Algoriddim releases djay Pro 2 with AI-powered features

DJ software maker Algoriddim is releasing djay Pro 2 for macOS today. It’s a major update to the company’s flagship app. It still features what made djay popular in the first place, such as Spotify integration and a native look-and-feel. But it also adds many small and big improvements that turn it into a powerful DJ app for your next house party.

djay has been around for more than a decade. It was first a top seller in Apple stores back when you had to buy a box to get a new app. It then attracted over 30 million downloads. There are now 1 million active users playing 300 million tracks every year. Algoriddim won two Apple Design Awards for djay in 2011 and 2016 — the most recent one was for accessibility.

djay Pro 2 features a brand new interface that feels right at home on macOS. You can open and close panels quite easily so that you can see more tools or more songs in your library.

The waveforms have been improved and now look more detailed. You can zoom to an incredibly precise level in case you want to set a cue point at the exact time.

When you’re switching from one track to the other, you can choose to keep playing effects on the original track thanks to a new fade-out effect option.

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These are just the low hanging fruits that help keep djay Pro fresh. But there are also a handful of major new features, starting with a DJ library. In djay Pro 2, you can add a folder with a bunch of MP3s, browse your iTunes library or browse your Spotify playlists or the entire Spotify catalog.

But even if you would rather use Spotify for everything, you just can’t find every single obscure remix on the music streaming service. Previously, if you wanted to use multiple services, it was a pain as you needed to switch from one tab to the other.

Now, you can build a library of songs that would work well in your DJ set. They can come from different sources, and this library is saved on iCloud. Building your library is quite easy as you can split the music browser and drag and drop songs from one service to your personal library.

djay Pro also has a video mixing element. You can plug your computer to a TV or projector and mix with videos. But even if you don’t want to spend too much time on video mixing in order to focus on the music, there’s a new PhotoBeat mode. You can adjust the frequency and match photos with the beat of your songs in real time.

Finally Automix mode has been overhauled and now works like magic. “We’re introducing Automix AI and we’re using a lot of artificial intelligence variables,” Product VP Michael Simmons told me.

The app analyzes the structure of a song to figure out the best intros and outros and then automagically turns the EQ and filter knobs to create a smooth transition. It’s quite impressive to see in real time and it even removes a bit of the magic behind mixing. I could see this kind of technology in music playing apps as well. It’s a much better way to skip to the next song than crossfading.

Overall, I thought my mixing days were behind me, but playing with the app just feels nice. It doesn’t feel like you’re fighting against a clunky app. And the fact that you don’t have to put together an MP3 library anymore is a huge improvement.

djay Pro 2 is now live on the App Store. You can buy it for $49.99, but there’s a launch sale at $39.99. You can also download a free trial on the company’s website. The app works with over 60 MIDI controllers, including Pioneer CDJ controllers. Now, let’s see if Algoriddim is going to bring some of those new features to other platforms.