DJ player app: interview with a frustrated developer
We spotted a few weeks ago what looks like an awesome DJ app to mix your music. We discovered yesterday on ReadWriteWeb that this app, along with other DJ iphone apps are not being approved by Apple and that they created a petition to raise awareness around their situation [signed so far by 308 persons]
The problem is that their app has been in Apple's hands for months without very clear reason.
We reached out to one of the developers Aviv Eyal to understand better the case.
We all know there is heat around the app store, because the App-roval process could easily be improved and become more efficient and transparent. In that respect Aviv has some good suggestions at the end of the interview.
Let's hope this app get approved soon, because it really looks like a a cool one.
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What is your app and what does it do?
My company Musicsoft Arts is developing next-generation media players and music mixers for the iPhone platform. We've developed a unique audio mixing engine that is going to empower several new music Apps. Our first App, DJ Spooky The Secret Song is already available in the App store today and is getting good initial reviews and sales.
The App allows you to listen to a mix or mix yourself a selection of exclusive remixes from DJ Spooky new album. It is the first App for the iPhone that allows you to truly mix 2 stereo audio files with stereo sound effects. DJ Player 1.0 is the first App built with our audio technology that allows anyone to easily play a smooth mix of his songs with one touch or to interactively mix his tracks using a mixer. This is ideal to play at a party as people already have their iPhone or iPod Touch with them.
You can just plug-in to the Stereo system and perform a great sounding mix. DJ Player replaces complex, heavy and expensive equipment and software that requires a strong laptop. DJ Player 2.0 is already in the works and it provides a revolutionary visual mixing interface that allows you to beat-match between tracks. It has features that you can only find today in desktop DJ software packages that cost $200 or more.
We've been working hard to allow you to play the perfect mix without having to listen to what you are going to play with an extra headphones and we believe that this tech will be appealing to millions of people who want to be more creative with the digital music they own and love, and have more fun playing it in new ways.
exclusive screenshot of the upcoming app
What's wrong here is that Apple didn't reject, comment or approved my App and several other DJ Apps for the last year, so all DJ Apps developers were basically in limbo.
I believe the petition was a result of frustrations due to Apple's lack of communications with the DJ software developers community. In addition, more basic and clunky DJ Apps got approved quickly and you can see them when you browse the top 50 paid or free music Apps in the App store today. Apple also recently announced plans to sell a DJ hardware and software package for Macs exclusively inApple stores, so some developers got the impression that Apple deliberately and unfairly blocks good DJ players from the iPhone platform.I hope that the petition will improve the communications between Apple and independent iPhone music developers and will stop the delays in the approval of innovative and legitimate music Apps that we've been seeing.
I don't know. The main differences between the DJ Spooky App and DJ Player is that DJ Player lets you mix your own music and not just included tracks.
NOTE: The DJ Player App was submitted long before DJ Spooky App was submitted, so it wasn't 'submitted today'.I wasn't directly involved in the petition but I support it. I'm in contact with several DJ software developers including those that initiated the petition.
I don't know because the Apple approval process is opaque. One DJ App I'm aware of has been submitted back in January and still didn't get approved yet.
Did you have any exchange with Apple since your app was submitted?
I had no feedback whatsoever from Apple regarding my App beyond the automated response that the App was received and that the review is still in process since it was submitted in September.
They very politely avoided giving me any concerte feedback about it for a long time. I can tell you that I heard back from Apple today regarding my App with a comment about a minor icon issue that I've already fixed, so I hope it will help and that my Apps will finally get approved. Some DJ software developers who got the same "replace the icon and submit again" feedback in the past, reported having to wait 3-4 weeks before the next communications from Apple. I hope this won't be the case for me.
Unfortunately, My App is not approved yet.
If you had all the Apple attention right now, what would you tell them?
I'd tell them that they should fix the way they deal with 3rd party iPhone developers if they want to remain the leaders in the mobile Apps market. I have many ideas on how to make the process better. I think that most of the issues are due to lack of open and efficient communications channels and not due to bad intentions or hidden agendas.
To their credit, the Apps store is only one year old and they have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of submissions. Part of the problem may be Apple internal resources allocated to deal with 3rd party developers. I also believe that the Apps review process should be crowd-sourced - let the community decide what's decent, spammy, good or bad. What made the PC and Mac so powerful as a platform was that any developer could build and sell software apps without an official approval. Imagine Winamp needing Microsoft approval to be installable on Windows.
Apple should also focus on featuring, reviewing and promoting great Apps to their customers while still allowing any App to work on the iPhone without their prior approval. For example, there can be two main App store sections - fresh pre-reviewed Apps for early adopters and tested and reviewed Apps for mainstream consumers. They can also put a process in place that removes misleading and spammy Apps based on consumers feedback, similar to what Youtube has implemented in the online video space.
There are also several major technical limitations in the iPhone SDK that block some serious innovation in the music Apps space that I'd like Apple fix in future SDK releases. I'd tell Apple to fully open Bluetooth for 3rd party audio playback accessories and for Apps developers and to allow low-level read access to the local music library on the iPhone so music Apps can use the music already on the iPhone for mixing. The current level of access does not allow for some of the more interesting audio Apps scenarios. I believe most people want to have more control of the music they already own and have on their device and to use any third party audio playback device with their iPhone.
Fixing these two issues will enable an era of amazing iPhone (and perhaps iTablet) audio Apps.
Sure!
