DMX lighting software
with a creative side.
HitLight is DMX lighting software for Mac. Describe the look and it programs your fixtures, or lets the music run them. Design, rehearse and control your show in one app. You keep the GO button.
- Venue included during beta
- No credit card
- Apple Silicon · macOS 14+
You
sunset vibes, slow fade
Physical DMX output runs on your Mac. The browser is for designing, 3D rehearsal and remote control.
New in September 2026
From the venue's plot
to a show that follows the music.
HitLight is in beta. Every account includes Venue / Install at no cost during the beta, with no credit card required. After beta, Hobby / Student stays free for non-commercial use. Pro costs USD 19 per month or USD 149 per year. Venue / Install costs USD 999 per site per year.
How it works
From a sentence
to a lit stage.
There is no black box in the middle. A description resolves to ordinary DMX values on the fixtures you patched — the same numbers you would have dialled in by hand, and the same ones you can still change.
You say it
“sunset vibes, slow fade”
Plain English, in the assistant. No channel numbers, no patch sheet.
HitLight resolves it
MOVER
1/025–032
- Dimmer
- 153
- Red
- 255
- Green
- 95
- Blue
- 122
- Pan
- 153
- Tilt
- 190
- Zoom
- 180
- Strobe
- 0
Strobe stays at 0 in this preview. Physical strobes are off by default.
Your rig does it
The same bytes go out over USB, Art-Net or sACN — and to the 3D preview, so you can build the show before you are anywhere near the venue.
Fast scene creation
You have the lights.
Now build scenes faster.
Professional systems create stunning results. HitLight helps you sketch, save, and adjust a usable first look in minutes.
Start with a generated scene, then refine it by hand or let Auto Show run live.
Guided first-light setup
Import the plot or patch your fixtures
Attach the venue's lighting plot or patch sheet and approve the proposed rig in 3D — or choose profiles, modes and addresses yourself. Physical output can be connected later.
Define the vibe
Tell the Assistant the mood, colors, intensity, response, and movement. It saves one reusable Auto Show profile.
Pick the music & go live
Use the room microphone or queue MP3 and WAV files, review the safe fixture plan, then press Game On. 3D-only rehearsal works with no hardware attached.
You stay in control
A real console
you can also talk to.
The assistant is how a show gets built, not a black box that runs it. Everything it makes is an ordinary scene, cue or console widget you can open, edit by hand, and fire yourself.
Cue stack
Drawn in your browser — not a screenshot
House, 2 second fade
Cues fade over the time you give them; Blackout is immediate and sits next to the Auto toggle. The same list runs from a MIDI footswitch, so you can leave the laptop alone.
Matrix scene editor
Steps down, fixtures across. Edit any cell by hand — colour, intensity, position, gobo — or let the assistant fill it in.
Cue lists and a cue library
Chain scenes and step through them live with GO and BACK, with per-cue waits and auto-advance. Every cue lives in one library you can edit in place.
Saved timelines with audio
Lay scenes and songs on parallel tracks, save as many arrangements as you need, and let the show run itself.
Scene stack
Run several scenes at once — a wash under a chase under an accent — each with its own timing.
Trusses and position presets
Drag a fixture onto a truss to hang it, move the truss and the rig follows, and aim every mover with one preset.
Virtual console
Buttons, faders and XY pads you arrange yourself — then hand the laptop to someone who has never used it.
MIDI learn — including a footswitch
Bind a pad, a knob or a foot pedal by pressing it. Put “next cue” under your foot and run the whole set without touching the laptop.
Palettes
Edit a colour or position once and every scene using it updates.
Who it's for
For people who need scenes
before showtime
Bars, clubs and venues
Move from a lunch look to an evening one quickly. Invite collaborators, save reusable scenes, and hand over a console anyone on shift can run.
Mobile DJs and performers
Auto Show follows the room through the Mac's microphone rather than a pre-analysed track list, so it works with live instruments and unreleased music. Bind the next cue to a footswitch and keep your hands free.
Schools and community theatres
Cue lists with GO and BACK, per-cue waits and a multi-track timeline — the manual side of the app, built for a volunteer operator who needs the show to run the same way twice.
Will my lights work?
Your fixtures are
probably already in here.
