Free to download and use
Ultimate VJ costs $0 to download and use. Install the app, mix clips with built-in visuals, control your set and save it as a .uvj file. You do not need an account, a licence key or an email subscription.
Choose direct download or Homebrew. You need an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 26 or later. See system requirements for details.
Included with Ultimate VJ
- Mix video clips across layers and groups with transitions and effects.
- Create visuals with built-in RenderWave shaders, adjust their controls and save looks.
- Add animated text and modulate parameters as you perform.
- Control clips and parameters with your keyboard, MIDI or OSC.
- Send visuals to a display, map output surfaces and share video through Syphon input/output.
- Save
.uvjsets, collect their media and record silent video.
Explore the features for controls, examples and links to the manual.
Start without signing up
Download the app or install it with Homebrew, then follow the Quickstart to build your first set. Email updates are optional and available after installation.
Is Ultimate VJ open source?
No. Ultimate VJ is free to download and use, but it is not open source. Its core architecture is a fork of RenderWave’s proprietary rendering engine, which Walz Media developed for RenderWave. Because it uses that proprietary engine, Ultimate VJ cannot be open sourced.
Built-in RenderWave visuals and the separate app
Use the built-in RenderWave shaders to generate visuals, change their controls and save looks. Add Kaleidoscope · RenderWave to apply symmetry to an existing image. Learn how to use the included shaders and effect.
The standalone RenderWave application is a separate Walz Media product with its own licence and account terms. It is not included with Ultimate VJ.
Media rights and commercial use
Check the app's supplied terms and the permissions attached to the video, images, fonts, audio and artwork you use, including restrictions on commercial performances, recording or redistribution.
For a licence question before a paid project, contact support and identify the app version and intended use.
Plan your workflow
- Recording: video recordings contain no audio track. See Recording.
- File audio: changing playback speed also changes pitch. See Audio playback.
- Ableton Link: share tempo and bar phase; Link does not synchronize transport start/stop. See Tempo, Link and quantization.
- Syphon: Syphon output supports SDR compositions up to 1920 × 1080. Live input supports one sender and remains available with larger compositions. See Syphon setup.
Optional email updates
In the app, open Settings → Help → Updates, news & free visuals. Enter your address, choose Sign up, then follow the verification instructions in the email to confirm your subscription.
Installing or opening the app does not subscribe you. Signup is optional and separate from diagnostic reporting. Read Privacy for the full flow.
Updates and support
Direct download and Homebrew provide the same published ZIP. For a direct installation, open the ZIP and drag ULTIMATEVJ into Applications. Homebrew users can manage upgrades through Terminal; the app's update-installation workflow requires a recognized Homebrew-managed copy.
Follow the update instructions or contact support.