Posted By Paul Kafasis on January 9th, 2024

A new year is upon us, and that means it’s time for another annual status report. Let’s have a look back at Rogue Amoeba’s 2023 and preview some things to look forward to in the coming year.

Last year was very busy for us, but an unusually high percentage of our work took place behind the scenes. Much more will be revealed in the coming months, but there was still plenty to see in 2023.

49 Updates Shipped

Averaging nearly one release per week is no easy task, but the 49 updates shipped last year actually represented our lowest total since 2019. When COVID struck in 2020, the global shift to working from home caused a rapid increase in our user base. The resulting flood of feedback and new use cases led to an unprecedented 80 updates that year. Since that stressful high-water mark, we’ve made a concerted effort to be more deliberate with our update schedule. We bundle bug fixes and feature updates into a smaller number of robustly-tested releases. Things now flow more smoothly internally, and we disrupt our users less frequently as well.

We continued to provide outstanding value to our customers, with all but one of those 49 updates being provided free for existing users. In the fall, we had support for MacOS 14 (Sonoma) well before its release. We also added dozens of new features throughout the year, polished myriad interfaces and interactions, and exterminated plenty of bugs.

Three Big New Audio Hijack Releases

Audio Hijack started off 2023 by winning its third Upgradie for “Best Mac App”, which meant it also received a Lifetime Achievement award. Things got even better from there.

Audio Hijack 4.1 arrived shortly after, with a whopping 53 enhancements. Included among these was a more powerful System Audio block, as well as the ability to greatly decrease the screen space the app uses.

In May, Audio Hijack 4.2 brought three powerful new blocks. Parametric EQ adjusts audio with surgical precision, using multiple bands with customizable filter types, frequency, Q, and gain. Speech Denoise harnesses machine learning (ML) to let your audio shine. And with the FIR Filter, you can give your audio a signature sound.

Perhaps the most unexpected update, however, came in Audio Hijack 4.3. The new Transcribe block uses the power of OpenAI’s “Whisper” to provide transcriptions for any audio on your Mac. Audio Hijack can now serve as your own personal stenographer, and people are using it in all sorts of amazing ways.

See the Audio Hijack page to get the latest, and to learn more.

SoundSource 5.6

In recent years, SoundSource has become a favorite tool for all sorts of Mac users. Our product lineup aims to help a wide range of users, but many of our tools are particularly helpful for prosumers like podcasters and folks making lots of audio calls on their Macs. SoundSource, on the other hand, is something no Mac should be without.

With SoundSource 5.6, we added support for Apple’s Sound Isolation effect, which works to isolate voice from background audio. Using SoundSource, you can now apply Sound Isolation to any app on your Mac. The update also improved the Headphone EQ effect, with updated support for AutoEq profiles.

With its fast access to devices, per-app controls, and so much more, SoundSource can help any user who listens to audio on their Mac. That’s almost certainly you, so visit the SoundSource page to check it out.

Farrago 2

Farrago 2 represented our lone paid upgrade in 2023. It brought more than 75 new features and improvements, including a built-in audio editor, integrated search of the Freesound.org sound database, support for Stream Deck and OSC controllers, audio previewing, and more. Farrago was already the Mac’s best soundboard app, and version 2 is better than ever.

Every aspect of the app was reviewed, with improvements made across the board. Neale once again blogged about the process of designing the new version, with “The Design of Farrago 2”. I especially love the way the before and after comparison images so quickly show off months of progress.

Odds & Ends

Of course, we did more than just release product updates. In early March, we unveiled one of my favorite projects in recent memory: the Rogue Amoeba Historic Screenshot Archive. It’s a whole lot of fun, and worth checking out. In a similar vein, Rogue Amoeba’s 21st anniversary in September was the occasion for Neale to create a lovely icon flowchart. Give it a look to see how our app icons have progressed over time.

Other notable 2023 blog posts included “The RIAA v. Steve Jobs” and “A Word of Caution on MacOS Updates”. The former is a rather horrifying tale of the near-death of Audio Hijack, and perhaps Rogue Amoeba, way back in the mid-aughts. Meanwhile, the latter is the first blog post from our newest support tech Aaron, and it provides a thoughtful look at what it means to run beta versions of Apple’s OSes.

