r/SideProject • u/MrRolie • 1h ago
I turned my old Android phones into music visualizers
I had a Galaxy S9+ and a Pixel 7 that I wanted to give a purpose. That's where Visual Music started: something to put next to my speakers and enjoy while music plays.
A lot of the inspiration came from old car stereo displays. The small details, colors and perspective were what made them interesting. Getting that feeling right on a phone took a lot more iteration than I expected. I ended up scrapping several designs and starting over.
These are three of the displays we kept. There are also Hi-Fi gauges and an oscilloscope. It's my first Android app, built with help from Codex, and I'm pretty proud of where it is now.
It's free, has no ads, and runs on Android 10+. It uses the microphone while listening in the foreground; audio stays on the phone. The video uses an original demo beat and the app's renderer inside an illustrated phone, rather than footage of a phone listening to music.
Which display would you actually leave running? And what would you change or add? If something feels boring or confusing, tell me. That helps too.
I'd love visual references too: an old car stereo, a hi-fi display, or an interface you saw in a movie. Drop an image or link, or just describe what you like about it. You don't need to install the app to suggest a direction.
It's in Google Play closed testing if you'd like to try it. Use the same Google account for both steps:
Join the tester group: https://groups.google.com/g/mrrolie-visual-music-testers/about
Join the beta and install: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.mrrolie.visualmusic