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When playing music, 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. Packet-based Internet protocols subject audio signals to delays and other interference which presents a problem for keeping latency low enough for musicians play together remotely.
Software created specifically to minimise or eliminate the issue of 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 , has reached a state in which it is practical for even large numbers of musicians to play or sing together without experiencing significant problems.
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.