Complete Guide

From score to stage
in four steps

Coda connects composers, arrangers, and musicians across the world. Here's the complete journey — whether you're creating a project, joining as a musician, or simply listening.

Creator

Project creator

Creates the project, uploads the score, defines parts, invites musicians, reviews recordings, and publishes the performance.

Musician

Collaborating musician

Joins a project (directly or via invite link), records their assigned part, and waits for the creator to select their take.

Listener

Public listener

Watches published performances, likes and comments, with no account required. A share link works for anyone.

1

Create your project

Creator

Every collaboration starts with a project. Use the guided three-step wizard:

Step 1 — General info & score

Name your project, add the composer and genre, write a description, and upload your score. Coda accepts MusicXML (.musicxml, .mxl) and PDF files. If you upload MusicXML, Coda automatically fills in the title, composer, tempo, and time signature — no manual typing.

Step 2 — Musical settings

Set the BPM (20–300), time signature (2/4 through 7/8), count-in (1, 2, or 4 measures), and tuning reference (A = 432, 440, 442, or 415 Hz). These settings are sent to every musician's recording studio automatically.

Step 3 — Instrument parts

Define each instrument part by name and instrument. Use one of 40+ ensemble templates across 8 genres to fill the parts list instantly, or build it manually. Parts extracted from a MusicXML score are populated automatically.

2

Invite & recruit musicians

Creator

Once your project is live, bring musicians in. There are two ways:

Share the invite link

Copy the unique project invite URL and share it anywhere — social media, email, Discord, or directly in Coda's messaging. Anyone who follows the link will see the project details, pick an instrument part, and land straight in the recording studio. No account needed — Coda creates a temporary guest session automatically. You can convert it to a full account at any time to keep your recordings and profile.

Browse the musician directory

Use the Musicians page to search by instrument, name, or location. When you find someone whose profile interests you, send them a direct message or share the project link.

Open Recruiting status

While the project is in Recruiting status it appears in the Discover page and is visible to other musicians who might want to join. Flip to Recording when you're ready to close recruitment.

3

Record your part

Musician

Musicians record entirely in the browser — no software to install.

The recording studio

The studio shows your score on the left (scroll, zoom, go full-screen) and the recording controls on the right. The score is always visible while you play — no more alt-tabbing between a PDF and a recording app.

Metronome & count-in

Before each take a 3–2–1 countdown gives you time to settle. The built-in metronome then clicks at exactly the project BPM. A count-in period plays before the music starts, just like a conductor's upbeat.

Multiple takes & submission

Record as many takes as you need. Each clip appears in your clip list with duration and file size. Delete unsatisfactory takes, then submit the one you're happy with. Your recording arrives immediately in the creator's Review Center.

4

Review, generate & publish

Creator

With recordings in, the creator curates and publishes.

Review Center

The Review Center groups submissions by instrument part. Preview each recording inline. Select the best take with a gold star, or reject it and optionally leave written feedback for the musician. Rejected musicians can re-submit.

Generate the performance

Once every part has a selected recording, the Generate Performance button becomes active. Coda's backend synchronises and mixes all recordings, then renders a combined ensemble video — automatically. You can also generate alternative mixes using different recording selections.

Publish & share

The finished performance gets its own page with a video player, contributor avatars, likes, and comments. Share the link publicly — no account needed to watch.

Guest path

Joining without an account

You don't need to sign up to contribute to a project. Here's how the guest journey works:

  1. 1.Someone shares a project invite link with you.
  2. 2.You open the link — Coda shows the project description, composer, genre, and list of open parts.
  3. 3.You choose your instrument part. Coda creates a temporary guest account automatically (no form to fill).
  4. 4.You record your part in the studio, submit it, and you're done.
  5. 5.Optionally, convert your guest account to a full account to keep your recordings, follow musicians, and create your own projects.

Good to know

What file formats does Coda accept for scores?
MusicXML (.musicxml and .mxl compressed archives) and PDF. MusicXML is strongly recommended because Coda extracts metadata automatically and renders the notation inline for all collaborators.
Does my microphone need to be a professional audio interface?
No. Coda uses the standard WebRTC browser API, so anything your operating system recognises as an audio input works — built-in laptop microphone, USB condenser, audio interface, or a phone headset.
Can multiple musicians record the same part?
Yes. Any number of musicians can record the same instrument part. The creator chooses the best take in the Review Center. This is also how alternative mixes work.
How are the recordings synchronised?
All musicians record to the same metronome click at the same BPM. The Coda backend processes the recordings with FFmpeg, aligning them by their shared tempo reference and mixing the audio tracks into a single combined performance video.
Is Coda free?
Yes, completely free. No credit card, no subscription tier, no usage limit. Create an account and start collaborating immediately.

Ready to try it?

Create your first project in minutes. It's completely free.