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How to Use Music Mode (Moderators Only)

Music Mode gives you better online sound quality when playing instruments. This tutorial covers why that is and how to use this feature.

Julie Myers avatar
Written by Julie Myers
Updated over a week ago

Table of Contents


About This Tutorial

Music Mode makes it possible to play an instrument over the internet. You are probably asking, what exactly does that mean? Can't we just play and everything sounds great over the internet? Well, no.

When you use video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype or even Online Studio with Music Mode off, they are built to work well with talking. However, if you try playing an instrument the sound will cut in and out, and the volume can be lower. Kind of like a bad cell phone connection. This is because the audio is not built to handle the different technical needs of playing an instrument online.

Music Mode fixes that, by changing how the audio portion of the software works so it can handle the technical needs of playing an instrument over the internet. When this feature is turned on it will sound as if you are in person, as no interruption in sound quality will occur.

There are two things to know before turning Music Mode on:

  1. Everyone will need to wear a headset.

  2. Make sure everyone is in the room before turning Music Mode on.

This tutorial explains the need for using headsets, and how to turn this feature on and off. And what happens when you do.


About Echo Cancelling and Wearing Headsets

One of the things Music Mode does is turn off what's called echo cancelling. Without echo cancelling everyone would hear themselves echo each time they talked. Whether they have a headset on or using their computers built in microphone and speaker. Thus Zoom, and others, implement echo cancelling.

However, in order to build the audio so playing an instrument over the internet works, one of the things that Music Mode does is turn off echo cancelling.

What this means is that in order to prevent echoing, when Music Mode is on, everyone needs to be using headsets.


Turn Music Mode On and What Happens

  1. Go to your Nav Bar and click on the Music Mode icon.

    This will open up a popup box with some instructions.

  2. Click on the Yes, Start Music Mode button.


    For Music Mode to make the needed audio changes, the room needs to be rebooted. Your screen will go black and you will see the following message:


    You, the teacher, will be temporarily booted out of the room first. When this happens the student will be given temporary moderator rights and sees these messages:

    Note: The student is given temporary moderator rights so the system doesn't kick them out of the meeting.

    Once you are back in the room, with Music Mode on, the student will then be temporarily booted from the room:

    The student will be let back in and you are both now back in the room with Music Mode on. The student will not have moderator rights, but the teacher will.


How To Turn Music Mode Off and What Happens

  1. Go to your Nav Bar and click on the Music Mode icon.

    This will open up a popup box with some instructions.

  2. Click on the Yes, Stop Music Mode button.


    For Music Mode to make the needed audio changes, the room needs to be rebooted. Your screen will go black and you will see the following message:

    You, the teacher, will be temporarily booted out of the room first. When this happens the student will be given temporary moderator status and sees these messages:

    Note: The student is given temporary moderator rights so the system doesn't kick them out of the meeting.
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    Once you are back in the room, with Music Mode off, the student will then be temporarily booted from the room:

    The student will be let back in and you are both now back in the room with music mode off. The student will not have moderator rights, but the teacher will.

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