Djay relaunched on iOS with subscription model and powerful performance features

Algoriddim has announced the next generation of its DJ software for iOS called Djay. The company has made some big changes to the program, including how you pay for it. The old version cost $20 on the iPad and $10 on the iPhone; the new version is free across both devices with an optional pro subscription. That subscription unlocks features like access to sample and loop libraries and support for loads of MIDI controllers from popular brands.

The program is meant for both amateur and professional DJs, and it allows users to mix music entirely within the app or through connected external hardware controllers. For an app, it was pricey, but it came with loads of features that elevated it into professional software territory. Not only did it offer things like library organization tools and keyboard mapping to appeal to regular gigging DJs, but it also had options that appealed to casual users, like a darn good Automix AI that you could set on at a house party and leave alone to decently DJ for the night.

All of what was in the old Djay app is available in the new Djay app, but it’s beefed up. It still pulls music from different sources on your computer, like iTunes playlists. Spotify Premium integration is still around, but it’s enhanced: you can now save songs to your Spotify collection or playlists from within the Djay app. You can still set loops and cue points, sort through songs in a variety of ways, and there are even more effects to apply for when you’re DJing. There are still options to mix videos as well, with built-in transitions and reactive visualizers. Naturally, the app’s visual interface has received an overall glossier refresh. It’s retained all of the same hallmarks that made it a real contender as pro DJ software, but it’s added to it.

Automix AI, the app’s way of intelligently mixing music on its own with no human interaction, is also still present. It has a new simple mix view, and it promises that the software will be able to pick songs and create “perfect sounding mixes” between them with the click of a button.

There’s also a lot that’s brand-new with this version of Djay, which greatly increases the app’s capabilities for those who want to get beyond straight DJing tracks. It now has access to a library with over 1GB of samples, loops, and FX from established brands like Sugar Bytes and Loopmasters. To utilize those, a new sampler allows for recording and sequencing loops while mixing. Going a step further, there’s also a new grid-based Looper with 48 slots that can be loaded up with loops that automatically time stretch to match the beat in real time. So you could use this at home for sketching out song ideas, or trigger these loops and samples during sets for more complex performances. Also, (yay!) it has industry-standard Ableton Link for syncing tempo across compatible apps and devices on a shared network.

Algoriddim has also designed the new Djay app around some of Apple’s latest specs. The iPad Pro’s USB-C port lets users connect multiple devices at once, allowing for, say, an output of the visual mix to a big screen while using an external controller. Meanwhile, the iPhone’s A12 Bionic processor lets DJs and VJs mix up to 10 videos and visual loops in real time without the need for a laptop.

Basically, as we’ve said before, there’s so much that this app can do that it’s almost impossible to go over all the specs. And every release makes it a more valuable tool not just as professional software, but for those looking to approach DJing from a beginner standpoint. Here’s where the new subscription model comes into play: many of these new, more robust features a gigging DJ would be interested in are only available if you pay for Djay’s new pro tier.

In a blog post, the company says it’s changing to a subscription model to give more people access to the app so it can be better maintained for pro users. The free tier comes with the two-deck Classic Mode for DJing and five effects, Automix AI mixing, iTunes and Spotify integration, Ableton Link tempo syncing, and support for five controllers (Reloop Mixon 4, Beatpad and Beatpad 2, Mixtour, and Pioneer DDJ-WeGO4).

The pro subscription tier adds in custom playlists, including smart playlist filtering, multiple alternative views (like one that includes four decks), VJ video mixing view, advanced MIDI capabilities for mapping to controllers, MIDI over Bluetooth, support for over 50 other controllers, a multichannel interface, advanced Automix AI, and the Looper performance mode.

Algoriddim’s Djay app is available now in the iOS App Store for free. The new standard pro subscription price for Djay is $4.99 per month or $39.99 annually. If you’re an existing customer of any Djay version for iOS, Algoriddim will give you a special discount of $9.99 for your first year of a pro subscription.