Piano Gather Help Center

How to use Piano Gather: create an account, find and join a session, host your own, and fix camera, microphone and sound problems.

Getting started

Create an account and sign in – Make a free Piano Gather account, verify your email, and sign in with a password or with Apple, on the web or in the apps.
Which browser or app to use – Piano Gather works in any up-to-date browser, but the Mac and Windows apps give the best sound. Here’s what to use on each device.

Find a session and RSVP – Browse the sessions board or calendar, understand what each kind of session is, and save your spot with RSVP.
Join a session – Enter the room, check your camera and microphone on the setup screen, choose Music mode and Headphones, and join.
Controls during a session – What every button in the call does: mute, camera, audio settings, chat, the music score, alcoves, layouts and leaving.
Layouts: Grid, Spotlight and 1-on-1 – How the call can be arranged, what each layout is for, who chooses it, and what happens when someone shares their screen.
Keyboard shortcuts – Run a session from the keyboard in the Mac and Windows app: microphone, camera, sharing, the Asset queue, PDF pages and recording.

Host a session – Post a practice session or performance, invite people, and run the room: spotlight, mute, record, add sheet music, and edit or cancel.

Free accounts, credits and subscriptions – What a free account can do, how credits and the subscription work, and why Sonatina campers never pay.

Camera or microphone not working – Nobody can hear or see you, the mic button says No Mic, or the camera list is empty. Usually it’s a permission. Here’s how to fix it.
My piano sounds faint or cuts out – Your voice comes through fine but the piano is quiet, muffled, or drops out on long notes. Here’s why it happens and how to fix it.
Echo or feedback in the call – People hear themselves echo back, a shared video plays twice, or there’s a howl. It almost always comes from one person’s speakers. Here’s how to fix it.
Choppy video, dropouts and other problems – Frozen or choppy video, “Reconnecting…”, being signed out, or a page that won’t update. What the messages mean and what to try.