Facilitating Open Source Software and Standards to Assembly a Platform for Networked Music Performance

Abstract

This chapter presents our efforts towards developing a Networked Music Performance (NMP) system by tailoring and re-using open source software components. The chapter builds on the assumption that NMP and videoconferencing systems share common properties for real-time bidirectional media interaction. It is acknowledged that although NMP is a form of videoconferencing, it is a lot more demanding with respect to efficient distribution of network resources allowing fast and reliable communication of audio and video streams. Initially, an overview of NMP research is provided and the design criteria of NMP system development are clearly delineated. Following, the chapter describes the network protocols involved in videoconferencing. Then, a number of relevant open source software initiatives implementing these protocols are presented and compared for their suitability for NMP system development. Finally, the chapter describes a baseline NMP platform that can serve as a testbed for further research on distributed ensemble performance and remote musical interactions.