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#How to use spotify app visualizer mac osx
Soundflower is a Mac OSX system extension that’s been used in the community for a long time to solve exactly this problem - it’s designed to create a virtual audio output device that can also act as an input. Essentially, you have to create a way to route the sound source to both the visualizer and your speakers simultaneously. It seems like this should be a simple problem to solve - to have the visualizer tap into the sound going to your headphone jack - but it’s not the case. The software is not inexpensive at $30, but you can use that version as long as you want until you need an OS upgrade.The only problem was getting it to work with Spotify. I downloaded the latest G-Force (Platinum) version and it was as good as I remembered, with very beautiful mathematical types of visualizations and a lot of ability to customize. I found a few other programs that were geared more to smart home bulbs that might be able to be repurposed, but it was a surprisingly shallow result to my efforts. I also uncovered another standalone visualizer called Discobrick.
#How to use spotify app visualizer mac os
When I looked up G-Force on the web, I found it was being actively updated to new versions of the Mac OS and that development and fixes were still underway. If I could get a visualizer that could work with any sound source, I’d have what I wanted. To my surprise, it looked like one of the better solutions. I knew that it had a standalone component, but I’d never really paid that much attention to it. Way back I had occasionally used a terrific visualizer plug-in for iTunes called G-Force. A few years ago Spotify had its own visualizer built in as a hidden Easter Egg, but that no longer exists. I scoured the web, I looked at the App Store, and I looked in Spotify’s user forums. Since I was particularly interested in Spotify, I Googled around to see if I could find a good visualizer and I was truly surprised that I turned up almost nothing. These directions would also work for any Mac laptop hooked up to a flatscreen. The thought of running some cool visual effects on this TV was motivating, so I went to the trouble of figuring out some solid solutions, and I’m sharing it with the community so others can have the same fun I’ve had.
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The display is amazing and since I use a Mac Mini as a music server in my setup, anything I can show on the Mac I can show on the TV.
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I recently upgraded the TV attached to my home audio system to a brilliant Sony 4K 65” unit. iTunes itself provides some built-in ones that have gotten better and better over time. A visualizer provides animated visual effects based on the music being played. But, ever since the days of Winamp, I’ve liked running a music visualizer for some eye candy while I’m working. I love the exploration, I like the daily mixes. Like many people, I find myself using Spotify more and more.
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