Sound-to-light software for Mac: mic or song file
HitLight is sound-to-light software for macOS. Its Auto Show drives patched DMX fixtures from music — either the room, through the Mac's microphone, or MP3 and WAV recordings played from the Mac itself, which can run offline. It controls colour, intensity and movement, and never fires hazers, pyro or lasers.
Key facts
- Two live audio sources
- HitLight Auto Show can follow room audio through the Mac's microphone or analyse and play locally imported MP3 and WAV recordings in Files mode. There is no direct DJ-software integration.
- Song files
- In Files mode, Auto Show imports MP3 or WAV recordings — a single song or a DJ mix up to eight hours long — analyses them on the Mac, and runs the lights from the music while it plays the audio. Imported recordings and their analysis stay on that Mac.
- Offline file shows
- Prepare a rig for offline use while online, and a file-driven Auto Show performance runs later with no internet connection.
- Strobes
- HitLight Auto Show leaves physical strobes off by default. An explicitly assigned strobe role can produce short accents on peak beats. HitLight does not impose a photosensitivity-safe flash-rate cap; strobe effects require responsible operator supervision.
Should you use the microphone or a song file?
| Mode | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Show — microphone | Live bands, DJs on their own system, anything unplanned or unreleased. | Listens to the room through the Mac's microphone and follows the beat and energy as they happen. Nothing to prepare. |
| Auto Show — Files | Parties, bars, rehearsals and recorded sets where the Mac plays the music. | In Files mode, Auto Show imports MP3 or WAV recordings — a single song or a DJ mix up to eight hours long — analyses them on the Mac, and runs the lights from the music while it plays the audio. Imported recordings and their analysis stay on that Mac. |
How does microphone Auto Show work?
Patch your fixtures, open Auto Show, check the microphone level and press Game On. HitLight picks looks from its lighting library that suit the fixtures you actually have, changes them with the music's energy, and moves heads in time. Brightness and show-energy sliders set how hard it pushes. Because it listens to what is audible, it works with live instruments and music no track library has ever seen.
How does Auto Show run from a song file?
In Files mode, Auto Show imports MP3 or WAV recordings — a single song or a DJ mix up to eight hours long — analyses them on the Mac, and runs the lights from the music while it plays the audio. Imported recordings and their analysis stay on that Mac.
Build a queue, prepare the show and press Game On. HitLight plays the audio and the lights together, with play, pause, seek and skip, and keeps the lighting intensity separate from the audio volume. Because the recording is analysed before it plays, Auto Show can follow its sections as estimates with confidence, not only react to the last beat it heard.
Offline. HitLight requires internet for account sync, collaboration and the AI assistant. For local file performances, prepare a rig for offline use while online, then open its saved Offline performance on the same Mac. Local recordings and the prepared rig remain private to that Mac.
What will sound-to-light never do in HitLight?
Automatic control in HitLight excludes these channel classes in code, not by convention:
- Smoke machines, hazers and fans
- Flame projectors, flame ignition and any pyrotechnic channel
- Lasers
- Blinders
- UV
- Fixture macros and unverified effect channels
You can always take over: Stop — Holds the last safe look on the rig. Nothing changes until you act again. Fade Out — Takes the rig down over one second. Blackout — Immediate. Sits next to the Auto toggle and takes effect at once. See lighting safety for the watchdog and what happens if the app stops responding.
Last verified .
Let the music run the lights
Download the Mac beta, patch your fixtures, and press Game On — from the room or from a song file.
HitLight is in beta. Every account includes Venue / Install at no cost during the beta, with no credit card required. After beta, Hobby / Student stays free for non-commercial use. Pro costs USD 19 per month or USD 149 per year. Venue / Install costs USD 999 per site per year. Requires macOS 14 or later for hardware output.