Support & Help

Click the “+” button in the Songs tab to create a new entry. Then switch to edit mode to enter your ChordPro content.

Select a song from your library. Use the edit toggle to switch between preview and the ChordPro editor.

Download the direct APK from the Download page, open the file on your Android device, and allow installing from unknown sources when prompted (wording varies by Android version — often under Settings → Security or the browser/file app permission). This APK is separate from Google Play: it can sit beside a Play install and uses website purchases. The Play Store build stays store billing only — do not look for an alternate payment link inside Play.

The library search field is a relevance ranking, not a strict filter: every song gets a score (exact match → starts with → contains → contains all words → similar enough, as typo tolerance), and everything with a score above zero stays visible — best matches first. It searches title, artist, album, and song lyrics. Your best match stays at the top; similar songs (for example sharing one word like “little”) follow below. Quotation marks are not phrase syntax yet — they are searched as ordinary characters (tracked as a defect to fix).

Yes. You can archive songs to hide them from your main list without deleting them.

Yes. Starter holds up to 100 songs in the library, including songs imported from a .sbbl setlist. If the import would go over the cap, you can bring in the first N songs that still fit (in setlist order) or cancel — nothing is written until you choose, and nothing you already have is deleted. Songs you already have with the same content are not counted twice. Songs you receive from a person-to-person share or from band/sync stay exempt (capping those would drop data someone else sent). Basic lifts the limit.

ChordPro is a text format where chords are placed in brackets like [C]. Songbook Buddy automatically renders this into a clean, readable layout.

Yes. Changes are saved automatically based on your auto-save settings in Preferences.

Use the transpose controls to shift the key in semitone steps. This affects display and playback, not the original source unless saved.

Fixed — the chord now shows as “Bb6/9” (the standard lead-sheet spelling). Under the hood the app still stores it compactly and accepts either spelling when you type (Bb6/9 or Bb69), but what you see is the conventional 6/9.

Catalog fonts — the fonts bundled with the app and the Google Fonts Songbook Buddy offers — are available on every device. They ship with the app or load automatically. Fonts you pick under “On my computer” stay on that desktop only: other phones, tablets, or computers silently fall back to the system font. If you distribute setlists with custom layouts, stay with catalog fonts so everyone sees the same type.

Starter includes guitar, ukulele, and piano diagrams with soundfont audio preview. Basic adds Find chord (Reverse Chord Finder), Related Chords, the interactive Chord Finder, substitutions, and flashcards.

Yes. Choose fingerings per song. Pro adds the Chord Editor to design custom shapes for guitar, ukulele, and piano — per instrument, tuning, and transpose — reusable across your library.

Yes. Basic includes chord flashcards with Beginner, Advanced, and Expert levels for guitar and ukulele voicings.

Yes. Theater Mode provides a distraction-free layout optimized for live performance.

Yes. Playback mode includes auto-scrolling. You can also quickly change position whilst playing; playback resumes from the new position.

Some Pro tools are opt-in so everyday use stays uncluttered. Open Preferences → Plan → Features and turn on what you need — for example DMX lighting, Open Sound Control (OSC), footswitch, or MIDI. Until a toggle is enabled, that feature stays hidden in the main UI (there may be no Controls tab at all).

Pro covers performance and production tools: Theater Mode, external display, MIDI control, footswitch (USB foot pedals), setlist PDF songbooks, .sbbl setlist export for email/USB hand-off, sticky notes, workflow status, downloadable fonts, stage lighting — DMX (Art-Net), Open Sound Control (OSC), person-to-person sharing, and sync on up to 5 devices. Basic covers an unlimited library, create/edit personal setlists, all import formats, metronome, tags, print/PDF, Find chord / Related Chords, substitutions, flashcards, and sync on up to 2 devices. Starter can import .sbbl setlists for free (view/delete); those songs count toward the 100-song library cap.

USB foot pedals such as AirTurn, PageFlip, and Stream Deck Pedal. MIDI learn, duplicate, and panic; network MIDI on macOS. Per-port enable keeps device lists short.

