Okay, Let's Do This Thing

Okay, Let's Do This Thing

In this guide, we're gonna walk you through the absolute bare-minimum essentials of OnSong so you can actually, like, use OnSong without completely losing your mind. We'll mention our gigantic user manual occasionally but mostly we're just gonna get you up to speed so you don't panic. You're welcome.

The Fine Print (aka Requirements)

OnSong 2022 runs on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices runnin' iOS/iPadOS 15 or newer. You can also torture yourself running OnSong 2022 on Intel and Apple Silicon Mac computers runnin' Big Sur or newer. If you're stuck on some ancient device from 2015, we gently suggest you upgrade your hardware because let's be real, Apple & OnSong have moved on without you. But hey, if you bought OnSong back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, you can always download that dusty old version from the App Store. YOLO, right?

Getting It Onto Your Device (aka Installing)

OnSong 2022 is only available through the App Store or Mac App Store (shocking, we know). Search for "OnSong" or peep this direct link. It's a free download, baby! Then you unlock all the shiny stuff with an OnSong subscription. This version gets lovingly updated with features & improvements plus premium tech support so you don't have to cry alone.

Already threw money at us for OnSong back in the day? Cool, cool. You can still rock OnSong 2020, which is a paid download on the App Store & features an older, lazier version of the app that basically only gets security patches so we don't get sued.

Pro tip: If you dropped cash on OnSong before, you can grab it on another device for FREE as long as you're signin' in with the same Apple ID. Subscribe to OnSong? Sign into *any OnSong app & boom—premium features everywhere.*

Fire Up OnSong (aka Launch OnSong)

Once the app finishes downloadin' & installin', it'll pop up on your home screen like some kinda icon. Tap it. Open it. You'll get asked to either create an account or sign in. Yep, it's required for OnSong 2022 because the whole thing basically depends on you havin' an OnSong account. Sorry, not sorry.

Get Your Bearings (aka Getting Oriented)

Open the app & BOOM—you're immediately swimming in the OnSong interface. Most of the screen shows a demo song called Welcome to OnSong (how meta, right?). Up top is the Menubar—that's where literally everything lives. Bottom right corner? That's the Live Bar where you toggle goodies like Autoscroll, Backing Tracks, and the Metronome. Now let's actually add a real song so you stop starin' at our demo.

Your Personal Song Graveyard (aka Your Song Library)

Tap the Songs button in the top-left to open the Songs Menu. This shows your songs, obvs. Tap the icon in the upper left corner to open the drawer & see how you can organize this mess.

Stealing Songs From the Internet (aka Importing Songs)

Tap the + button in the bottom right to see the Add Songs screen. Boom—bunch of ways to import files from storage places & websites. OnSong eats a ton of file formats. We're gonna use Dropbox because, duh, the internet is everywhere & so is Dropbox. You'll need to set up a Dropbox account & let OnSong peek at it—just gotta do it once, thank goodness. After that, browse & pick the files you want & smash Import. They download, they appear in your library, you see 'em in the Song Viewer. Boom.

Wanna grab stuff directly from the internet? OnSong's got the Add To OnSong Extension that pulls from chord chart & lyrics websites. Some bands are extra & post backing tracks & loops too! The extension handles whatever file formats OnSong supports.

Look at Your Song (aka Viewing Songs)

Tap a song in the Songs Menu & it loads into the Song Viewer. Scroll up & down or tap the top or bottom of the screen to see it. Does it look right? If not, edit it or pick a different file. Tap the pages icon with the checkmark to open Attachments & see other files you can view.

Make Changes (aka Editing Songs)

Text-based chord charts are OnSong's jam, but you can also import Word files, PDF, & other stuff. To edit a text-based chord chart, tap Edit Chords and Lyrics at the bottom to crack open the Song Editor. Nerd out about OnSong & ChordPro formats if you're feelin' it.

For other file types, tap the + button at the bottom to import more files or edit what's there. Check the Attachments Menu for the real deets.

Make It Pretty (aka Change Formatting)

Tap the sliders icon in the Menubar to open the Style Preferences Menu. Change fonts, font sizes, highlight chords or capo info, transpose stuff—go wild. Mess with the document tab to change how the song looks & toggle Low Light Mode if your eyes are dying.

Sticky Note Time (aka Add an Annotation)

Wanna add a little post-it? Tap the annotations icon in the Menubar to open the Annotations Menu. Pick Sticky Note. Use the Note Editor to scribble your thoughts. Tap Done then drag the note wherever you want it. Double-tap to edit again. Tap the "A" icon to open the Appearance Menu & change the color & stuff. Tap Done to lock it in.

Build a Set (aka Create a Set List)

Got two songs now? Let's make a set. Tap Songs in the Menubar to open the Songs Menu. Tap the button in the top left to open the drawer & pick Active Sets under Sets. See your active sets? Tap the + button at the bottom to create a new set. Set the date & optional title, tap Done.

Your set's empty? You'll get taken to a screen to pick songs. If not, tap it to view the set & tap + on the bottom right to grab some songs. Tap both songs to check 'em off, then Done. Now you got a set with two songs. Wanna rearrange? Tap Edit in the top right to enter editing mode & drag songs around. Tap Done to save.

Don't Lose Everything (aka Backup Your Library)

As your song library gets bigger & more precious, protect it by creatin' a backup. If your device explodes or a meteor hits, you can restore from that backup. You're welcome.

Need Help? We Got You

There's a whole bunch of stuff to learn about OnSong. Check out our Resources page for tutorial videos & knowledge base links. You can also Get Support straight from the app. OnSong Premium members? You can Fast Track your support request because patience is for regular people.

Go Deeper (aka Continued Learning)

OnSong is packed with features—like, packed. For the basics, hit up the Features section of the manual. Wanna learn about a specific screen or tool? Check the User Interface section. You got this.