“After years of having to cobble together software for less-than-ideal performance, Sessionwire put it all together – better.”
This quote from four-time Grammy-nominated mixing and mastering engineer, Rich Keller, describes the frustrating reality of remote music production for many.
Prior to the emergence of all-in-one remote recording applications like Sessionwire, producers and engineers were forced to take a piecemeal approach to remote collaboration. Fortunately for everyone, those days are behind us.
All-in-one solutions remove the complexity of managing multiple applications, resulting in a more cohesive and efficient workflow, allowing you more time and focus to be spent on what really matters; making great music.
At Sessionwire, our goal has always been to build an all-in-one solution that makes it possible to recreate the feeling of being in the recording studio. To accomplish this, we had to be able to deliver when it comes to performance and capability.
Whether you’re considering Sessionwire or any another application, we feel there are a set of must-have features and capabilities that you really shouldn’t compromise on.
So, we’ve put together our 8 must-haves (and a couple of honourable mentions) for all-in-one remote recording applications to help you decide which solution is right for you.
1. Studio-quality Audio
It all starts with audio quality. While this may be obvious and frankly, a no-brainer, we couldn’t create this list without making it number one. There’s no room for compromise here. If the audio quality isn’t up to your standards, move on. It’s that simple.
Sessionwire provides an ultra-low latency, bi-directional, studio-quality live audio stream. We use a well-known audio codec alongside proprietary software to transmit audio at 48kHz 32-bit floating over our dedicated stereo stream at 400kbps.
2. High-definition video (with talkback)
Communication is a critical part of the collaborative process of recording music. Integrated high-definition video with voice chat allows you to have smooth and natural conversations and serves as an important bridge to come as close as possible to the feeling of sitting in the studio together.
Sessionwire features an integrated high-definition video and a studio-style talkback audio feed with auto-mute functionality, which eliminates feedback when recording. Both video and audio communication are encrypted.
3. DAW Compatibility
Of course, you’ll need to ensure the application you’re considering is compatible with your own digital audio workstation, but what about the people you work with and will work with in the future? Don’t let a lack of DAW support limit your opportunities to collaborate.
Sessionwire’s plugin suite for both macOS and Windows allows you to easily connect with your favourite software. The suite includes send-and-receive plugins in AAX, VST3, and AU formats.
4. File Sharing
Almost every project will require you to send and receive tracks and files. You should be able to do this without disrupting your workflow by leaving your application to use third-party file transfer websites. Just being able to send files is not enough, you must be able to do so securely.
Sessionwire allows you to easily and securely transfer files during your session with bank-grade encrypted drag-and-drop file sharing.
5. Listening Sessions
Whether you’re conducting a mix review with a client or just want a trusted colleague to listen to something in the works, the ability to invite others to your sessions can save you a ton of time by eliminating lengthy offline back-and-forth communication.
Sessionwire’s Sessionview™ allows you to invite multiple guests to listen in on your sessions with high-quality audio and video chat from a web browser.
6. Security
When collaborating over the internet, especially when working with sensitive material such as unreleased music, the security of the application you use matters. All communication, both audio and video, and file transfers should be encrypted.
Sessionwire is both private and secure as it employs direct peer-to-peer connections with bank-grade encryption of audio and video communications including our integrated drag-and-drop file sharing.
7. Comprehensive Support
While support is technically not a product feature or capability, we believe that responsive and comprehensive support is a must-have for your remote recording solution. From the initial setup to understanding the multiple use cases of the application, the peace of mind that comes with great support is invaluable.
At Sessionwire, we are committed to providing world-class support to our growing community of users. Our ever-expanding repository of documentation and video tutorials is a great self-serve resource for common questions and scenarios. We also offer live one-on-one support for those more complex issues that may arise.
8. Try Before You Buy
We can’t stress this one enough. Before you decide on a remote recording application, you must try it out. You need to listen to the audio quality. You need to use it to have a video call with someone. Test out every feature and if possible do so with someone on the other side of the world.
Honourable Mentions
Professional Use
Many application vendors make the claim to be a professional solution, us included. If it’s a professional application, it would make sense that industry professionals are using it. This is not simply about bragging rights. If an application has passed the scrutiny of industry professionals, odds are it has the performance and capabilities you’ll need as well.
Sessionwire is used by many of the top artists, producers, and engineers in the world. We started this post off with a quote from Sessionwire user Rich Keller, who has 29 platinum albums and over 75 million albums sold to date. He has worked with such artists as Nipsey Hussle, DMX, Nas, Jay Z, Alicia Keys, P Diddy, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, and many more.
A Community to Make Connections
Remote music production is all about collaboration, specifically the freedom to collaborate with anyone regardless of location. But making those connections isn’t always easy. An active user community can serve as a place to not only showcase yourself and your talents but also to find new talent to collaborate with.
Producers, engineers, singers, and musicians from all around the world are collaborating with each other using Sessionwire. By joining the Sessionwire community, you can set up your profile, add searchable tags, and upload photos, music, and videos. You can invite your friends or search for new connections, effectively creating your own collaborative network.
A Note About Latency
Before we wrap up this post, we would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to discuss latency. Latency is, unfortunately, a reality. It is unavoidable due to the laws of physics. This makes jamming or playing along with someone in real-time over the internet next to impossible. So, be wary of application vendors that try to sell you on the false promise of ‘no latency’.
At Sessionwire, we will never make the claim to have solved the latency issue. The truth is that latency is here to stay. The Sessionwire application promotes workflows that accommodate for this and results in no perceived latency to the end-user. So, while remote jamming won’t ever be a reality, we can get you close.
While this post is not an exhaustive list of every feature of capability of remote recording applications, we encourage you to use it as a guide when evaluating potential solutions. Of course, we hope Sessionwire will be included in your list.
Did we miss any must-haves? Let us know in the comments.
As always if you have any questions about the Sessionwire application, please don’t hesitate to contact us.