Pioneer just announced that Rekordbox DJ is coming to iOS and Android in 2023. This move might actually compel me to give Rekordbox another try. I think more major competition in the phone/tablet DJ software realm is a good thing. Especially since it seems that NI has pretty much abandoned Traktor DJ 2 for iOS. It will be interesting to see how Algoriddim responds.
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Thanks for the info, that’s something to watch. If the implementation on smartphones and tablets brings a similar result as on the laptop, I can imagine that many choose Rekordbox instead of Djay Pro or even go back to Rekordbox. Just the fact that you can use the full version of Rekordbox with compatible Pioneer controllers at no additional cost will be enough for many. In addition, I can imagine that there is the possibility to export songs, playlists, cue points and the like from the tablet to a USB stick, which you can then plug directly into a CDJ in the club, perhaps you can also plug in the smartphone or tablet directly without exporting anything. Something like this will persuade many to use Rekordbox after all (again).
Many will also make it dependent on the features, for example, Neutral Mix is something that many would certainly not want to do without. Also, the ability to work alone with an iPad (without a controller) is something I would not want to miss. Whether this is also possible with Rekordbox, we will see.
For now, Djay Pro is probably the best choice for DJing with devices like a smartphone or tablet. But I assume that Pioneer throws a serious alternative on the market, which should certainly be considered by Algoriddim.
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This Rekordbox iOS app is going to be serious competition for Algoriddim’s djay Pro! I’m still firmly in the djay Pro camp, but the Pioneer software is looking really good.
I’ve been using the Rekordbox MacOS and iOS apps to create USB sticks for my weekly gigs that use Pioneer gear. The software is excellent, I can walk around the house prepping tracks on my iPhone and all edits are immediately synced back to the master library on my MacBook Air. Library management is top-notch on both devices; creating playlists, loops and hot cues is fast and fairly accurate. Meta-data editing on the Mac app is so nice!
Currently the Rekordbox iOS app is mainly a track preparation tool, but even the basic DJ performance features, are very solid; you could DJ on it in a pinch. Additionally, sound quality of the Rekordbox Mac and iOS apps is better. djay Pro sound quality is very good, but Rekordbox has the edge. FWIW - djay Pro is better with acoustic instruments and vocals, but Rekordbox is really flat across the spectrum and you can really hear all the highs, mids and lows on a club system.
I think the Trojan Horse here is the FLX4 controller. It is probably the best entry-level controller for anyone who wants to DJ on a mobile phone/tablet. Personally I will probably sell all my other budget/compact rig controllers from Numark, Hercules, Reloop etc. because the FLX4 basically does what they all do in a single unit. The USB-C / iOS implementation is spot-on; it charges the mobile device while in use and you can use a standard USB cable (no Apple CCK/dongle). Plus, being all USB-C will be nice.
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Interesting. Will have to check that out.
Competition is a good thing. Hopefully Djay will get some of these long requested library improvements too. I’ll definitely keep an eye on the Pioneer stuff.
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Well, based on these screen shots from Digital DJ Tips, I have to say that the graphical user interface has nothing on Djay Pro AI.
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That doesn’t really make a good impression. I hope this is just a first preview and not what it will look like finally. Besides, these are only screenshots from the iPhone. It would be really interesting to see the iPad version - I certainly hope there is one.
Hope Pioneer will nail the displaying of full track titles on - smaller - devices too. Still a pitty djay pro AI cannot do this.
Perhaps it is “uglier” but it also looks very, very functional; it’s pretty clear what all the controls do and how to use them.
And consider Pioneer’s market - it is overflowing with professional club and event DJs, so functionality over looks is going to be a top priority. No “Classic” mode here, they’re going straight to “Pro” mode from the get-go.
One big benefit of djay Pro is good support for multiple hardware controllers and mixers, across many brands. In contrast, Pioneer seems focused on staying within their eco-system.
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That may be, but they will probably still be able to reach most people, because most people use Pioneer.
The only thing (besides more supported hardware) that I could see maybe drawing algoriddim users in is if it provides jogwheel screen support for devices that have them. That’s not something I value highly, but I see it requested a lot here. I imagine the main user demographic will be people already using rekordbox and either wanting to give ios DJing a shot, or using it as a convince thing for set prep/practicing on the go.
Either way I think it’s a good thing that another big player is making a push towards iOS DJing. This only means that there will be more class compliant devices coming out and hopefully natively supported by multiple platforms. Pioneer is in the business of making money, so having new devices locked to rekordbox ios seems unlikely when they could still sell a controller even when used with another platform like algoriddim.
I just joined the community just to see about a conversation on this. it’s crazy to see so many left rekordbox for djay pro as I did to because I love djing with my ipad since it’s always with me but I have a ddj1000 I make my mxes on and a lot of functions I can’t use as it was made for rekordbox. to have an app like djay pro come out and to rival djay pro will be interesting. Im thinking all the pioneer controller people will probably go back to rekordbox. especially if you can save playlist history cloud sharing etc all in rekordbox mobile. however im thinking it’s going to be watered down as companies do with mobile versions. that’s why djay pro is winning right now and might be for a long time
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Yoiks! Rekordbox subscriptions are going up early 2023 - right around the time their iOS version comes out.
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EDIT: I went back in and the cue points, etc are actually pretty easily accessible, the layout just threw me a little
Just downloaded rekordbox and tried it out today. The UI looks pretty much like the screenshots posted here a while back. I found it to be very clean-looking and it ran smoothly on my older iphone, but it was not super intuitive and has extremely limited customization options, or else they’re hidden somewhere. Example, I couldn’t find a way to prevent new tracks from playing immediately upon loading, which I can’t stand, and I couldn’t see any control to access or store hotcues or loops. I only played with it for about 15 minutes, so I need to go back and see if I can figure it out, but by comparison, when I first tried djay back in 2020, 15 minutes was all it took for me to be convinced to buy bthe full version. No question, I still VASTLY prefer Algoriddim. Rekordbox will be great for people who are already fully tied to that ecosystem, but I can already tell it’s got a ways to go before it can come close to matching djay’s features and usability.
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Given that they have implemented their Cloud Library Sync features (via Dropbox) on IOS it does beg the question why there’s been so little movement on implementing a similar feature within DJay. See this thread for more info Syncing My Library Playlists between Devices
Ooof, that’s a hefty increase. Again, Algoriddim, there’s an opportunity to undercut AlphaTheta business model here and win over new users.
