About Galaxy Swirl
Galaxy Swirl arranges thousands of particles into a rotating spiral galaxy formation where the arm density, rotation speed, and color temperature are all driven by your music. The galaxy breathes with the bass, its arms tightening and loosening with the rhythm, while individual star-particles flicker and drift in response to higher frequency content.
The effect uses a mathematically accurate logarithmic spiral as its foundation, then perturbs particle positions with audio-reactive forces to create organic, fluid motion. The center of the galaxy glows with a bright core that pulses on beat hits, and trailing particle streams create the impression of stellar wind being blown outward by sonic energy.
Galaxy Swirl transforms any track into a cosmic journey. The scale and grandeur of a spiral galaxy combined with the intimate responsiveness of beat-synced animation creates an experience that feels both epic and personal. It is particularly stunning with orchestral, trance, and progressive music that features long builds and dramatic releases.
How it works
Particles are positioned along logarithmic spiral arms using the equation r = a * e^(b*theta). Audio energy modulates the spiral parameters: bass controls the tightness parameter (b), mid energy adjusts rotation speed, and high energy adds turbulence to individual particle positions. A central glow is rendered as a screen-space billboard with intensity tied to RMS energy. All particles use instanced rendering with custom attributes for spiral arm index, angular offset, and distance from center.
Audio Features
- ▸ Bass Energy
- ▸ Mid Energy
- ▸ High Energy
- ▸ RMS Energy
Best For
- ▸ Trance & Progressive
- ▸ Orchestral & Cinematic
- ▸ Space-Themed Content
- ▸ Ambient Music
MusicMind Engine
L7NarrativeL8SpatialL11Creative
Narrative Arc (L7) paces the galaxy's expansion through intro-chorus-outro structure, Spatial Intelligence (L8) positions spiral arms across the stereo panorama, and Creative Mapping (L11) selects star color temperature by musical mood.
Learn how MusicMind analyzes music →Frequently Asked Questions
How many spiral arms does the galaxy have?+
The default is 4 spiral arms, but you can configure anywhere from 2 to 8 arms. More arms create a denser, more complex galaxy while fewer arms produce a cleaner, more dramatic look.
Can I change the galaxy rotation direction?+
Yes. You can set clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation, and the rotation speed is configurable both as a base value and as an audio-reactive multiplier.
Does this work with the export pipeline?+
Absolutely. Galaxy Swirl uses the offline rendering engine with seeded RNG, rendered offline frame by frame. The effect looks stunning in 4K exports.