Conventional online meeting platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, are designed primarily for conversations. Typically, one person speaks while the others listen. Network lag variations between participants are therefore not problematic. In contrast, for live music performances, even small differences in arrival times between the players’ audio signals can be disruptive. In fact, during the recent pandemic, all those who attempted to use such conventional platforms for purposes other than just talking — such as singing in a choir or making music in a band — went through a long series of frustrations.

Open-source software Jamulus solves this problem and makes it possible to make music together over the internet across cities, countries, and even continents. Jamulus solves the problem by using dedicated servers, where musicians can meet and play together. The server collects all participants’ audio packets and redistributes them in a synchronized way with only a...