Aaron’s actually been with us since 2021, but we did increase our headcount last year. In fact, 2023 saw Rogue Amoeba grow to the largest its ever been, with 12 full-time employees. We’ve got a fantastic team dedicated to the Mac apps you love, and I couldn’t be prouder to work alongside them.

As previously mentioned, much of the work we did last year hasn’t been made visible quite yet. In 2024, we expect to unveil much of the fruits of those labors. I’ll discuss two major efforts we’re focused on.

A Dramatically Simplified Launch Experience

We’re incredibly excited about updates coming in the next few months, which will improve the first launch experience for all of our audio capture apps: Airfoil, Audio Hijack, Loopback, Piezo, and SoundSource.

As a result of changes Apple made back in MacOS 11, our apps have been stuck with a setup process that’s much more complicated than we’d like. Currently, an annoying restart is required to get going on Intel-based Macs. Setup is even more burdensome on Apple’s newest M Chip-based Macs, with multiple restarts required, as well a change to the Mac’s “Security Policy”. This has been a notable pain point, which comes before a user even has a chance to try the app. It’s been very frustrating for us to not be able to do better for our customers, and there’s no doubt that this has deterred people from using our products.

We’re now very close to removing those obstacles completely. We’ll soon be shipping updates that simplify things immensely. In fact, Airfoil, Audio Hijack and Piezo will feature an installer-free setup that won’t even need your administrator password. Meanwhile, Loopback and SoundSource will use a new audio capture plugin called ARK that won’t require a single system restart. It’s going to be an incredible improvement to our user experience.

These changes may go unnoticed until you’re setting up your next Mac, but they’re going to allow new users to blast off in seconds. We’re beyond thrilled to streamline our setup process, and to help many more people harness the power of our tools.

Big Updates To Our Most Popular Apps

In 2023, we also began a trio of initiatives to update our most popular apps: Audio Hijack, Loopback, and SoundSource. Each product is led by a different member of our talented team, and the work they’re doing is coming along well. If you’re already using one or more of these apps, you’re going to love the additions coming this year.

If you haven’t checked out Audio Hijack, Loopback, or SoundSource before, however, there’s no need to wait. They’re already fantastic and ready to assist you today.

In addition to these major undertakings, our entire product line will of course continue to be updated. There are certain to be maintenance releases, and likely a few other surprises as well.

Ways to Keep in Touch

You won’t want to miss out, so here are a few ways you can keep up with the latest news from Rogue Amoeba.

Follow Us on Social Media

On our social media accounts, we post about updates big and small, along with the occasional bit of amusing randomness. Following the decay of Twitter in 2023, you can now find us on more social media platforms than ever, including:

 

Read the Release Notes

Built-in version checking will alert you to our latest updates, with detailed release notes telling you what’s new. Those release notes are also provided on our site. Click your favorite app to see them:

 

Read This Blog

Our blog is the place to read about major updates in depth. You can subscribe to our handy feed in any RSS reader.

Join Our Mailing List

Last but not least, we recommend all users join our very low-traffic mailing list. We send just two to four emails each year, with information on very biggest news, along with exclusive deals.

Until Next Time

We’ve got lots to do, so it’s time to get to it. Have a happy new year, and then stay tuned for much more from your favorite Mac audio software company.

Posted By Paul Kafasis on January 5th, 2024

Earlier this week, we were once again thrilled to have Audio Hijack honored by the Upgrade podcast. You might recall that our flagship audio recorder had a coveted Lifetime Achievement award bestowed upon it at the end of 2022. As a result, Audio Hijack is no longer in the running for future Upgradie awards.

However, two weeks after announcing the 2023 Upgradies, Jason and Myke added a new section to the Upgradies award cabinet. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Upgradies, the duo looked over all the winners from the past decade. They then enshrined one winner per category in the Upgradies Hall of Fame.

