Jam Galaxy | Ultra-Low Latency Audio for Real-Time Jam Sessions

Low-latency programming is increasingly important across a variety of use cases.

Still, many of its tips and tricks are only part of developer folklore. But in this particular case, you have an actual real-life story of innovation, problem-solving and exceptional engineering.

Jam Galaxy is a St. Lucia-registered international company dedicated to revolutionizing real-time audio collaboration worldwide. Co-founded by Patrik Gudev (CEO) and Matt Zimak (COO), it is structured around two core components:

• Jam Galaxy Network - a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) optimized for ultra-low latency and high-quality audio transmission. It offers solutions for online education, gaming, live streaming, broadcasting, and collaborative work environments.
• Jam Music - a flagship real-time music collaboration platform. It delivers studio-quality audio with ultra-low latency, making it feel like musicians are playing in the same room, no matter where they are in the world.

When Jam Galaxy set out to build a real-time music collaboration platform, they reached out to us and asked to tackle 3 major challenges:

1. Latency vs. Audio Quality – High-quality audio means larger data packets, which can cause delays. The challenge? Deliver studio-quality sound without the lag.
2. Server-Side Synchronization – With multiple users connected at once, we had to ensure that every note, beat, and chord was perfectly in sync, no matter where the musicians were.
3. Expanding Features Without Adding Delay – Every new function – every extra line of code – risked introducing latency.

The main question at this point was: How do we innovate without slowing things down?

Well... we did it - with exceptional results.

Many companies and developers have grappled with challenges such as excessive buffering, network congestion, and the delicate balance between speed and reliability.

For instance, the bufferbloat phenomenon has been a persistent issue within the industry.

Oversized buffers in network equipment cause increased latency. Such delays lead to degraded performance in interactive applications like VoIP and online gaming.

This is a major issue for many.

Furthermore, designing for low-latency applications often involves trade-offs between latency and reliability. Reducing latency may compromise data integrity. It requires developers to find a balance that maintains both responsiveness and accuracy.

Real-time processing demands, compatibility across various platforms, and implementing efficient signal processing algorithms - all these complexities necessitate meticulous optimization and testing to deliver seamless audio experiences.

Main Jam Galaxy Obstacles:

• Potential high-latency and audio quality trade-offs,
• Compliance - adding functionality to an already existing system without increasing latency (each additional operation on the server can introduce additional latency),
• Jitter buffer - implementing it correctly so as not to introduce too much delay, but to make the audio smooth (without crackling) as well,
• ASIO4ALL (Windows), CoreAudio (macOS) - adding libraries for handling audio devices, successively on Windows/macOS, have specific documentation (ASIO4ALL practically does not have it).

Overcoming the challenges mentioned above meant only one thing:

The real aim of the Jam Galaxy project was to create a new industry benchmark for ultra-low latency collaboration.

To deliver a true game-changing code in the audio industry, we started with thorough tech stack research and stayed in close contact with decision-makers.

However, the road to the top is never that easy.

We began the development stage with the implementation of both desktop and server applications on Windows and macOS. It is worth noting that macOS had a higher priority since Apple devices are overwhelmingly popular among musicians and music producers.

These are basic services that we provide for our business partners as Milo Solutions.

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Since the beginning, we knew that all Jam Galaxy users had to be connected to the servers in the blink of an eye. During the development stage, we had to ensure that the audio from each user was synchronized in time.

Additionally, the Jam Galaxy project required the best possible audio quality and top-notch server-side audio synchronization.

After all, the higher the quality – the larger the packets that introduce latency.

The Challenge | Cracking the Low-Latency Audio Code and Data

Some of the biggest challenges we faced along the way were:

• Building a Jitter Buffer that works – A jitter buffer smooths out inconsistencies in network transmission, but if not done right, it introduces even more delay. We fine-tuned our approach to ensure clean, uninterrupted audio.
• Mastering ASIO & CoreAudio – These low-level audio libraries are essential for high-performance audio on Windows and macOS, but documentation is scarce. We had to dig deep, experiment, and optimize.
• Enhancing the system without sacrificing performance – Every new feature was a balancing act. One wrong move, and we’d introduce lag. Our team took an ultra-careful approach to development, making sure every update kept latency at industry-leading levels.

Services & Features We Provided

During this project, we introduced a wide range of features, as the aforementioned desktop and server apps were built entirely from scratch, but some solutions were true game-changers.

We integrated a Chrome extension, allowing users to seamlessly join a room while chatting on Google Meet, making collaboration more fluid than ever. Web login with deep-linking was implemented, simplifying authentication and ensuring a frictionless user experience.

To maintain smooth, high-quality audio, we developed a Jitter Buffer, which equalizes packet delays and prevents audio dropouts. Users can also host private servers directly from the desktop application, giving them full control over their jam sessions.

For greater flexibility, we introduced an audio mix feature, allowing participants to adjust volume levels or completely mute specific users, ensuring a perfectly balanced session.

We also enabled streaming to external platforms, expanding performance possibilities beyond the Jam Galaxy ecosystem.

Lastly, to keep everything optimized, we incorporated detailed performance metrics for Prometheus, measuring the execution times of individual code elements to continuously fine-tune efficiency.

Main features of the Jam Galaxy project include:

• Chrome Extension Integration – Seamless joining of sessions from Google Meet.
• Web-Based Login with Deep-Linking – A frictionless authentication process.
• Jitter Buffer Optimization – Ensuring smooth, uninterrupted audio.
• Private Server Hosting – Giving users complete control over their jam sessions.
• Audio Mixing Capabilities – Allowing users to adjust volume levels or mute participants.
• Live Streaming to External Platforms – Bringing live performances to the world.
• Performance Metrics for Prometheus – Giving us deep insights into system efficiency.

Our work surpassed everybody's expectations.

We achieved lower latency than Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

This meant that for the first time, musicians could truly play together across continents without delays disrupting the experience.

Our journey with Jam Galaxy offers a valuable lesson.

Whether it’s in music, gaming, or any other industry that demands seamless interaction, the key is a relentless focus on performance, optimization, and user experience.

If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that building a low-latency system requires two key ingredients:

• Extreme Precision – Every millisecond counts, and multi-threaded programming must be handled carefully.
• Deep Understanding of Audio Processing – This isn’t just about code; it’s about sound engineering, network stability, and real-world user experience.

This portfolio entry showcases our ability to provide long-term and specialized support for complex music & audio software focused on minimal delay. Achieving ultra-low latency in real-time audio applications is a significant accomplishment in the industry.

Would you like to skyrocket your project performance just like the Jam Galaxy? Let’s talk!

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