Tutorial & FAQ
From your first song to your next take.
1. Build your library
- Sign in with the same JamAlways account you use in the app.
- Choose Add song or drop an audio file into the library. When processing finishes, the song appears in Library without a success message or opening the player automatically. Click it when you are ready to play.
- Use the refresh arrow to check your online library. Sort by date, name or length, or use Search to find a song.
2. Make your mix
- The Mixer opens with empty channels until you choose a song from Library. No demo is loaded automatically.
- Choose Vertical for faders or Horizontal for waveforms and recording. Both views control the same channels.
- Click or drag the time ruler above the Horizontal mixer to move through the song. Drag across the waveforms to select a time range and one or more channels.
- Use the keyboard Right arrow to move forward 5 seconds and Left arrow to move back 5 seconds. Space plays or pauses. While typing or adjusting a focused input, keys keep their normal function.
- Adjust Volume and Pan. Double-click a knob to reset it to its default position at noon.
- M mutes a channel. S solos it. The vertical Master controls the whole mix and has its own Mute button.
3. Record your own tracks
- Add your own voice or instrument to a song by recording into a channel in the Horizontal mixer.
- Open the Horizontal mixer. Choose an empty channel, or use Add channel to create and position another one.
- Click the green Input text beside the channel name to choose your microphone or interface. New recordings use mono automatically. Allow microphone access when your browser asks. Headphones help keep the backing track out of your microphone.
- Click the small red recording button on the channel to arm it. The main Play button turns red. Use original Speed and Song key, and switch Loop off.
- Press the red Play button to start recording without a count-in. If the song is already playing, recording joins the current playback position.
- Press the main button again to stop and save. Wait for saving to finish. The latest saved recording loads into its channel automatically. Take numbers are kept out of the mixer. Open the song’s three-dot menu and choose Download stems. Individual audio lists stems and your recordings by channel name. Choose WAV quality: 44.1 kHz / 16-bit (CD format) or 24-bit; choose one and confirm Yes to download, or Cancel to return without downloading. The All stems together tab downloads converted stems as separate files in one ZIP. All stems in one audio combines the original converted stems into one stereo WAV at the chosen quality, with all instruments playing together; it does not include mixer edits or local recordings. Both options ask for confirmation before downloading.
- After a take is saved, its channel is disarmed automatically. Press Play to listen; arm the channel again to record another take. If the app reports no input signal, check the selected Input and interface or microphone before retrying.
4. Edit across channels
- In the Horizontal mixer, click and drag across the waveforms: left/right sets the time range, and up/down includes the channels you cross. For an ending fade across four stems, drag from the song end towards the left and down across the four lanes.
- Use the shared Zoom buttons or the always-active Zoom slider to zoom from 1× to 64×. Select a region first to center the zoom on that selection, or return to 1× to see the whole song. The time ruler and all waveforms use the same view.
- Choose Fade in, Fade out or Cut in the centered toolbar on the same line as Vertical and Horizontal. The operation applies to the selected time range on every highlighted channel. Cut replaces that section with silence and keeps all channels in sync.
- Drag either edge of the selection to adjust its start or end, keeping the selected channels. Mark a time range in the waveforms and press Play to hear only that section once; playback stops at its end. To repeat it, click the Loop button beside Play first, then press Play. Only highlighted channels play, staying in sync. Click Loop again to turn repetition off. Without a selection, Loop opens the usual A–B settings.
- Undo reverses the entire group action. Redo reapplies it. Use Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo, Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y to redo, Delete to cut, and Escape to clear the selection. History is kept while this song and its selected takes stay open.
5. Follow lyrics and chords
- Open Lyrics or Chords to follow the song. While lyrics or chords are being prepared, the tab shows Loading. Audio separation can finish before this analysis.
- Open the three-dot song menu and choose Edit lyrics or Edit chords to make corrections. Save when you finish.
- Use the song menu to download stems or add the song to a playlist.
Frequently asked questions
Does 24-bit export improve the original recording quality?
No. WAV export uses 44.1 kHz with 16-bit or 24-bit samples. A larger format does not restore detail already absent from a compressed source or a lower-resolution recording.
Are my recordings uploaded to the cloud?
No. Audio you record yourself stays in this browser on this computer and is not uploaded to the cloud. Open Download stems to download a WAV backup, then confirm Yes.
How do I change my profile photo?
Open Account, click the profile photo or camera icon, and choose a JPG, PNG or WebP image. The photo is resized and saved privately to your account.
What happens when I sign out?
Sign Out returns you to the home page. Your personal Library and Mixer require a new login.
Can I use JamAlways on my phone?
You can use JamAlways Web in the browser on iPhone and Android. Sign in to access your library; the iPhone app remains available separately through TestFlight.
Why is the Play button red?
At least one channel is armed for recording in the Horizontal mixer. Disarm its red channel button to return to ordinary playback.
Can I record in the Vertical mixer?
Recording controls are in the Horizontal mixer. Channels and takes also appear in the Vertical mixer.
Where are my recordings and waveform cuts saved?
Recordings and waveform edits are saved in this browser on this computer. Your recordings stay local and are not uploaded to the cloud. Download important recordings from the song’s three-dot menu → Download stems; clearing browser data can remove local work.
Does deleting a section shorten the song?
No. The selected audio becomes silence, preserving the timing of every channel. The original source remains available through Restore original.
Why is recording unavailable at another speed or key?
Recording currently requires original Speed, original Song key and Loop off. Return these controls to their defaults before recording.
Why are lyrics or chords still loading?
Lyrics and chords use a separate analysis step. Check the status shown in their tab. If the tab offers a retry after a failure, use that action.
Why do my libraries look different on two devices?
Check that both devices use the same account, then use the library refresh arrow. Online songs can sync; local recordings and waveform edits stay in their browser.
The timeline moves but I cannot hear anything. What should I check?
Check channel Mute and Solo, the vertical Master Mute and volume, the browser tab’s mute state, and your computer’s selected speakers or headphones. If it remains silent, stop playback and reopen the page.
How do I cancel before recording starts?
While inputs are preparing, click the main recording button again to cancel. Once recording has started, that button stops and saves the take.