FarPlay vs Highnote

FarPlay enables people to play music together online with reduced audio delay. It transmits uncompressed, full-duplex 48kHz/16bit PCM audio and includes video, customizable layouts and screensharing. A Latency Slider lets users trade lower delay against the possibility of audio glitches. Sessions can be recorded as separate synchronized audio tracks for later import into a DAW, and Broadcast Output sends multi-channel audio to a DAW for livestream mixing. FarPlay uses peer-to-peer connections, without requiring server setup or router-port changes. It runs on Linux, macOS and Windows computers; phones and tablets are unsupported except Windows tablets with Intel processors. An internet connection that supports peer-to-peer connections is required, and Ethernet is recommended for ultra-low latency. The free plan limits sessions to two participants and 45 minutes. Paid plans start at $5.99 a month, with the first month free. Only the person starting a session needs a subscription for the session to receive subscription benefits.

Highnote provides private spaces where artists and communities upload, share, discuss, and react to music. Its audience includes artists, engineers, labels, producers, and songwriters. Tracks can receive timestamped comments, voice comments, replies, and audio polls. Highnote supports MP3, WAV, AIF, and MP4 files, with folders and nested versions for comparison. Collaborators and share links can have downloads, uploads, and timestamped comments enabled or disabled, and links can be password protected. Dropbox integration is available, and projects can link Google Docs, reference playlists, and other external content. Highnote says music remains private unless shared. Browser playback is lossless and gapless on all plans. Web, Android, and iOS are listed platforms, with mobile apps available. Starter costs nothing and includes 15 total tracks, 50GB cloud storage, and unlimited shared spaces. Indie costs $4.99 a month for 500 tracks and 1TB storage. Studio costs $19.99 a month for unlimited tracks and 5TB storage. Highnote was founded in 2020.