[youtube id=”qGXsp4Lhbns”]
Earlier this week, I posted a teaser for whatever Algoriddim were unveiling for their djay product line. The tease was vague, with no indication of whether it was for desktop or iOS devices. Some of you got a tad carried away, but most were bang on the money, for djay 2 now has full Spotify integration, as well as a solid range of effects from Sugar Bytes available as in-app purchases.
A lot of words from Algoriddim and Spotify:
Algoriddim partners with Spotify for next generation intelligent DJ experience
Award-winning app djay 2 for iPhone and iPad introduces integration with Spotify
Introducing Match: a unique track recommendation tool for DJs powered by The Echo Nest
Automix Radio: automatically plays personalized DJ mixes liveAlgoriddim and Spotify today announce a major update to djay for iPhone and iPad, the world’s best selling DJ app with over 10 million users on iOS. This new version lets Spotify Premium subscribers mix millions of tracks using their iPhone and iPad, as well as hook up their professional DJ hardware to a massive library of music – being a DJ has never been easier or more fun!
- Find the perfect next track with Match. Finding the next track to mix has always been one of the biggest challenges for DJs, and it doesn’t get easier when you’ve got millions of tracks to choose from. So today we’re introducing Match, an innovative feature that recommends tracks that go well with what the DJ is currently playing – allowing users of any skill level to create professional sounding mixes. Match, powered by Spotify’s recent acquisition The Echo Nest, provides unprecedented track recommendations based on danceability, BPM, key, music style, and how well the song mixes with the currently playing track.
- Introducing Automix Radio. For people who simply want to lean back and have a continuous music mix at their next party, the all-new Automix Radio in djay 2 not only picks tracks that go well with each other, but also automatically mixes these tracks for them with beatmatched, DJ-style transitions. This means users can step away and enjoy live DJ mixes based on their personal musical taste. All with the simple tap of a button.
“Having more than 20 million songs instantly at your fingertips is a DJ’s dream come true. It gives djay 2 users endless creative possibilities and elevates the artform of DJing to a new level,” says Karim Morsy, CEO of Algoriddim. “The power of The Echo Nest driving track selection brings a new tool to the DJ that I could not have ever imagined possible. It truly helps to discover, explore, and find great new music that sounds amazing together.”
“Not only can Spotify Premium users DJ millions of songs, but they’ll also enjoy real-time, intelligent suggestions on what to play next, powered by The Echo Nest’s analysis of all the music on Spotify,” says Sten Garmark, VP of Product at Spotify. “Djay 2 will help DJs and regular music enthusiasts, regardless of their skill level, select the perfect songs for their set – or simply lean back and let djay 2 turn any Spotify playlist into a slick DJ set for parties or private listening.”
Other feature highlights include:
- TIGHT SPOTIFY INTEGRATION: Spotify integration in djay 2 includes all of the user’s existing playlists, starred tracks and Inbox (to send real-time song requests to the DJ), powerful search capabilities, top lists, browse (by genres, moods, DJs), and Match (for song recommendation). Users can seamlessly switch between Spotify and their existing local iTunes library, as well as mix tracks from both of these sources.
- PROFESSIONAL HARDWARE INTEGRATION: djay 2 supports a wide range of professional DJ gear allowing users to mix tracks from the cloud using tactile knobs, buttons and jog wheels. Algoriddim’s djay 2 app is powered by exclusive hardware from Pioneer, Numark, Vestax, Reloop, Philips, Casio, and Griffin.
- CUTTING-EDGE STREAMING ENGINE: Powerful audio streaming technology, ultra-low latency, advanced effects, on-the-fly analysis (key, bpm, beat grids, colored waveforms), all processed and streamed from the cloud, with no noticeable difference to local files.
- SOCIAL SHARING: djay 2 allows users to share their set lists as Spotify playlists via SMS, Email, Facebook, and Twitter, so the rest of the world can listen to the tracks instantly or recreate a great set.
- NEW AUDIO EFFECTS: Over 30 new desktop-class audio effects powered by Sugar Bytes are available via In-App Purchase. These new beat-synchronized effects bring unprecedented creative expression to DJs on iOS and support real-time audio manipulation of both local tracks from iTunes and streamed tracks from Spotify.
djay 2 is available on the App Store:
djay 2 for iPhone and iPad with Spotify integration is available now as a free update to all existing users of djay 2. A Spotify Premium subscription is required to access the Spotify music catalog. A seven day free trial of Spotify Premium is available for all djay 2 users. djay 2 for iPhone is normally $1.99 but will be available as a FREE DOWNLOAD during launch week. djay 2 for iPad is normally $9.99, but will be available for 50% OFF at $4.99 for a limited time.
To see the new djay 2 with Spotify integration in action, click here for the official video.
Streaming is scary, but it works
I’m not going to spend time imparting my own djay experiences — that’s for the review. That said, any fears I had about not having so much as a music file on my iPad were put to bed. The tracks load and play instantly, and can be seamlessly organised via playlists in the Spotify app, and have those changes appear instantly. It’s also really helpful that track analysis is a one-time thing too, making the Spotify experience as instant as iTunes, especially if you find yourself playing the same music on a regular basis.
You are of course at the mercy of getting a decent wifi connection though, but I suspect that any DJ who earns a living from playing out will use a bullet proof workflow rather than hoping that they can connect to Spotify. It’s worth underlining that Spotify and iTunes libraries work side by side, so if wifi isn’t an option, you can still revert to actual files on your device.
Spotify is a big deal. According to this article in The Guardian, there are 40m Spotify users, 10m of which cough up for the required premium subscription. That’s a huge potential customer base for algoriddim to tap into. I think it’ll depend largely on how much of a deal Spotify make of it as to whether djay becomes the goto app for their vast user base. One thing is for sure — expect to see more of this type of thing happening on all platforms.
What’s new in djay?
There’s some cosmetic changes, but the big news is hooking up with Sugar Bytes to deliver a rack of new effects available via in-app purchases. Again, the detail can wait for the review, but they’re really good and worth every penny. And at £2.99, it’s a real no-brainer purchase.
But this is all about Spotify. Like many of you, I’ve had a free Spotify account for a few years. I used it occasionally, but not enough to warrant paying for it. But having invested in an annual subscription to do the video, I have barely been off it. It’s the most amazing discovery tool, and is delivering a wide range of genres whenever I want. For me, Spotify doesn’t interfere with my own ethics of owning music — I use it to discover and play music. And if I like it enough, I’m most likely to track it down in physical form for my collection.
So in doing this project, Spotify has become a permanent part of my music life. Admittedly I’m only about 4 weeks into my subscription, and in 11 months time I may not renew. But for anyone wanting to play out with over 20 million tracks at their disposal, and to have the ability to discover new music with the Echo Nest match, to be able to automix Spotify tracks, and share playlists via social media, the latest version of djay for iPad and iPhone just turned Spotify into your record bag.
To Recap
The djay 2 update is free to existing users, put for launch week, djay 2 for iPhone is free, and 50% off for iPad buyers. You need a Spotify premium subscription to get the full Spotify experience. But for 7 days, you can snag a free premium trial. Full review coming tomorrow.
Gallery
