# ArchersPlayer — Audio File Playlist Player AU

> AUv3 audio file playlist player plugin for music production hosts. (iPhone/iPad app by Nicholas McLaren.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archersplayer/id6759069819 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Nicholas McLaren](https://appshunter.io/developer/423664307)
- Category: Music, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 15 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-02-23
- Data updated: 2026-07-23
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archersplayer/id6759069819/reviews.md

## What is ArchersPlayer?

ArchersPlayer is a lightweight audio file player built as an AUv3 Generator plugin. Load it into your favorite AUv3 host — like AUM, ApeMatrix, or Audiobus — and use it as a sound source alongside your other instruments and effects.

Build a playlist from individual files or entire folders. Tracks play sequentially from top to bottom, and you can reorder them with a long-press drag, shuffle the list, or tap any track to jump straight to it. A seekable playback slider lets you scrub to any point in the current track.

Need a pause between tracks? Enable the configurable track delay to insert a random gap (2–10 seconds) before the next track starts. Great for DJ/radio, live performance, rehearsal playback, or backing tracks that need breathing room.

FEATURES
• AUv3 Generator plugin — works inside any compatible host app
• Load audio files individually or by folder
• Supports MP3, WAV, AIFF, M4A, CAF, FLAC, and AAC
• Sequential playback with shuffle, skip, and previous controls
• Tap any track to play it immediately
• Drag to reorder your playlist
• Swipe left to delete individual tracks
• Swipe right to lock a track's position in place (won't be affected by shuffle)
• Seekable playback slider with elapsed and total time display
• Configurable random delay between tracks (2–10 seconds)
• Automatic sample rate conversion to match the host
• Security-scoped bookmarks for persistent file access
• Save/Load multiple playlists
• Trigger playback controls, tracks, and playlist w/ MIDI
• Set custom start/end times per Track to only play a region of the audio file
• Warp playback pitch and speed in real time, or lock the control to only do one or the other
• Designed for iPhone and iPad

## Key features

- AUv3 Generator plugin
- Load audio files individually or by folder
- Sequential playback with shuffle and skip
- Configurable random delay between tracks
- MIDI control for playback and tracks
- Real-time pitch and speed warping
- Save/Load multiple playlists


## Frequently asked questions about ArchersPlayer

### What is ArchersPlayer?

ArchersPlayer is a lightweight audio file player that works as an AUv3 Generator plugin. It allows you to build and manage playlists within compatible music production applications like AUM, ApeMatrix, or Audiobus.

### How do I create a playlist in ArchersPlayer?

You can load audio files individually or by selecting entire folders. Once loaded, tracks play sequentially, and you can reorder them by dragging, shuffle the list, or tap any track to jump to it.

### Can ArchersPlayer add pauses between songs?

Yes, ArchersPlayer features a configurable track delay that can insert a random gap between 2 and 10 seconds before the next track starts. This is useful for DJ sets or live performances.

### Does ArchersPlayer support MIDI control?

Yes, ArchersPlayer supports triggering playback controls, individual tracks, and playlist actions using MIDI. This allows for more integrated control within your music setup.

### What audio file formats does ArchersPlayer support?

ArchersPlayer supports a wide range of audio formats including MP3, WAV, AIFF, M4A, CAF, FLAC, and AAC. It also performs automatic sample rate conversion to match the host application.

### Can I play only a specific part of an audio file with ArchersPlayer?

Yes, ArchersPlayer allows you to set custom start and end times for each track, enabling you to play only a specific region of an audio file. It also offers real-time pitch and speed warping.

### Is ArchersPlayer available on Android devices?

ArchersPlayer is designed for iPhone and iPad and functions as an AUv3 plugin, which is an Apple-specific audio unit extension format. It is not available on Android devices.

### How often is ArchersPlayer updated?

ArchersPlayer was last updated on March 23, 2026, to version 1.5.0. The app is actively maintained, with updates typically released to improve functionality and compatibility.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5.0 — 2026-03-23

Playlist Improvements
- A "track" now consists of an audio file + a start/stop time, so the same audio file may be used more than once, with a different start/stop time
- Added a new region editor for defining the start/stop time for a track. Pinch to zoom or pan, tap to set position, tap+drag to set start and stop times for the track, refine further by zooming further or by using the fine-tuning controls below the waveform.
- Playlists are now saved with their start/stop time data
- Any of the first 20 track slots (for now) in the playlist may now be MIDI mapped. If you move tracks contained within the slot, the mapping will stay with the slot, not the track that moved away. If there is no track loaded in that slot and it has a MIDI mapping, it will do nothing.
- The Playlists themselves may now be MIDI mapped
- To MIDI map playlists or tracks, drag the playlist or track to the right to expose the MIDI button. Tap it to enter MIDI learn mode.
- In MIDI learn mode, you will be warned if your change would overwrite an existing mapping
- MIDI mappings for track slots and playlists are saved globally, not in the individual playlists themselves.

Optimizations
- More behind-the-scenes optimizations to keep things running smoothly

User Guide
- A link to the User Guide can now be found at the bottom of the Settings window

### 1.3.0 — 2026-03-19

- Squashed a few important bugs
- Added a "warp" button playback control. Drag it around to control pitch and playback speed. Useful? Not particularly for most, but FUN? It most certainly IS!

### 1.2.0 — 2026-03-16

Bugfixes:
- Track now advances properly when the UI is closed or app is run in the background (if background playback is supported by the app, as it is in AUM)

Behind-the-scenes Optimizations:
    - Reduced the app/plugin size significantly

Playback improvements:
    - The loop button when tapped or triggered via MIDI, now cycles between three states: Off, Loop playlist, and Loop current track only

Playlist improvements:
    - Added undo/redo functionality for playlists
    - Can now lock the position of individual tracks in a playlist (for that session only). Shuffling does not change the track position of locked tracks.

### 1.1.0 — 2026-03-07

Fixes and added some requested features (thanks for the feedback!)

DAW Compatibility:
- Changed audio unit type from Generator (`augn`) to MusicDevice (`aumu`), enabling the plugin to work correctly in AUM, GarageBand, and other DAW hosts that route MIDI to instrument tracks.
    - Some DAW apps don't continue to play audio in the background when you switch out of the app. This is out of our control, but it is confirmed to work properly in AUM.
    - In AUM, load the extension into an AUDIO track, not a MIDI track, else you won't hear the audio

MIDI Triggers:
- Full MIDI remote control: map Note On or CC messages to Play/Pause, Next Track, Previous Track, Loop Toggle, and Shuffle.
- MIDI Learn mode — long-press any transport button or use the Settings panel to assign and configure triggers, including channel filtering (All / 1–16).
- MIDI settings persist globally, so new plugin instances inherit your mappings automatically.
- MIDI mappings also save/restore per-session through the host's `fullState` mechanism.

Playlist Loop
- Added a loop toggle button (repeat icon) to the transport controls.
- Loop state persists across host sessions

Named Playlists
- Save and load named playlists independently of host sessions.
- Disk icon menu in the header with **Load…**, **Save**, and **Save As…** options.
- Playlists stored as JSON files with security-scoped bookmarks in the app's Application Support directory.
- Dirty indicator (dot on disk icon) shows when the current playlist has unsaved changes.
- Swipe-to-delete on saved playlists in the Load sheet.

### 1.0 — 2026-02-23

No release notes.

## More apps by Nicholas McLaren

- [MixMaster A/B](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mixmaster-ab/id6755318098)

All apps by Nicholas McLaren: https://appshunter.io/developer/423664307

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-23.*
