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Guide

From installer to your first sound.

Getting the app

Dayu SFX is in public beta and isn’t available as a public download. Follow the join steps — follow the WeChat account, add Dayu with the note “音效” — and you’ll get the download link for your system plus bonus credits in the beta group.

  • Mac (Apple silicon): M1 / M2 / M3 / M4 and later
  • Mac (Intel): Macs with Intel processors
  • Windows: Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit

Pick the build that matches your computer. To check your chip: Apple menu → About This Mac.

Installing and first launch

Mac: open the DMG and drag Dayu SFX into Applications. If macOS says it can’t verify the developer, confirm the installer came from Dayu, then choose “Open Anyway” in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Please don’t turn off Gatekeeper globally.

Windows: run the installer and follow the wizard. If Windows warns about the publisher, confirm it came from Dayu and continue.

Signing in

Sign in with a one-time code sent to your email — no activation key. Non-AI features are free forever for beta members; AI features use credits, and the cost is shown before you submit.

Importing your library

On first launch, choose a default workspace location, then drag your sound folders into the app (or click + next to Folders). Importing only builds a local index — your files stay where they are.

No library yet? Open Create Sound and play with the built-in Create SFX and Create Music right away.

Want more material? Use the “30,000 SFX pack” entry next to Folders to get Dayu’s curated pack: download and fully unzip it, import the audio, then import the matching index to get descriptions and tags. The index contains labels only, not audio.

Finding and using sounds

  • Type terms in the search bar, separate them with spaces, and put / in front to exclude — e.g. rain /thunder
  • Click AI or the microphone to describe a sound in plain language or by voice
  • While editing, double-tap S to open a search window by your cursor (customizable in Settings)
  • Click anywhere on a waveform to audition; select a region on the bottom waveform to drag it out separately
  • Drag a selected sound into your editor, or copy it with ⌘C / Ctrl+C

Making sounds

  • Create Sound → Create SFX: pick a preset, drag or tap the control pad, record and use the result
  • Create Sound → Create Music: pick a style and tap pads to arrange, or play with your keyboard; then audition, drag out or save the recording
  • AI Generate: choose SFX, Music or Voice, describe what you need and submit; it runs in the background and appears in Recent
  • AI stem separation: right-click a music file and choose a mode

Permissions

  • Accessibility (macOS): needed for double-tap S in other apps
  • Microphone: needed for voice search
  • Camera: needed for gesture control BETA; video is processed only on your computer

Just follow the prompts from the app and your system.

Updates

Installed users can update from Settings → Check for updates. The app also checks automatically on launch.