RetroPlayer – Bringing the Sound of My Youth to iOS
Some projects aren't just about building software—they're about preserving memories, honoring the past, and sharing what shaped you. RetroPlayer is one of those projects for me.
Growing up in the 1980s, I spent countless hours in front of a Commodore 64, and later an Amiga, absolutely mesmerized by what these machines could do. The graphics were captivating, the games were endlessly replayable, but what truly captured my imagination was the sound. The SID chip in the C64—with its distinctive three voices—could produce music that seemed impossible for such simple hardware. Composers like Martin Galway, Rob Hubbard, and Ben Daglish weren't just writing game soundtracks; they were pushing silicon to its absolute limits, coaxing basslines and melodies from chips that were never meant to be musical instruments.
The Amiga took this even further. Paula's four-channel PCM audio opened up a whole new world of sample-based music. The demoscene exploded, and suddenly you had MOD files—tracker music that felt like the future. Each machine had its own sonic fingerprint, its own limitations that somehow became strengths in the hands of talented composers.
Full Circle
Fast forward to 2008. The iPhone SDK had just been released, and I was itching to build something meaningful for this revolutionary new platform. What did I choose? A SID player. My very first iOS app was dedicated to playing those legendary Commodore 64 tunes that had been the soundtrack to my childhood. It felt right—bringing the sounds that defined my youth to this cutting-edge device in my pocket.
Now, seventeen years later, I've come full circle with RetroPlayer. But this time, it's not just the C64. RetroPlayer brings together the iconic sound chips from all the machines that defined that golden era: the Commodore 64's SID, the Amiga's Paula, the Atari XL's POKEY, and the Atari ST's Yamaha YM2149.
What RetroPlayer Does
RetroPlayer is a love letter to classic computer music. It's built natively for iOS, macOS, and even visionOS, using modern SwiftUI while paying homage to the aesthetics of those vintage machines. Each platform has its own visual identity—period-authentic imagery and brand gradients that evoke the original hardware.
The app taps into the incredible work of preservation communities like HVSC (High Voltage SID Collection), ASMA (Atari SAP Music Archive), SC68, and MODLAND, giving you access to thousands of authentic chiptunes. You can browse curated playlists like the HVSC Top 100—the most beloved C64 tracks of all time—or dive into the complete works of legendary composers.
But my favorite feature? The real-time oscilloscope visualization. Watch the audio waveforms dance across your screen with phosphor-trail effects that evoke vintage CRT monitors. It's both a visual treat and a window into the raw audio synthesis happening beneath the surface—the same waveforms that fascinated me as a kid, now rendered in real time on modern hardware.
A Modern SID Player for macOS
While RetroPlayer works beautifully on iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS, I also built a full-featured macOS desktop version. If you've been following the SID player scene on Mac, you might know that SIDPLAY hasn't been updated since 2016. RetroPlayer fills that gap with a native Apple Silicon app that brings the same curated playlists, real-time visualization, and extensive music catalog to your Mac.
Why This Matters
There's something profound about hearing these sounds again. It's not nostalgia for nostalgia's sake—it's about recognizing the creativity, the ingenuity, the sheer artistry of composers who worked within severe constraints and produced timeless music. These weren't just bleeps and bloops; these were compositions that inspired generations of electronic musicians.
RetroPlayer includes full playback features: background audio, system media controls, lock screen metadata, favorites management, and powerful search across the entire catalog. It even supports CarPlay, so you can take Wizball, Last Ninja, or Sanxion with you on the road.
The Journey Continues
Building RetroPlayer has been deeply personal. From that first SID player in 2008 to this comprehensive multiplatform app in 2025, it's been a journey of growth—not just as a developer, but as someone who wants to preserve and share the sounds that shaped him.
For those who grew up with these machines, RetroPlayer is a way to revisit those sounds authentically. For newcomers discovering chiptune music for the first time, it's a gateway to understanding why these simple sound chips captivated an entire generation.
The C64 and Amiga taught me that limitations breed creativity, that constraints can inspire brilliance, and that sometimes the most memorable art comes from pushing technology beyond what it was meant to do. RetroPlayer is my way of keeping that spirit alive—one authentic waveform at a time.
If you want to experience the sound chips that defined a generation, RetroPlayer is waiting for you on the App Store. And if you've never heard the punchy bass of a SID chip classic or the sample-based richness of an Amiga MOD track, well… you're in for a treat.
Stay curious, and keep the old sounds alive.