Audio-reactive visuals for Ableton Live and your browser
Your music,
made visible.
Photism turns any sound into audio-reactive visuals. Run it in Ableton as a Max for Live device, or in your browser with a mic, an instrument, or a track. No mapping, no VJ rig, no export wait.
M4L.DEVICE +++ WEB.APP +++ MAC.+.WINDOWS +++ SCENE.LIBRARY +++ 16.MACROS**
Scenes
ink
Marbled ink that flows with your mids.
explore →
morphogen
An inkblot grown by a reaction-diffusion sim.
explore →
signal
FFT analyzer, scope, spectrogram, and goniometer.
explore →
relic
A 3D Mandelbulb. Accents regrow it as you fly.
explore →
ingot
A slug of molten chrome. Accents reshape it.
explore →
anemone
Chains of glowing rings pouring out of one point. Follows your mouse.
explore →
idol
A Mandelbox carved into a mandala. Accents re-carve it.
explore →
grove
An endless drift through a fractal forest.
explore →
wisp
A dust world with one bright wanderer.
explore →
spacetime
Neon light rays rushing past. Forward or reverse.
explore →
pelt
A field of fur you can brush.
explore →
fluid
A fluid simulation. Kicks stir the ink.
explore →
citadel
A Mandelbox lattice the camera flies through.
explore →
synapse
Every hit adds a node to a growing constellation.
explore →
gate
A corridor of metal gates you fall through.
explore →
mandala
A fractal folded through a kaleidoscope.
explore →
oracle
A near-black chamber lit on its edges.
explore →
limitless
Your own image, warped by the music.
explore →
forge
A chrome swarm that builds a shape and breaks it apart.
explore →
sand
Chladni figures drawn from your spectrum.
explore →more coming
New scenes ship as free v1.x updates.
How it works
- 1
Drop the device
Drag Photism onto any audio track in Ableton Live. The master bus works great.
- 2
Open the visuals
One click opens the renderer in your browser. Fullscreen it on any display.
- 3
Play
The full frequency spectrum drives every scene live. Kicks hit, visuals hit.
- 4
Capture
Record a clip straight from the visuals with the track's audio baked in. It downloads as an MP4, ready to post.
Play it in your browser
Try Photism online for free (no download). If you already own Photism, sign in with your email to unlock every scene.
Who makes Photism
Photism is a solo project by Alec Hollingsworth, aka illoh.
One of the hardest parts of trying to make it as a music creator: promoting yourself on social media. It can feel so greasy and embarrassing. I've seen tons of friends struggle with this and even lose themselves along the way.
The core issue is that music is auditory: short form media is visual first and auditory second. This means music can be fundamentally difficult to share without dancing in front of a camera.
That is why I made Photism. It is not meant to replace VJs, visual artists, or visuals for professional shows. It is not meant to replace amazing software like TouchDesigner either.
It simply exists to give easy, fast, and stunning visuals that anyone can use. Music creators want to make more music, not spend their already limited free time learning complicated visual software.
I hope you enjoy, and there are always new scenes and modes coming!
Pricing
$19
Launch price. One-time purchase, no subscription, free updates through v1.x.
Get PhotismmacOS or Windows. Ableton Live Suite, or Standard with Max for Live.