When playing music remotely, musicians must reduce or eliminate the issue of audio latency in order to play in time together. While standard web conferencing software is designed to facilitate remote audio and video communication, it has too much latency for live musical performance.[1][2] Connection-oriented Internet protocols subject audio signals to delays and other interference which presents a problem for keeping latency low enough for musicians to play together remotely.[3][4][5]
Software created specifically to minimise or eliminate some of the issues with Internet-related audio latency enables musicians to perform live music together over domestic broadband connections. The use of various compression and other techniques, together with affordable low-latency audio interface hardware (which most of the systems listed here are also optimised to work with), has reached a state in which it is practical for even large numbers of musicians to play or sing together without experiencing significant problems.[6][7][8]
The following table compares key features of software written for the expressed purpose of allowing musicians to perform music together over the Internet. It does not attempt to cover subjective features such as sound quality or ease of use. However, some software on the list may address different aspects of remote collaboration better than others, or may be more suited to certain musical genres.
More information Name, Licence ...
| Name |
Licence |
Charge |
Architecture |
Platforms |
Session type [a] |
Max. participants |
Synch. [b] |
Video |
Codec |
Sample rate |
Bitrate |
First release |
Current release |
Date |
|---|
| Koord |
GPL |
Freemium |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
Closed |
Up to 75 |
None |
Yes |
Opus |
48 kHz |
132-894 kbit/s |
2021 |
1.4.47 |
2023-01-28 |
| Jamstud.io |
Proprietary |
Free |
P2P |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Open & Closed |
6 |
None |
Yes |
Uncompressed |
44.1 kHz |
16-bit |
April 2021 |
1.24 |
2021-11-9 |
| Sublive |
Proprietary |
Free/donationware |
P2P |
Win, Mac |
Open & Closed |
5 |
Audio track[9] |
Yes |
Opus |
48 kHz |
32-384 kbit/s |
May 2021 |
0.42 |
2021-09-21 |
| Groovesetter |
Proprietary |
Free plan or Free Trial |
P2P |
Win, Mac |
Closed |
8 Locations |
Mixed[10] |
No |
Uncompressed |
From 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz |
16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit |
May 2021 |
1.2.13 |
2021-08-08 |
| Jam Connect |
Proprietary |
Freemium |
P2P |
Win, Mac, iOS, Android |
Open & Closed |
Up to 16 locations |
Tracks possible |
Yes[11] |
Opus & Uncompressed |
48 kHz |
At least 16-bit |
2021 |
2.5 |
2021-10-01 |
| Jamulus |
GPL |
Free |
Client/Server[3] |
Win, Mac, Linux, Android |
Open & Closed |
100+ [12] |
None |
No[13] |
Opus |
48 kHz |
132-894 kbit/s[14] |
2006 [15] |
3.10.0[16] |
2023-09-03 |
| JammerNetz |
AGPL and MIT available |
Free |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Closed |
? [12] |
None |
No |
Uncompressed |
48 kHz |
dep. on # channels |
2019 |
2.0.0 |
2021-03-21 |
| Digital Stage |
Proprietary |
Free, restricted[17] |
Various |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Closed |
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prototype testing[18] |
|
| Sagora |
GPL |
Free |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, Linux, Raspbian |
Open & Closed |
|
None |
|
Opus |
48 kHz |
|
May 2020[19] |
1.1 |
2020-08 |
| LoLa |
Proprietary |
Free/shareware |
P2P |
Win |
Closed |
3 locations |
None |
Yes |
|
|
at least 1 Gbit/s |
2005 |
2.0.0b1 |
2019-10-18 |
| JamKazam |
Proprietary |
$0 - $19.99p/m[20] |
P2P, C/S[21][3] |
Win, Mac[22] |
Open & Closed |
Unlimited (for $10+ plans)[20] |
Metronome |
Yes (paid plans)[20] |
|
48 kHz; 44.1 kHz |
|
2014 (?) |
1.0.3950 |
? |
| SoundJack |
Proprietary |
Free |
P2P, C/S[23] |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Open & Closed[13] |
~60 |
None |
β (OSX)[13] |
Opus & Uncompressed |
48 kHz |
|
2006 |
monthly updates |
2022-03-26[24] |
| JackTrip |
MIT like[25] |
Free |
P2P, C/S[3] |
CLI: Win, Mac, Linux |
? |
Unlimited |
None |
No |
|
|
|
2000 (?) |
1.3.0[26] |
2020-08-04 |
| SonoBus |
GPL[27] |
Free |
P2P via AoO[28] |
Win, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
Open & Closed |
10 |
None |
No |
Opus & Uncompressed |
48 kHz & 44.1 kHz |
|
2020-08-31 |
1.5.1[29] |
2022-03-30 |
| HPS Jam |
BSD[30] |
Free |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
Open & Closed |
256 |
None |
No |
8/16/24/32-bit PCM and MIDI |
48 kHz |
|
2020-11-19 |
v1.2.5 |
2022-10-12 |
| Ninjam / Ninbot |
GPL (Server only) |
$60[31] |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, Linux |
? |
? |
Delayed Sync[32] |
No |
|
|
|
? |
REAPER 6.18 |
? |
| Jamtaba |
GPL |
Free |
Ninjam Client[33] |
Win, Mac, Linux |
? |
? |
Delayed Sync |
Yes |
|
|
|
2015-09-26 |
v2.1.15 |
2020-06-30 |
| Jammr.net |
GPL |
Free - $9.99p/m[34] |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Open & Closed |
20 |
Delayed Sync |
No |
|
|
|
? |
1.2.92 |
2020-09-13 |
| Endless |
Proprietary |
Free - $4.49[35] |
? |
iOS |
Open & Closed |
? |
Metronome |
No |
|
|
|
? |
1.1.2 |
2020-11-13 |
| Ejamming Audio |
Proprietary |
$9.95p/m |
P2P(?) |
Win, Mac |
Closed |
4 |
? |
No |
|
|
|
? |
? |
? |
| Rehearsal Live Share |
Proprietary |
$14.99p/m (directors)[36] |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, iOS, Android[37] |
Closed |
30[38] |
Audio track |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| Solocontutti[39] |
Proprietary |
Free |
P2P |
Win, Mac, iOS, Android |
Open & Closed |
12 |
Metronome |
Yes (limited) |
Opus |
up to 48 kHz |
100 - 500 kbit/s |
2013 |
1.6.2 |
2021-11-20 |
| FarPlay |
Proprietary |
Freemium |
P2P |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Closed |
About 8 |
|
Yes |
Uncompressed |
48 kHz |
768 kbit/s per audio channel |
2021-11-18 |
1.2.7 |
2024-05-08 |
| Elk Live |
OS is open source |
$15.99p/m + $399 bridge |
P2P |
Elk Audio OS |
Closed |
5 for now[40] |
|
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Ringing Room |
Proprietary[41] |
Free |
Client/Server |
Win, Mac, iOS |
Open |
16 |
No |
No |
|
|
|
|
21.51[42] |
|
| Lutefish |
Proprietary |
$400 hardware
$13p/m or $20p/m |
|
|
|
5/50 |
|
Yes[43] |
|
48 kHz |
|
Summer 2024[44] |
|
2024-02-13 |
| ovbox |
GPL |
Free |
P2P/CS |
Linux, Mac |
Closed |
Unlimited / up to 10 on Raspberry Pi 4B |
Metronome |
Yes (limited) |
Uncompressed |
up to 192 kHz |
|
2020 |
0.21.1 |
2024-02-19 |
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