JamKazamHi JamKazammers!
We know it's been a while since you've heard from us. We've been working hard the last 3 years (literally) to rebuild the entire backend technology stack of the JamKazam platform, and after several months of beta testing and feedback, we are ready to release a massive update to the product. If you're currently using JamKazam, get ready for a terrific upgrade, and if you've stopped using JamKazam, now is a great time to jump back in!
What's NewThere's so much to cover here, let's get right to it:
64-Bit Windows App The Windows version of the JamKazam app is now 64-bit and compatible with both Win10 and Win11.
Native Mac Apps We now offer two Mac apps.. one optimized for Intel processors and one optimized for the newer Apple M1/M2/M3 processors. For users on newer Macs who have been struggling with the "
audio system unstable" message and other compatibility issues, your Mac will now work great with the new JamKazam app.
Stability & Performance We've updated the outdated third-party libraries we previously relied on, and have tested and hardened our own code, resulting in an app with much snappier performance and far fewer crashes and bugs. You?ll find the new app to be much more stable and reliable.
64-bit VST/AU Plugin Support You can now use your favorite current 64-bit plugins in the new Windows app. The Mac app continues to support 64-bit plugins.
MIDI Persistence If you set up a MIDI track in your audio gear configurations, we now persist your MIDI settings from one session to another.
JamTracks & Backing Tracks We've improved JamTrack and backing track audio processing so that if you open and play these audio files in sessions, the audio is clear both to you and to remote participants. We have also added support for using .mp3 audio files as backing tracks in sessions.
Session Video We upgraded our video system to support for a broader range of webcams, deliver higher quality video, and avoid disrupting audio quality in sessions. We?ve also moved video display from the JamKazam app into the browser.
Session Recording We've simplified our recording feature so that when you stop recording, you immediately see a folder with the master mix, plus the high-quality stems of your own audio tracks from your audio interface, and the stream-quality stems of all other musicians in your session. We've also added support for saving recordings as .mp3 files if desired.
How to Upgrade to the New AppIf you still have the JamKazam app on your computer, you can simply start the app, and it will prompt you with update instructions. If you need to get the app, you can download it here:
https://www.jamkazam.com/downloads. For Mac users, be sure to choose the Replace option when installing.
Once you've installed the new app, launch it and then use it as you normally would to find, join, and play in sessions. Given that it has been so long since the last major app upgrade, some users during the beta period found that they had issues after updating the app. If you run into any problems (or if you just want to get a super clean install that sets you up for the best success), we recommend you follow the instructions in this help article to wipe out your existing audio profiles and other settings to start with a clean install:
https://jamkazam.freshdesk.com/a/solutions/articles/66000518827. Windows app users will need to be on Win10 or Win11. Mac app users need to be at MacOS version 10.15 (Catalina) or later to use the new app.
How to Get HelpIf you encounter any bugs while using the new apps, please open a support ticket here:
https://www.jamkazam.com/help_desk, and our support team will help get you fixed up. If you have any trouble with the help desk, you can also email our team for help at support@jamkazam.com.
If you have trouble with the new app and urgently need to revert to the previous version of the app before you have the time for our support team to help you, you can download and re-install the previous version of the app here:
https://www.jamkazam.com/downloads-legacy. If you do this and continue to run the legacy version of the app, you'll be prompted to update the app each time you run it. You can click the Control+Shift+N buttons on your keyboard to bypass the update prompt.
What's NextThis is a huge release, but we've been working quietly on a whole lot more good stuff behind the scenes. Here are some of the things you can look forward to soon:
Video Recording While the new app?s audio recording feature is great, we?re working now on an improved session recording feature for both video and audio, leveraging our new video system, while also integrating with OBS Studio for its outstanding video processing capabilities.
Broadcasting Like video recording above, we are also rebuilding our category-leading session broadcasting features (lets you broadcast your sessions through YouTube, etc), integrating here also with OBS Studio to enable higher quality broadcasts.
User Interface We have been working on a major look-and-feel update to modernize the JamKazam user interface, and we?ll start releasing features with these updates soon.
More We've also been working on features to help you find other musicians to play with in high-quality, low-latency JamKazam sessions. More on this unique feature soon, too!
Thanks for your patience as we've been working long and hard to reach this point. It has taken longer to get here than we expected, but we're excited to have built a far better foundation from which we can continue to innovate on behalf of the JamKazam community.
Best Regards,
Team JamKazam
