Music is a wonderful thing. We all love it in one form or the other. Some people admire it by just listening while others step up and create new and beautiful melodies. Music like other arts, comes with a lot of practice. You can practice music alone or can find other musicians like you and can start collaborating. You can also find yourself a band and can go on to create a full blown show.
Jam and Practice Music Online
With the spread of Covid-19, a lot of things have changed. People are alone, separated and are finding new ways to meet, talk and socialize. Offices are now innovating and are holding meetings online through various means. But things are a bit different for artists, especially musicians. They just cannot use normal apps to video call and start practicing. There are a lot of issues like latency, buffering, audio break, etc. The timing usually goes off and you find the tempo is off or the tune out of note. So what can one do? Are you one of them? Are you also missing your band practice due to quarantine? Do you live too far from your band member’s house to be able to jam in balconies? If yes, then this article is for you. Today, I am going to share with you some of the applications through which you can not only collaborate with other musicians but can also hold jamming and practice sessions with your band and friends. Have a look:
Packing the essentials
Before you start off your ride, you will need to pack some essential gear and necessities so that you can enjoy your trip to its fullest extent. This includes checking your internet connection and other equipment. The data transfer is going to be really high, so you will have to make sure that the connection you have can handle the pressure without any kind of hitch.
The next thing you need to be sure of, is the equipment with which you will be recording sessions. The microphone inbuilt in your laptop would be able to do the task but the quality will be compromised. You can purchase any audio interface device for the job, which can be easily connected. There are many available in the market. You can check it online and can order it at home.
Now to the apps that will help you with the job.
Best Online Jamming Software 2020
1. Ninjam
This is quite a handy application. It is free and has a lot of features to choose from. You can record all the tracks and can set levels for everything. It can be used across platforms hassle-free. There are many public servers which Ninjams hold and the best thing is, you can hold your own Ninjam server too. This way you can keep your tracks and records separate private.
Also Read: Best Music Making Software
2. Jammr
Jammr is another application for music practice on the list. It is free of cost as of now but may charge after they introduce a premium plan later on. How does this application stand different? It holds a community of musicians and bands from all around the world. If you don’t have friends who are into music or your band isn’t available to practice, then what will you do? Jammu then comes into the picture. You can collaborate with random musicians and bands and can hold jamming sessions. Isn’t that great?
3. JamKazam
JamKazam is the third application on our list. It is also free to use. The best part is Jamblaster. Jamblaster is a phone application, when installed can make your phone usable as an audio interface. Saving you money on purchasing a new one. You can also use Jamkazam to broadcast your jamming session directly on YouTube and can show off your talent to millions.
4. Jamulus
Coming to the next option in the list. Jamulus is again a software. It works similarly to Ninjam. If you want to use public servers, go for it. If you prefer more privacy and want to host private servers, go for it. Jamulus has been designed effectively in order to minimize delays and has been also coded with a light indicator to show latency and lag to its users. You can easily mark your instrument to differentiate it for others and can also adjust levels according to your taste.
5. JamLink
JamLink comes 4th on our list for various reasons. The product in itself is quite good but there are some limitations to it.
- It is a piece of hardware
Which means that you will have to pay for it and purchase it. The company will send you a small box which you will have to connect to the internet to proceed further.
- The cost is not that easy.
But as a consolation prize, there are no further costs, apart from internet bills.
- Everyone needs to have it.
Sadly, yes. If you want to tune in to collaborate, you will have to purchase this piece of hardware. But that’s not it. All of your friends who are in the band will also have to purchase and install it. One has to purchase it, even just to listen to the tracks.
Apart from the above mentioned points the device in itself is quite good and is a one stop solution for many musicians.
So these were some of the applications for practicing music which I wanted to share with you. No one knows how long this lockdown is going to last. So till whenever it lasts, don’t let it ruin your practice and love for music. More and more software are being drawn into the market for easy accessibility and functioning to online communication. You can always use cloud services to store your data and tracks and can easily share them across the globe. So there are many ways in which you can keep going.
Hope it helps. What was your experience of using these applications? Let us know in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading!
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