Much to our delight, Audio Hijack was elected to the Hall in the “Best Mac App” category. Here’s a bit of what Jason had to say¹:

You talk to people who are on Windows and know about Mac stuff…like Audio Hijack, Like, wha…It’s so good, like it’s so smart, that interface that they built. Because for people who don’t remember, the old Audio Hijack interface was terrible, but the new Audio Hijack interface with the little blocks that are all connected and that you can record from different things and process them and send them different places. For podcasters, it’s invaluable.

Now that’s a great way to kick off the new year – thank you, Jason and Myke! Give the whole show a listen to hear all about the best of the best apps and more from the past ten years. And if you haven’t seen Audio Hijack recently, why not download it and give it a whirl? It’s now more award-winning than ever!

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Footnotes:

1. This transcription was generated using Audio Hijack’s new Transcribe block, then lightly edited. Neat! ↩︎

Posted By Aaron Wasserman on November 29th, 2023

For well over a decade, Apple has made a practice of releasing annual updates to their operating systems. New OS versions are unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference in late spring, then tested over the summer, with official releases coming in the fall. These OS upgrades often significantly change how your devices work, particularly when it comes to MacOS. Apple has now made it possible to upgrade your OS, and even install pre-release beta OS versions, with just a few clicks.

While the ease of beta release installation can be convenient for developers, it poses risks for most users. As one of Rogue Amoeba’s frontline support technicians, I’ve observed the negative effects MacOS updates sometimes cause. That’s why we always recommend taking things slow when it comes to updating your Mac’s OS, as well as avoiding beta OS versions entirely.

Beta Breakers

The recent MacOS 14.1 beta update is a case in point, as it introduced substantial breaking changes. Those changes interrupted significant functionality in the then-current versions of our apps. For folks using our apps for production or other critical work, installing a beta version of the OS brought things to a halt until we could issue our own updates. We worked swiftly to debug problems and then ship new versions to restore functionality, but that type of work often requires days or even weeks. Those users who didn’t install MacOS 14.1 betas avoided headaches, blissfully unaware of the hiccups.

Check Your Settings

The aforementioned issue affected a significant number of users who had tested the MacOS 14 (Sonoma) betas over the summer. These users ran into trouble because Apple opted not to reset the beta OS updates setting in MacOS, even after the official Sonoma release shipped. As a result, many users who thought they were now on a normal OS update track were surprised to find themselves running beta versions of MacOS 14.1.

If you tested Sonoma over the summer, you may still be enrolled to receive Apple’s beta software updates. Turning that setting off is strongly recommended. This can be done by going to the General section of System Settings, selecting Software Update and ensuring that Beta Updates are switched off. We recommend disabling Automatic Updates there as well, so that you have full control over scheduling when your Mac’s operating system changes.

Rogue Amoeba’s Test Releases

Since our founding, Rogue Amoeba has provided our users with hundreds of high-quality free updates to our software, containing both bug fixes and enhancements. We also work hard to ensure our software is ready for Apple’s major updates to MacOS. All of that requires a great deal of time and careful testing.

As part of our development process, we provide our own optional access to pre-release versions of our products, called test releases. As the introductory post explained:

Test releases are the precursor to full, official releases of our software, and provide early access to new features and functionality. Though not recommended for those with production systems, these releases are vetted internally, and should be suitable for general use.

If you’re interested in trying out our test releases, see this article for instructions.

β Is For Bugs

For nearly all users, sticking with official releases of both MacOS and our own software is the way to go. If you do plan to test beta versions of MacOS, go into the process knowing that problems may occur, and remember to try our test releases as well. As well, for current compatibility information on all our apps, our Status page is always a helpful resource.

Of course, whether you’re using a beta version of MacOS or a public release, we’re always here to assist. If you notice a problem, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You’ll get a reply from me or one of my colleagues on our friendly Support team.

Posted By Paul Kafasis on November 2nd, 2023

Our flagship recording tool Audio Hijack can now act as your own personal stenographer! We’ve just released version 4.3, with a brand-new Transcribe block to turn spoken audio into a written text transcript. Read on for more details, or grab this free update immediately by selecting Check for Updates in the Audio Hijack menu or downloading right here.

