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Accompanist

Music tempo control for dance. Slow any song to learn the steps — with the pitch kept in key — or speed it up, and save a speed-and-volume plan for every dancer. iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

About

Accompanist plays any song you own with a giant on-screen knob (plus a slider, +/− buttons, presets, and a tap-to-type field) that changes the playback tempo in real time — from a quarter-speed crawl to triple speed. A pitch-lock toggle keeps the music in its original key while you change tempo, so you can slow a tricky passage down to learn the choreography without it sounding like a record winding down. In dance, the accompanist is the rehearsal musician who flexes the tempo for the class — that’s exactly what this app does, on your phone.

Getting started

• Open the library (the music button, top-left) and tap + to add songs — pick individual files, add a whole folder at once, or import from Google Drive (see below).
• Tap a song to load it, then press play.
• Change the speed any way you like and the music follows in real time.

How to change the speed

• The knob — drag in a circle around it. The number in the middle updates live.
• The slider — drag the bar, which has a clear 1× marker.
• + and − buttons — each tap nudges the speed by 0.01× for fine control.
• Type a value — tap the number in the middle and type an exact speed.
• Presets — quick taps across your range.
• Custom range & centre — in Settings (the gear, top-right) set your own speed range and the value that sits in the middle, from a gentle 0.9–1.1× to a wide 0.25–3×.

Keep the pitch — or let it move

One toggle decides how the music responds:

• On (default). The tempo changes, but the music stays in its original key — perfect for drilling choreography to a slower count.
• Off. Pitch follows speed for the classic record-speed effect.

Set the speed back to exactly 1× and the song returns to its original sound, bit-for-bit.

A profile for every dancer (Pro)

While a song plays, tap Record and adjust speed and volume as you go. Tap Stop & Save and give it a name — for a teacher, usually a student’s name. Next time, tap Profiles, pick one, and the app drives the speed and volume for you, hands-free, so you can watch the floor. See the whole routine on a speed chart and a volume chart. Share a profile with another dancer and it reattaches to the same song on their device. Profiles back up to iCloud and restore on your other devices.

Volume, fades, and boost

The Volume tab sets a per-song volume that’s independent of your phone’s volume — with a tap at 100%. Boost above 100% to lift a quiet recording, and set your own volume range. Smooth fade-in and fade-out ramp the level over a length you choose.

Organize into folders

• Add a whole folder and the app keeps its subfolder structure — perfect for a full class (Warm Up / Barre / Centre).
• Make your own folders, open them to see what’s inside, and play straight through a folder.
• Sync across your devices (Pro). Your folders sync between your iPhone and iPad over iCloud. Switch on “Sync music” for any folder to carry its songs to your other devices too.
• Share a folder with another teacher (Pro). Share a whole folder — its songs and saved dancer profiles included. They tap your link and it imports straight into their app.

Export your adjusted song (Pro)

Save the music at your chosen speed — following a saved profile’s changing speed and volume — as an audio file. Pick the format (match the original, M4A, or WAV) and see the length and file size before you export. Play it on any device at the venue.

Adding music & Google Drive

Open the library and tap +. You can:

• Add files or Add a folder from Files (On My iPhone, iCloud Drive, or a connected file server such as Synology/SMB). Every playable file inside a folder is imported, keeping its structure.
• Import from Google Drive (or Dropbox). Because Apple doesn’t let apps fetch folders from cloud providers directly, Accompanist registers as a share destination instead. Tap “Import from Google Drive” for step-by-step help: open the Google Drive app, select your songs, tap Share, and choose Accompanist. The songs import straight into your library.
• Pull the audio out of a video (Pro).

Songs are copied into the app, so a class plays start-to-finish even with no network. Supported: MP3, M4A/AAC, WAV, AIFF and most common audio types. DRM-protected tracks (e.g. Apple Music streams) can’t be opened — you need a file you own.

Make it yours

Pick a colour theme in Settings › Style — Midnight, Rose, Ocean, Sunset, Forest, or Graphite — to restyle the knob, bars, and background.

On your Apple Watch

Control the music from your wrist — play/pause, speed, volume, and skip — so you can run the class without reaching for your phone. The watch app mirrors what’s playing on your iPhone over a direct connection.

Accompanist Pro

The app is free to use as a full live player. Accompanist Pro (US$1.99/month or US$19.99/year) adds: saving & replaying named dancer profiles, the speed and volume charts, exporting your adjusted song, pulling audio out of a video, and full iCloud sync & folder sharing across devices and teachers. Open the membership page from the crown button (top-left) to subscribe or manage your subscription. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account; payment is charged to your Apple ID.

Tips for dancers

• For drilling choreography, set 0.5×–0.75× with pitch lock on — the musicality stays intact so the cues sound right.
• For a warm-up, ramp from 0.85× up to 1× over a few play-throughs, then reset to exactly 1× for the real thing.
• For comp prep, use + / − to find the exact speed your judge will play at, then type that number to lock it.
• Save a profile per student so each dancer’s tempo and volume plan is one tap away — even on your iPad or a co-teacher’s device.

FAQ

Is the app free?

Yes — the full live player is free, with no ads and no accounts. An optional Accompanist Pro subscription adds profiles, charts, export, video-audio import, and iCloud sync & sharing.

I don’t see Google Drive when I tap “Add a folder”.

That’s an Apple limitation — cloud providers like Google Drive don’t allow apps to pick whole folders from them. To bring songs in from Google Drive or Dropbox, open that app, select the songs, tap Share, and choose Accompanist. The in-app “Import from Google Drive” button walks you through it. Local files and file servers (On My iPhone, iCloud Drive, Synology) can be folder-picked with “Add a folder”.

Does it support Apple Music or Spotify streams?

No. Streaming services protect their catalogue with DRM, which prevents third-party apps from reading the audio. You can use any audio file you own — exports from your DAW, purchased downloads, podcasts, or your own recordings.

Does my music get uploaded anywhere?

Only into your own private iCloud, and only if you turn on iCloud sync (Pro). Nothing is ever sent to us or to any third party. See the Privacy Policy.

Does it work on iPad and Apple Watch?

Yes. Accompanist is a universal app with a full-screen layout on iPhone and iPad, plus an Apple Watch companion for hands-free control.

Does the speed knob work with a Bluetooth speaker?

Yes. Playback follows whatever route iOS is using — AirPods, headphones, the built-in speaker, AirPlay, or any Bluetooth audio device — and keeps playing in the background.

I found a bug or have a feature request.

Please email mwsupplylimited@gmail.com with your iOS version, device, and steps to reproduce. We read every message.

Contact

For support: mwsupplylimited@gmail.com

Privacy

See the Accompanist Privacy Policy.