Music Software Development in 2023: Features + Cost

Features

Interactive Streaming 🔥

We develop interactive live streaming software that connects hundreds of thousands of viewers with less than a second latency, synchronized metadata, chat functions, and high-quality, real-time interactions for online music jamming and beyond.

Automatic Video Transcoding

We automate video formatting and transcoding to speed up streaming and encoding times.

Effects & Filters

We add features to enhance videos by adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation, and provide artistic filters and effects.

Notifications & Scheduling

We implement scheduling features, create streaming timetables, and enable real-time alerts with push notifications for upcoming videos.

Monetization

We develop monetization features through third-party ads, subscriptions, and donation systems, supporting multiple payment methods.

Audio quality 🎶

Clear Sound: Choosing the Right Audio Codec and Settings

In WebRTC, developers choose an audio codec. Some codecs are better for voice, others for music. We recommend choosing Opus for the best sound quality and low latency – Mozilla thinks so too.

However, simply choosing Opus isn't enough. By default, WebRTC is optimized for voice calls to make voices sound clearer and louder. For real-time music jamming, we need to make three adjustments:

Turn off background noise removal: this feature distorts music sound.
Increase bitrate: standard voice call bitrate is ~40 kb/s, but music needs at least 128 kb/s. Opus supports up to 510 kb/s – so we increase the bitrate.
Switch from mono to stereo: increase the number of audio channels from 1 to 2.

Synchronization ⏱️

Why not make music online with friends and strangers in any video chat? I could grab my guitar, call Joe with his drums, add Sarah on the piano, and we could all play together. But it doesn't work because the participants' sound isn't perfectly synced. While this is fine for talking, it’s not suitable for a real-time music collaboration app.

We develop video streaming solutions specifically for musicians to play together, learn and teach, and hold concerts.

Sync for listeners

Each musician produces an audio track. Our software marks these tracks, recognizes the delays for each one, and syncs them into one audio file on the server. This synced file is then streamed to the audience.

But if this happens afterward on the server, how can the musicians perform together? They need to hear each other in sync to play together.

Sync for the musicians

We achieve synchronization for musicians by calibrating audio tracks through a step-by-step process. First, we measure the delay by starting the sound at one node and tracking how long it takes to reach another. Then, we sync the tracks by adjusting the timing; for example, when a drummer starts playing, their audio is sent to the guitarist. When the guitarist begins, both tracks are sent to the singer, with any necessary delay added to keep the drummer's track in sync. This snowball effect continues with each new musician hearing only the previous ones, ensuring synchronized playback for the entire group.

Real-time streaming 🚀

Jam online with no latency

Subsecond latency is standard in video chats; otherwise, conversations would be impossible. For video broadcasts to thousands of people, a few seconds of latency is typical. However, when jamming online with other musicians via video chat, latency must be subsecond even if thousands are watching. Read how we achieve this in the article.

Monitoring to prevent latency: Internet connection, sound card, audio output

Monitor the sound quality of each musician in real-time: green for good, yellow for decent, and red for unacceptable. Quality parameters include internet connection, sound card latency, and audio output.

For example, if a participant has a slow internet connection, the video streaming won't be in real-time, making low-latency music collaboration impossible. If their internet shows red, they know they need to fix the problem.

Multistreaming

We offer multistreaming to broadcast a single video stream to multiple websites, social platforms, and custom RTMP destinations simultaneously. This includes live streaming to Facebook Live, Instagram Live, TikTok Live, LinkedIn, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and more, with options to watermark your stream with your logo.

AI-Powered features 🎼

AI-Powered Video Quality Optimization

We integrate AI and Machine Learning to improve video quality, optimizing compression to reduce bandwidth while maintaining high visual fidelity for smoother streaming in low-quality network conditions.

AI-Enabled Automated Captioning and Translation

We develop AI-driven captioning and translation features to automatically generate captions for live streams and translate audio into different languages in real time, capturing the nuances of human speech.

Shazam-like music recognition

We developed a music recognition feature that helps users identify the songs they hear. The system can recognize the song and track how many times it has been played and added to users' collections.

AI-Based Content Moderation

We implement AI-based automated content moderation to detect and filter inappropriate or offensive content in real time.

AI-Powered Recommendations and Dynamic Playlist Generation

We create custom AI algorithms that analyze user behavior and preferences to provide personalized content recommendations such as playlist generation.

Listeners can ask for personalized playlists using voice commands to specify genres, BPM, artists, and more. Our AI processes these requests, searches through the database, and creates tailored playlists that seamlessly blend algorithms with human preferences. The system ensures accuracy and relevance by responding within a defined context.

Virtual and Augmented Reality Integration

We integrate AI-powered virtual and augmented reality features that enable realistic virtual avatars and overlay virtual objects onto the live stream, creating immersive experiences for viewers.

AI-powered auto-notation

For the music learning systems, we developed a feature that automatically turns musicians' playing into notes or tabs, giving an instant visual display of the music. We also offer a smart scoring feature for real-time performance assessment, improving the learning experience.

Connect professional musical equipment 🎸

Output: sound cards and audio interfaces

For professional sound output, connect a sound card or an audio interface. Display a volume bar that shows the output volume in real time.

Input: professional microphones, musical instruments, and amplifiers

For sound input, connect a guitar or other electronic instruments directly to the video conference. Alternatively, connect the instrument to an amplifier to boost the signal and then plug the amplifier into the conference. Monitor the input’s signal level in real time.

Professional tools for musicians 🥁

Crossfader

Adjust the volumes of different audio channels. Make your instrument louder than the call, set it to the same volume, or listen to the call louder than your instrument. You can also mute audio channels.

View the volume settings for each instrument in the music jam over the internet. The range can be from -12 dB to +12 dB, adjustable in 1 dB steps.

Equalizer

Use sliders to adjust the volume of specific frequency ranges: 32 Hz, 64 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz, and 16 kHz. Modify how everything sounds, including volume, noises, and the effect of moving closer or farther away. Save your settings and apply them to other calls.

Metronome

Add a metronome and set the BPM for better music collaboration.

Communication tools 💬

Direct messages

The group coordinator can give real-time feedback during the live concert, like "Crescendo here! And now, pizzicato!" They can address each musician separately to avoid disrupting others. Simply press the button to speak and release it to turn off the sound.

Text chat

The audience can communicate with each other through text messages, emojis, images, and documents. They can also view the list of participants.

Recording 📼

Record the concert so those who missed it can watch it later. Also, record lessons for re-watching.

Music

Video & Audio Streaming Software Development for In-Sync Music Jamming and Beyond

WorldCastLive