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Rooftop Station

On a city rooftop, tune in to the night sky.

Look up at a sky full of stars, anytime. Tune the frequency, turn toward the signal, and hear a call from the stars, an echo of the universe.

What is Rooftop Station?

Rooftop Station is an iPhone app where you look up at a real, moving night sky from a city rooftop, tune a frequency and turn to find signals hidden among the stars, and collect ambient music generated for each signal. It keeps playing when your screen is locked. Made by independent developer zenyinn.

Overhead is a real night sky in motion: more than 41,000 stars, the planets where they truly are tonight, and the Milky Way slowly crossing the city skyline.

A few signals are hidden up there, each carrying a piece of music you won't hear anywhere else. Find one and add it to your station. Lock your screen, and it keeps playing.

Rooftop Station is not a live radio service. Every piece of music is generated by the app itself.

Coming soon to the App Store for iPhone.

Common questions

Is there an app for looking at the stars from your room?

Rooftop Station is one. Open it and you're standing on a city rooftop under more than 41,000 stars and the whole Milky Way. Point your phone anywhere to see that part of the sky. No trip outside, no waiting for a clear night.

How is it different from white noise or meditation apps?

Those apps are sound libraries: pick a track and press play. In Rooftop Station the music is hidden in the sky. You tune the frequency and turn toward the signal to pick it up, and every piece is generated by the app rather than recorded in advance.

Are the stars and planets real?

The stars come from a real star catalog, more than 41,000 of them, and they rise and set as the Earth turns. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune sit where they really are in the sky today. The Milky Way's color and brightness are enhanced to look their best.

Where does the music come from? Does it repeat?

Every piece is generated on your phone by the app. None of it comes from a radio station or a music library. The signals in the sky change every night, so what you hear changes too, and anything you add to your station is there to replay.

Do I need an internet connection or an account?

Neither. The sky and the music are generated on your phone, so it works offline, and there's no account to sign up for.