Music visualization on iPhone and iPad

Start with a supported audio source

An iPhone or iPad can listen through its microphone or a compatible connected audio input. It cannot read another app’s internal music playback directly. When music plays from a television or speaker, microphone input hears that sound acoustically.

Settings › Audio Input › Microphone & USB-C. iPhone and iPad cannot capture music directly from another app.

Check Active input and the level meter before calibrating. Music playing on a TV or receiver reaches the microphone acoustically, not through Screen Mirroring.

Make quiet music easier to detect

Keep the microphone uncovered and away from direct speaker contact. Calibrate with the music at ordinary listening volume. Increase Analysis gain gradually while checking visible musical events, rather than treating a moving meter as proof of beat detection.

Visual response and Boost shape the analyzed music. Boost strengthens musical drive; it does not change the physical microphone or speaker volume.

Keep source volume steady while comparing settings. A distant, muffled speaker or room echo can hide attacks even when the meter is moving.

Move the picture to the audience screen

Connect a monitor with a supported cable or adapter. On iPhone and iPad, USB-C / HDMI audience output is detected automatically when supported by the device.

For AirPlay, use Control Center › Screen Mirroring and select the receiver. On Mac, extend the display and select it in Presentation. On mobile, wait for Audience Display: Active.

Mobile defaults target 30 FPS and Mac targets 60 FPS, unless changed. Native resolution, Extreme fluid detail, layers, and external output can raise heat. Ultra is a quality choice, not a performance guarantee.

Changing quality can rebuild the fluid simulation resources and briefly interrupt a live visual. Choose quality before performing when possible. Fixed rendering keeps your chosen detail; performance protection can reduce the frame rate when the device is under load.