You need the AirTurn Manager app (Mac & iOS App Store, Google Play Store). Pair your device to your tablet or computer, open AirTurn Manager, and select your device from the list (for example a BT200S). Set it to: Auto-repeat → on; Delay before repeat → 0.47 s (lowest); Repeat rate → 10/sec (highest); Switch Actions → “Mode 2”.

Yes — pedals aren't limited to changing songs. In Preferences, set Theater advance mode to Manual ½ page-turn (or Manual page-turn for a whole screen at a time). In your footswitch setup, map a pedal to “Theater: next page” (and a second pedal, or a long-press, to “Theater: previous page”). Play the song in Theater mode and tap the pedal to advance whenever you're ready. Because manual mode has no timer, it never races ahead or lags behind your playing — that's the fix for the fixed-length auto-scroll problem. The smallest step today is half a page per tap; a true line-by-line scroll isn't available yet.

Hardware first: Songbook Buddy speaks Art-Net over your LAN only. You need an IP-to-DMX gateway (Enttec ODE, DMXKing eDMX, …) on the same network — there is no USB-DMX dongle support and no sACN/E1.31. Then unlock the UI: Pro plan plus Preferences → Plan → Features → DMX lighting (defaults off). Only then does the Controls main tab appear with a DMX sub-tab. Point Controls → DMX → DMX Settings at your Art-Net IP (broadcast 255.255.255.255 works on a flat LAN), port 6454, then use Test connection. On iOS/macOS, allow Local Network permission or packets never leave the device.

Pro options (opt-in, off by default under Preferences → Plan → Features): DMX drives stage lights via Art-Net to an IP-to-DMX node (no USB-DMX / no sACN), with scenes mapped per song; Open Sound Control (OSC) maps network messages (UDP/TCP) to song and theater actions for show-control rigs.

Cloud adds shared band libraries with per-band end-to-end encryption, roles (Owner / Admin / Member / Viewer), and invite links. Your transpose and display settings stay personal.

Cloud Live Sessions let one device lead while followers sync song, scroll, playback, setlist cursor, count-in, and metronome. Rejoin without restarting the leader.

There are two different 6-character codes in the Bands tab, and they're easy to mix up. Band invite code (Bands → Join band / Create invite) joins a band. Connect code (Bands → People → + Connect) sets up a 1:1 connection so you can send songs person-to-person. There's no per-song code — a single song is sent to someone you're already connected with, via the Share icon. Sending a song (and generating Connect codes) needs Pro or Pro Cloud. Receiving shared songs works for any signed-in user — no Pro required. Correct one-song flow: (1) Sender: Bands → People → + Connect → Generate, and hand your friend the code. (2) Friend: Bands → People → + Connect → Enter someone's code → Connect (no Pro needed). (3) Sender: Songs list → the song → Share icon → pick your friend → Send. (4) Friend: Bands → People → inbox → Accept. The band you may have already joined is a separate feature: songs published to a band (via a band-bound setlist) appear automatically in every member's library, no per-song accept. Great for ongoing collaboration — but for a single one-off song, the Connect + Share path above is simpler.

Encrypted device sync is a Basic+ feature and needs a signed-in account. Device limits are Basic 2, Pro 5, and Pro Cloud 100. Starter stays local-only. Pro Cloud also adds Band Mode and live collaboration. Linked audio and sheet files copy over WLAN sync on your local Wi-Fi (Basic+). Pro Cloud can also sync sheet attachments through the cloud (rolling out); audio never goes to the cloud on any plan.

Support expectations follow your license tier: Starter gets community, docs, and self-service help; Basic includes basic email and Discord support; Pro includes priority email and in-app support; Pro Cloud includes priority cloud support for Band Mode and collaboration. We usually respond to email within 24 hours — include your app version and operating system.

Your songs always stay in a local database on the device. With Basic or higher and a signed-in account, you can optionally sync that library encrypted across your devices. Turn sync off anytime for fully local use.

Encrypted device sync needs a signed-in account and Basic or higher — a free Starter account alone does not unlock it. Without sync, your library stays local on each device. Separately, linked audio and sheet PDFs can copy between your own devices over WLAN sync on the same Wi-Fi (also Basic+) — that path does not send the files through the cloud.

