Speaker Introduction – André Michelle
Speaker Introduction – André Michelle
I start with a bold statement: there are people who don’t just build tools. They build tools because they need them to exist in the world. André Michelle is one of those people, and I am happy that he finally made his way to the #btconf stage in Düsseldorf.
I should say: I’ve known André for a long time. We go back to the Flashforum days, when both of us were still working with Flash (remember?). He spoke at some of our Flashforum conferences and we crossed paths at countless events through the 2000s. So welcoming him to the beyond tellerrand stage feels less like an announcement and more like something that was long overdue.
André started out as a techno DJ in the 90s – earning just enough to cover rent and food, he says – and taught himself to code out of pure necessity and curiosity. That combination of musical passion and technical self-teaching turned into something remarkable.
From the Dance Floor to the Browser
In 2007, André created audiotool.com, one of the very first online music studios. For 16 years, he shaped and developed it into a platform where hundreds of thousands of people made music together in the browser. No download required. Just open it and create.
That idea, that music-making tools should be open, accessible, and free, has been the theme of everything he has done. And when he left Audiotool in 2023, he didn't stop. He started again. From scratch.
openDAW: The Browser as a Music Studio
Today André is building openDAW, an open-source digital audio workstation that runs entirely in the browser. No login. No subscription. No payment. Works on any device, including a school computer.
The idea goes back to a promise he made himself in the mid-90s: if I ever had the means, I'd build free music studios for people who have the passion but not the budget. That promise is now code.
openDAW is still growing – with a modular device system, real-time collaboration, and what André calls “discoverable toys”, which are non-classical approaches to sequencing and sound that invite experimentation rather than demanding expertise.
Why André Fits to beyond tellerrand
What I love about André’s story is that it is not really a story about technology. It’s a story about access and belief. About the conviction that creativity shouldn’t be gated behind expensive hardware, proprietary software, or the right studio in the right city.
That’s something that resonates deeply with what beyond tellerrand is about. I think (and I hope I am right) beyond tellerrand is an event for people who care about their craft, but also about why they do what they do. André cares deeply. And he has the receipts: three decades of work to prove it.
Don’t miss out and join me watching André speak.