Nanoleaf Aurora

New Pricing Starts July 2. Upgrade today and never pay again

When I started developing my Light DJ app over 3 years ago, I never would have guessed that it would end up where it is today as one of the top Philips Hue apps on the market. One thing that hasn't changed since the start though is my continued desire to keep making new features. Users email me every day with cool new feature ideas and most of those eventually make it into the app. This has become a barrier to growth, however, since charging a 1-time fee does not bring in enough revenue to be able to dedicate all of my time working on it.

As a result I've decided to change the app to a subscription-based pricing model. This will allow me to continue to put food on the table and start a family while I continue to create new features and work with more types of lights in the future. There's a ton that I'd like to do, too much to list everything here, but this is just a sample: SceneMaker playlists, Visualizer 2.0, Android tablet UI, AppleTV & Windows versions, camera-to-light support, multi-zone support for LIFX Tiles, Beams, and Z Strips, custom color themes, redesigned effect maker, improved UI flow between controllers, and much much more. These suggestions all came from fans like you who write to me and tell me what you'd love your lights to do. 

When you bought this app you entrusted me to give you a great light show. I believe in fair and honest work and getting what you paid for so it's only fair that if you own the fully unlocked app(either Light DJ Pro or Light DJ Deluxe, or purchased all 3 controllers from the Light DJ app) you'll continue to get new hardware and feature updates as they are released as a thank you for being a loyal Light DJ user. You'll get all of the benefits of a subscription user without having to pay. Pretty cool, eh?

If you own any part of the app before July 2 you'll never have to pay again or lose features. Your purchases will continue to work forever.

If you only own 1 or 2 controllers, they will still work after the switchover however you'd need to subscribe to the new service to fully unlock future features of the app (inc. new controllers, UIs, & new hardware support.) If you purchase the remaining controllers before July 2 you'll get upgraded to Pro/Deluxe and get the free subscription benefits as well.

Switching to this new model wasn't an easy decision, but ultimately it's what's needed to keep bringing you new and exciting updates to the app. When I make these big changes my top concern is making sure that existing Light DJ users are taken care and will not lose any features or have to make any additional purchases as a result of this change. You helped get this app off the ground and I want to reward you by bringing you the best light show app in the world!

If you have any questions about this change, or anything else feel free to write me at kevin@nrthrnlights.com

Cheers,

Kevin

Light DJ 2017 Year In Review

Can you believe 2017's almost over?

For Light DJ, that means the app is turning 3 years old next month! It's been a long journey to get to this point and I couldn't have gotten there without the support of my faithful users. Let's take a look at what happened in 2017.

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In April I gave the Android app a nice big update, adding the SceneMaker and Matrix effects and updating the Visualizer. Often when I'm designing new light controllers I'm not really sure how well the concept will work or if it makes sense to users so I design on iOS first. With the feature set now stable on iOS I was able to add all 23 SceneMaker effects and 5 Matrix modes to the Android app to bring the two apps' features sets closer together.

Once that was released it was time to turn back to the iOS app for some new hardware compatibility. The app has always supported Philips Hue and LIFX since the beginning, but I've been hesitant to add other hardware due to various technical/practical concerns. The Nanoleaf Aurora is the first exception I made. The hardware is so eye-catching and vibrant that I just had to add it to the app. This was more complicated than I expected as I had to not only write the communications pipeline between the app and the Aurora, but I also had to redesign & recode all my effects (which were originally developed with individual bulbs in mind). It was worth the effort though and I couldn't be happier with the results. It makes me giddy when users send me videos of their Aurora lights in action! :)

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In October I released the newest addition to the Light DJ family - Light DJ Studio. With this new app I was able to demonstrate a new concept in light shows and also solve a few technical challenges that I've faced since I started working on my apps. The app is simple: pick a song to play, then while it's playing tap along on your phone. Your taps will translate into light effects and the phone will record your taps so that you can play back your light show later. It uses Apple's new MusicKit API, which lets the app the access the Apple Music library of over 30+ million tracks. It also works with Bluetooth speakers, which sadly isn't supported on the Light DJ Pro app. This app has a ton of room to grow and I can't wait to start building features for the next major release next year.

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Finally, in December I made a few significant back-end improvements to the Light DJ Pro app. I added support for Ableton Link and MIDI, allowing DJs and musicians to set and control the tempo from other devices. I also integrated a new beat-matching library for much improved real-time music synchronization over the mic. 

What can you expect to see in 2018?

One of the great things about being your own boss is that you get to set your own schedule. While I don't have any specific dates for any future releases, this is what I plan on prioritizing for next year:

  • Nanoleaf Aurora support on Android

  • Light DJ Studio Community Tracks service - share your light show recordings with other Light DJ Studio users

  • Custom effect playlists on iOS SceneMaker

  • Apple TV & Android TV support

  • Android tablet mode

 

If you have a specific feature request or just want to let me know what I should work on next, send me an email and let me know! I hope everyone has a safe and merry holiday season. I can't wait to see how everyone's New Years Eve parties turn out!

 

Cheers and happy holidays,

Kevin

NEW: Connect your Nanoleaf Aurora with Philips Hue and LIFX

With Light DJ, you can now connect your Nanoleaf Aurora to Philips Hue and LIFX smart lights.

Hey guys! It's been a while since my last post, but I wanted to fill you in on the latest happenings here at Light DJ HQ. Last month I released a blockbuster addition to the iOS app, integrating all of the apps effects with the fantastic Nanoleaf Aurora.

The Nanoleaf Aurora is a set of modular LED panels that you mount to your wall in whatever configuration you can imagine. They piece together just like LEGOs and stick to your wall with easily removable 3M strips. You can create all sorts of different shapes with the panels and the system is expandable so you can keep adding more and more panels to create the ultimate lighting that will change your wall from boring to awesome!

The Nanoleaf Aurora adds a whole new dimension to your light setup, and fully integrates with your existing Philips Hue and LIFX lights.

This update is for iOS users at the moment, but Light DJ Android support for the Nanoleaf Aurora is in the works. Look for it to be released sometime this fall. As always, if you have any suggestions for the app I welcome your feedback at kevin@nrthrnlights.com.