The Brand-New Transcribe Block

Transcribe can convert speech from an astonishing 57 languages into text, providing you with a written transcript of any spoken audio. It’s powered by OpenAI’s automatic speech recognition system Whisper, and features two powerful models for fast and accurate transcriptions.¹

Best of all, unlike traditional transcription services, Transcribe works for free inside of Audio Hijack. There’s absolutely no ongoing cost, so you can generate unlimited transcriptions and never again pay a per-minute charge. It’s pretty incredible.

It’s also completely private. When you use Transcribe, everything happens right on your Mac. That means your data is never sent to the cloud, nor shared with anyone else.

Transcribe Audio From a Microphone

To get started, use Audio Hijack’s Template Chooser to create a new Transcribe session, which you can see running below:

This straightforward configuration takes audio from a microphone and runs it through the Transcribe block, while also saving a recording for reference. Just speak into a microphone connected to your Mac and you’ll get a transcript file.

Transcribe Calls or Any Audio From an Application

Thanks to Audio Hijack’s ability to capture audio from any app running on your Mac, you can now transcribe anything you can hear. This is particularly useful for voice and video calls over Zoom, Skype, and other VoIP services.

Skip the note-taking! With text transcripts, your meetings on Zoom and calls on FaceTime can now be referenced and searched. And of course, this isn’t limited to just VoIP apps. Use Transcribe with any application on your Mac, for endless speech to text possibilities.

Transcribe From a File

Your audio doesn’t even need to be live. If you already have a recorded audio file, it can serve as a source for transcription. Play the audio file in any app (such as our audio editor Fission), then capture the audio with Audio Hijack and route it through the Transcribe block to get your transcript.

Great for Podcasters

With Audio Hijack and the new Transcribe block, it’s easy for podcasters to provide audiences with a text transcript of every show. Make it part of your podcasting setup, and your transcript will be ready for you moments after you finish recording.

When recording from multiple inputs, Transcribe can even handle multiple hosts, with the transcript accurately labeling each speaker:

Your resulting transcript will be easy to read:

You may wish to clean up transcripts for accuracy before posting, but even a rough, unedited transcript can be very helpful for listeners.

Beta; More to Come

When using the Transcribe block, you may notice it has a “Beta” label. It’s not yet as polished as we plan for it to be and you should be cautious when using it in production systems. Still, we’ve tested it thoroughly, and it’s incredibly useful even as a beta.

Try it out, then let us know what you think. We already have plans for more transcription integration in future Audio Hijack updates, and user feedback will definitely be a helpful guide.

Get Audio Hijack 4.3 Right Now

The new Transcribe block will be a boon to all manner of users, from podcasters to lawyers to doctors and more. The ability to quickly convert spoken audio into a text file opens up countless new workflows, and we’re excited to see how you use it!

Get the brand-new Transcribe block right in Audio Hijack 4.3, which is a free update for all existing users of version 4. Just select Check for Updates from the Audio Hijack menu to download it today.

If you’re new to Audio Hijack, visit the app’s product page to learn more about the Mac’s very best audio recording tool, then download the free trial to test it out. You’re going to be delighted.

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Footnotes:

1. For the best experience, Apple Silicon-based Macs are strongly recommended. Due to the processing requirements of the machine learning models, Intel Macs can be very slow to transcribe. Transcribe will run on any Mac that supports Audio Hijack 4.3, but Apple Silicon Macs are best. ↩︎

Posted By Paul Kafasis on October 28th, 2023

As you can see on our trusty Status page, every Rogue Amoeba application is now updated with full support for MacOS 14 (Sonoma).

Prior to Sonoma’s official release in September, we announced that all of our software had initial support for the new OS. Nevertheless, we always urge caution with OS updates, particularly for those with production setups like podcasters. Taking it slow with even official OS releases is a good idea to avoid unnecessary headaches.

Following the 14.0 release, we also spent quite a bit of time testing against Apple’s betas of 14.1. There were substantial breaking changes made by Apple in 14.1, and additional updates were required. Those updates shipped last week, and we’re now delighted to declare that our entire lineup has full support for Sonoma. If you’ve been putting off updating to Sonoma, now’s a great time to make the move.

Just make sure you’re running our latest versions, and you’ll be ready to upgrade your Mac’s OS.