Yes. The library, editor, and performance tools work offline. Sync and band features are optional and need a network connection when you use them.

A sheet song has two parts that travel by different channels. The title/metadata can sync through encrypted device sync (Basic+), so it shows up in the list, but the PDF file itself is copied between your devices over WLAN sync — directly over your local Wi-Fi (Basic+). Turn it on on both devices: Preferences → Plan → WLAN sync (and ideally Sync automatically). With both devices on the same Wi-Fi, one discovers the other as a peer — tap Sync now and the PDF copies across. (.cho songs are self-contained text, which is why they arrive with no extra step.) Pro Cloud adds a cloud route for sheet attachments so a device that is never on the same network can still get scores (rolling out); until that is live, WLAN sync is the way. Linked audio never uses the cloud on any plan.

Song data (ChordPro, setlists, tags, sheet metadata) syncs through the encrypted cloud (Basic+). Large files — linked audio and sheet PDFs/images — copy device-to-device over WLAN sync on your local Wi-Fi (Basic+, on by default, needs sign-in; transfer is on request unless you turn on Sync automatically). Audio never goes to Songbook Buddy’s cloud on any plan, including Pro Cloud. Turn WLAN sync on on both devices: Preferences → Plan → WLAN sync. With both on the same Wi-Fi, tap Sync now when a peer appears. If the same song ends up with different recordings on two devices, nothing is overwritten silently — a Review panel lets you keep yours or take theirs per file. To move audio to a device that will never share a network, use a backup with audio included.

Songbook Buddy uses two separate paths. Song data (ChordPro, setlists, tags, sheet metadata) travels through the cloud. Large files — audio and sheet PDFs/images — travel device-to-device on the same Wi-Fi (WLAN sync, Basic+, signed-in, on by default, on request unless you enable automatic sync). Only Pro Cloud also puts sheet attachments in the cloud; audio never goes to the cloud on any plan. A backup is always a snapshot of the device where you create it — never a download from the cloud. Audio is an optional checkbox in the backup because it makes the file much larger; a restore without audio does not wipe local audio you already have.

Cloud data is end-to-end encrypted with a key derived from your password. When you change the password in the app (Preferences → Account → Advanced → Change password), Songbook Buddy re-encrypts the whole library automatically (progress shown; about a minute and a half for ~1,300 songs; interruptible and resumable). The account key switches only after that sweep finishes, so nothing becomes unreadable from an in-app change. Your other devices are signed out and ask for the new password. Forgot password? or a support reset is different: there is no re-encryption sweep, so older uploaded songs stay under the old key — the app detects that and asks you. A wrong password changes nothing.

That banner is a reminder, not an error — and nothing is lost. On a Manual sync interval (including “Manual — never ask”), the app uploads nothing until you press Sync now. Edits stay safely on that device until you sync. To clear the backlog automatically, set Preferences → Account → SYNC → Auto-sync to a cadence such as Every hour or Once a day. Staying on manual is fine too; it just means pressing Sync now now and then.

Starter imports common ChordPro formats (.cho, .chordpro, .txt, .pro) and .sbbl setlist bundles from a leader. Basic adds Word, ODF, PDF, and image sheet import. ChordPro export stays free at every tier; exporting a .sbbl setlist bundle is Pro.

File import compares title + artist exactly (character-for-character) against non-deleted songs — not content, file size, or file name. A match is skipped, never overwritten: an import cannot damage a version you already have; skipped files are listed individually in the result report. If ChordPro has no title, the file name is used; if there is no artist, the artist stays empty — both change what counts as a duplicate. For a large foreign library: import first, then clean up with Delete duplicate songs (it separates duplicates with the same vs. different song settings and keeps the most recently edited copy).

