Conferencing software is also often designed for one person to be heard at a time (the speaker gets 'focus'), to stop people talking over each other, but this makes playing music together impossible.

In addition, conferencing software does not normally allow detailed setting of individual audio streams' volume or panning on the user side, both of which are integral features of Jamulus.

Total latency is composed of: Jamulus is client-server based;[12] each client transmits its own compressed audio to a server on the internet.

Already in 2018, Jamulus was attracting attention as a way for classical ensembles such as string quartets to rehearse at a distance,[13] but its usage increased dramatically in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[17] Many changes were later made to support larger groups, such as choirs with as many as 98 members[18][19] as well as WorldJam,[20] an initiative allowing musicians from all over the world to play together on a regular basis.