Patching is where most people give up on lighting software. If the profile for your light does not exist, nothing else about the app matters — so this is the part we spent the most time on.
Patch a rig
Typical modes — your fixture’s may differ
| Fixture | Mode | Address | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED PAR | 8-ch | 1/001–008 | |
| LED PAR | 8-ch | 1/009–016 | |
| LED PAR | 8-ch | 1/017–024 | |
| LED PAR | 8-ch | 1/025–032 | |
| Moving head wash | 13-ch | 1/033–045 | |
| Moving head wash | 13-ch | 1/046–058 |
58 of 512 channels used in universe 1 — room for 56 more LED PARs. What a universe is
The manufacturers you actually own
A searchable library spanning the major fixture makers, with real 3D models and gobos so the stage preview looks like your rig rather than a row of generic cans.
Not in there? Upload the manual
Point HitLight at the PDF that came with the light — or a photo of the DMX chart — and it drafts a working profile in seconds, instead of emailing someone and waiting days.
A draft until you say otherwise
Generated profiles stay marked as drafts. You test the channels on the real fixture and confirm them before they are used in a show — we would rather be slow than confidently wrong about your rig.
Built for a live rig
Your show is running.
We treat it that way.
A frozen app latches DMX output off until you restore it
A native watchdog running outside the interface latches DMX output to an all-zero frame within two seconds if the app stops responding. Output stays down until an operator explicitly restores it.
It will never fire pyro or atmospherics on its own
Smoke, haze, fan and flame-ignition channels are stripped from every automatic path in code, not by convention. The assistant cannot arm them either.
Signed, notarised, and updated over a pinned key
Builds are Apple Developer ID signed and notarised. Updates are verified against a public key committed in the repository, so a rotated key cannot silently push you a build.
The assistant reads your real DMX frame
It never invents your fixture's channels. It works from the profile you patched and the values actually on the wire — and generated fixture profiles stay a draft until you test them.
What you need
A native Mac
+ music from the room or a file
Auto Show requires the native app on macOS 14 or later. Patch at least one eligible fixture; connect physical DMX output only when you are ready to drive real lights.
Prefer a locking connector? HitLight also outputs Art-Net and sACN, so any network DMX node works — no USB adapter required.
Pricing
HitLight is in beta. Venue / Install is included.
HitLight is in beta. Every account includes Venue / Install at no cost during the beta, with no credit card required. The prices below apply after beta.
Hobby / Student
Free for students, private individuals and hobbyists doing non-commercial work.
After beta
Free
- One full DMX universe (512 DMX channels)
- The full editor and 3D visualiser
- 10 Auto Shows per month
- 500 Assistant messages per month
Pro
For commercial work.
After beta
USD 19 per month
Or USD 149 per year
Everything in Hobby / Student, with higher Auto Show and Assistant limits, plus:
- Commercial use
- Multi-universe output
- Art-Net and sACN output
- MIDI
- The multi-track show timeline
- Collaboration
- The iOS remote
Venue / Install
For venues and fixed installations.
After beta
USD 999 per site per year
Pay by invoice or purchase order.
Included at no cost during the beta.
Everything in Pro, plus:
- Unlimited seats
- Locked operator mode
FAQ
Common questions
What is HitLight?
HitLight is DMX stage-lighting control software for macOS that programs lighting scenes from plain-English descriptions and can run a rig live from the music in the room. The native app requires macOS 14 or later for physical DMX output. The browser app supports show authoring, 3D visualisation and remote control. HitLight is in beta, and every account includes Venue / Install at no cost during the beta.
About HitLightWhat is Auto Show?
HitLight Auto Show can follow room audio through the Mac's microphone or analyse and play locally imported MP3 and WAV recordings in Files mode. There is no direct DJ-software integration. Auto Show drives eligible fixtures from the music without scenes programmed in advance. You can stop it or take over manually.
AI DMX software: what it can and cannot doDoes HitLight run on an Intel Mac?
The current HitLight download requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 14 or later. There is no Intel Mac build. An Intel Mac can use the browser app for show authoring, 3D visualisation and remote control, but the browser cannot output DMX.
What HitLight cannot doWill Auto Show strobe, or set off my hazer?