Importing never overwrites anything. An exact title + artist match is skipped, never overwritten (“already in your library”). If title or artist differs even slightly, import creates a new song. Because setlists and band-song sharing both point at one specific song, a newly imported “revised version” is a separate song: it isn't in the setlist, and it hasn't been shared with your band. So yes — you'd add the new version to the setlist and publish it to the band yourself. The smoother way to revise a song that's already in a setlist or shared with a band: edit it in place. Open it from the Songs tab and change its content there. That keeps the same song, so it stays in all its setlists — and if it's a band song, your edits sync out to your members automatically.

Yes. Single-song print/PDF is a Basic feature. Use the print function to generate PDFs with customizable layout options. Setlist songbook PDF export is Pro.

The delay is your Kobo re-drawing the page on its e-ink screen — every e-reader does this, and it's slower when it has to shrink a full A4/Letter page down to the small display. Songbook Buddy can't speed up the Kobo itself, but you can export a lighter PDF that redraws faster. In the export dialog: Chord diagrams → Off (they're vector graphics and the heaviest part when enabled); turn on Monochrome chords; use one column; export one song per PDF (so the reader isn't paging a huge document). If your sheets are imported PDFs or photos, Songbook Buddy re-renders them as page images — copying the original PDF straight to the Kobo is usually faster. A dedicated “e-reader mode” isn't available yet, but it's on our list.

Open Settings → Backup & Restore. Export a backup file that includes your songs and app preferences. Store the file somewhere safe (cloud drive, USB, or another device) before major updates or device changes.

In Backup & Restore, choose Restore and select your backup file. You can include app preferences with “Also restore app preferences”. On a receive-only device, restoring no longer leaves duplicate songs that were never pushed from that device.

Use Preferences → Maintenance → Backup on the old machine, copy the single .sbbk file across, then Preferences → Maintenance → Restore on the new one. Do not hand-copy database files — on macOS the library lives in a sandbox you usually cannot browse, sheet PDFs live elsewhere, and copying a live songbook.db can leave a malformed database. Apple Migration Assistant is not enough either: if the app was running during migration the copied DB can arrive mid-write and open as corrupt. Backup → copy the .sbbk → Restore is the supported path (Starter included). Restoring replaces cloud-owned songs/setlists for signed-in accounts, so other devices sync to that restored state.

Library repair reconciles your local database with the cloud when devices have drifted out of sync. Run it from Settings when songs are missing on one device but present on another. The progress banner shows elapsed and estimated remaining time.

No. Restoring a backup preserves your device’s sync direction and identity so roster and send/receive roles stay correct. Manual sync mode (“never ask”) is honored on launch and after restore.

Yes. Backups include curated display preferences (chord notation, colours, layout) alongside your song library. Use the preferences option on restore when you want those settings on a new device.

The screens agree on the total — they just group the same library two different ways. Most screens group by visibility: active songs (what the library list shows) plus archived. The Backup dialog groups by file type: ChordPro songs plus sheet (PDF/image) songs — and it includes archived songs too (a backup always saves them; only deleted tombstones are optional). Example: 168 active + 17 archived = 185, and 176 ChordPro + 9 sheet = 185. The Backup ChordPro count is not a fourth conflicting number — it includes your archived ChordPro songs. Nothing is missing.

It depends on where you bought — who took your payment, not which device you use. Direct from us (website / PayPal): email support@songbookbuddy.com within 14 days for a full refund, no questions asked. App Store: Apple is the seller; only Apple can refund via reportaproblem.apple.com (we cannot reverse Apple transactions — still write to us if something is broken). Google Play: self-refund in the Play Store within 48 hours; after that email us and we can refund via the Play Console. Full channel details are on the Refunds page (footer and Plans). A refund never deletes your songs or local library.

There is nothing to cancel: Songbook Buddy is sold as one-time purchases, not subscriptions. Basic unlocks permanently; Pro and Pro Cloud each buy one year and do not auto-renew. A full refund withdraws that purchase automatically — you fall back to whatever your remaining purchases still cover (for example, refund Pro while a separately bought Basic stands and you keep Basic). Your content is never deleted. If you end up on Starter with more than 100 songs, nothing is removed: the cap only blocks adding songs. ChordPro export stays free at every tier, so you can always get your data out. Refunds take effect automatically in the app once processed.