective. But it’s really the visualizer and virtual environments that start to look fun – especially for any of us who spent hours staring into the original SoundJam MP and Winamp visualizers (dating myself).
Features (have to say, the visual design work is really elegant and fits the milieu of the whole platform):
- Two virtual 3D turntables with simulated vinyl functionality (scratch, move the needle, etc.)
- Designed for mixed reality use (IKEA would have wanted it that way, baby!)
- Gesture-based previews (hold the headphones to your ear)
- Floating music library (always wondered what would happen if I took my vinyl collection on the ISS)
- Spatial Effects – audio effects are manipulated in 3D space
- 3D drag and drop
- Visual audio scrubbing with gaze and pinch
As with this whole platform, mixed reality – or “shared spaces” in Applespeak – is really the focus.
All of that combines with djay’s existing high-performance, Apple API-optimized visual and sound engine. So I expect Algoriddim is leveraging what they’ve done across Apple platforms.
I think this stuff is worth a look, whether or not you have any interest in a Vision Pro. This is hardly the first glimpse of DJing in VR/xR/AR – but as always, it’s worth checking out from a design perspective, even to see what doesn’t work.
Unexpectedly, I think my favorite feature is the virtual vinyl covers – I hope we get more of that on desktop, too; it’s about time for a fresh look at virtual record collections, especially for us Internet diggers.
The visual audio scrubbing with gaze and pinch suggests possible accessibility solutions for desktop software, too – again, even if people don’t necessarily wind up using Vision Pro.
Apple Music and djay
Apple Music support means now 167 countries, 100 million-plus songs, and even support for personal libraries. That’s now across djay Pro platforms, macOS, iOS and now visionOS – and Android, and Windows, too.
Now, for folks totally in the Apple ecosystem, you can just skip ahead and – Apple up. I expect the appeal here may be more diverse than it appears. The current generation of Apple Music may not inspire the kind of loyalty iTunes music management once did. But for a lot of us, Apple’s offering has been a reasonable alternative to Spotify. For me, that’s a very odd workflow of a lot of promos gathered through various means, a lot of Bandcamp, some Beatport, mostly downloads, and augmenting that with streaming on Apple Music. I still vastly prefer downloads, but I still stream and add promos that way, and I find SoundCloud usage – once the core of discovery – has fallen way off. So Apple Music invariably has some mix of strange Shazam finds and ad hoc playlists. (I say this not in that it’s particularly interesting, but I’m curious how many readers do something similar – feel free to say so in comments.)
And yes, while Rekordbox is what I use for serious DJ management (to prep for CDJs), it’s way more likely you’ll want to whip out something like djay at a party. Algoriddim’s DJ software has always been underrated. Now it’s really the go-to mobile solution, and it’s likely you can easily stream to other folk’s systems even if they’re not music people. (And yes, my bag always has Lighting-to-minijack and USB-C minijack connectors along with minijack cables along with the couple of USB keys and 1/4″-1/8″ headphone jack turnaround I carry in my wallet. You do this too, no?)
Long story short: having cut most other streaming out of my life, this looks eminently useful.
And then for people who do love downloads, the fact that you can sync up your personal library and play that, too, means that you don’t lose out on your Bandcamp finds when you’re on your iPhone and DJing in djay. Excellent.
And this all combines with the company’s NeuralMix Pro functionality for AI-powered instrumental / vocal / beat stem extraction.
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