HitLight Auto Show leaves physical strobes off by default. An explicitly assigned strobe role can produce short accents on peak beats. HitLight does not impose a photosensitivity-safe flash-rate cap; strobe effects require responsible operator supervision. Auto Show excludes smoke, haze, fans and flame channels. Blackout is available next to the Auto toggle.
Lighting safety and automatic controlDoes HitLight run on Windows?
Not yet — the app that drives your lights is macOS only, and we would rather say so here than after you have signed up. Anyone on any platform can use the browser app to design a rig, build scenes and watch them in 3D; it just cannot output DMX. Windows support is the most requested thing on our list.
What HitLight cannot doCan the browser version control my lights?
No. The browser app authors shows, visualises them in 3D and acts as a remote for a Mac that is connected to the rig — but hardware output (USB, Art-Net and sACN) only happens in the desktop app. Everything you build in the browser is ready to go live the moment you open it on the Mac.
Supported DMX hardware for MacWhat hardware do I need?
Physical DMX output requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 14 or later and a supported interface: ENTTEC Open DMX USB, ENTTEC DMX USB Pro, Any Art-Net node, Any sACN (E1.31) node. SIUDI support is experimental. No interface is needed for browser authoring or 3D rehearsal.
Supported DMX hardware for MacDoes HitLight work with my existing lights?
HitLight needs a fixture profile that matches your light's model and selected DMX mode. Search the fixture library first. If the profile is missing, upload the manual or DMX chart to draft one, then test it channel by channel on the real fixture before using it live.
Will HitLight work with your lights?Is it a subscription?
Not for non-commercial use. HitLight is in beta. Every account includes Venue / Install at no cost during the beta, with no credit card required. After beta, Hobby / Student stays free for non-commercial use. Pro costs USD 19 per month or USD 149 per year. Venue / Install costs USD 999 per site per year. Assistant usage is capped while we validate cost.
Free DMX software for MacCan multiple people control the lights at once?
Yes. A show owner can invite collaborators, and browser or iOS remotes forward control to the elected Mac hardware master. Every account includes Venue / Install at no cost during the beta. After beta, collaboration is part of Pro, and Venue / Install adds unlimited seats.
How is this different from grandMA or Daslight?
grandMA and Daslight are powerful tools for professional lighting designers. HitLight focuses on fast scene creation: patch a rig, describe a vibe such as “warm sunset” or “colorful and punchy,” then refine the result or let Auto Show handle the music-reactive work.
Can HitLight import a venue lighting plot?
Yes. HitLight can import a venue's lighting plot, patch sheet or technical specification — PDF, PNG, JPEG, CSV or XLSX — and propose the fixtures, DMX patch, trusses, pipes and booms, and stage objects it finds. Nothing changes until you approve it. You review the proposal by fixture type in a 3D preview, correct positions or skip items, and apply only what you confirm. Applying never deletes existing rig data and never touches your scenes or cues.
Import a lighting plot into DMX softwareCan Auto Show run from a song file instead of a microphone?
Yes. In Files mode, Auto Show imports MP3 or WAV recordings — a single song or a DJ mix up to eight hours long — analyses them on the Mac, and runs the lights from the music while it plays the audio. Imported recordings and their analysis stay on that Mac. Prepare a rig for offline use while online, and a file-driven Auto Show performance runs later with no internet connection.
Sound-to-light software for Mac: mic or song fileCan I move a HitLight show to a grandMA3?
Yes. HitLight exports a show for grandMA3: an MVR file with the patch, 3D positions and GDTF fixture files, plus a macro XML that recreates groups, colour presets and sequences with a cue for each scene step. HitLight exports show paperwork: a lighting plot as PDF and a patch list as CSV, generated from the live rig.
HitLight vs grandMA3: when to use eachDo I need internet to use HitLight?
HitLight requires internet for account sync, collaboration and the AI assistant. For local file performances, prepare a rig for offline use while online, then open its saved Offline performance on the same Mac. Local recordings and the prepared rig remain private to that Mac.
What HitLight cannot doCan I delete my data?
Yes. You can permanently delete individual shows or your account and owned cloud data from Settings.
Still have questions? hello@hitlight.app
Get HitLight for Mac
Describe the look, import the venue's plot, or let the music run the lights.
Venue / Install included during beta. No credit card required.
Auto Show requires a native Mac on macOS 14+ · physical output is optional