Select the stamp tool

Select the "Saved Annotations" tab.

Press the desired annotation

Before you can get started, you need to copy the files (PDF, TXT, ChordPro, music, MIDI, or video files) you want to use in SongBook+ into SongBook+.

On the following two pages, you will find several ways to copy files into SongBook+ on your iPad or iPhone or into SongBook+ on your Mac.

Settings in the App

Press this button to access the settings.

Some important settings can be found right at the top in the first section.

More settings can be found below, grouped by topic.

When you turn on the "Live Mode" switch, most settings are hidden and many things that are not needed in live operation are disabled. This ensures that SongBook is protected against accidental editing during the performance.

SongBook+ automatically adjusts the language to the one set on the iPad. If you prefer another language, you can find a corresponding setting in the "Other" section.

Settings in the Operating System

A few settings for SongBook+ can also be found in the operating system, specifically in the device's "Settings" app.

These are mainly privacy settings related to the permission for SongBook+ to use certain hardware or operating system functions.

Open the "Settings" app on the iPad/iPhone.

Scroll down on the left side to the "Apps" entry.

Select the "Apps" entry.

Scroll down on the right side to the "SongBook" entry.

Open the "Apps" entry.

At the top, you will see permission settings, for example, access to the local network, Bluetooth, the camera, etc.

Here you can change the device name that SongBook+ uses for SongBook to SongBook connections and for backups.

With colored tags, you can categorize songs according to any criteria, making these categories easily visible in the list at a glance.

These tags can be used, for example, to note the singer of the song, the instrument needed for the song, or the band in which you play this song.

You can also filter by tags in the search field and choose to display only the songs that contain at least one or all selected tags. Within the remaining songs, you can then search as usual.

If a button is still active in the toolbar, press it again to ensure no tool is active.

Tap anywhere on the annotation to open the associated menu.

Press "Copy" to copy the annotation to the clipboard.

Press a little longer on the spot where you want to paste the annotation. (This can also be a different page or a different song).

Press "Paste" to paste the annotation from the clipboard.

1. Settings

If you want to adjust the settings of SongBook+, you can find more information here: Settings.

2. Insert Data

When you download and install SongBook+ from the AppStore, it does not contain any data.

You need to insert your own files with song lyrics or sheet music into SongBook+, preferably in the form of PDF files. Additionally, you can also insert audio files, MIDI files, and videos for use in SongBook+.

If you prefer to try out SongBook+ without your own data first, you will also find a link to download demo data in the freshly installed SongBook+. More information about this can be found here: .

There are different ways to insert your files into SongBook+. More information about this can be found here: .

Alternatively, you can use SongBook+ to photograph your paper texts or sheet music with the built-in camera of your iPad or iPhone. More information about this can be found here: .

3. Create Songs

The inserted files will appear at the very top of the list in SongBook+ in a section called "Unused Files".

Create songs from these files. The files will then disappear from the "Unused Files" section once they are used by a song.

More information about this can be found here: .

4. Edit Songs

If you want to change the created songs later, you can do so at any time.

More information about this can be found here: .

5. Use Songs

Once you have created the songs, you can simply tap on them in the list to open them.

The song list can be sorted in any way, and using the search field, you can find any song even in a very long list with hundreds of songs in no time.

More information about this can be found here: .

6. Working with Playlists

If you don't want to use the complete list with all songs but instead want to create smaller lists with specific songs, you can find more information here: .

7. Unlock Full Version

If you want to use SongBook+ with more than 15 songs, you can unlock the full version.

More information about this can be found here: .

8. Back Up Data

Although this is not one of the first steps, it is important that you know and remember it.

Regularly back up your data after major changes so that the time you have invested in SongBook+ is not suddenly lost due to a defective or lost device, a mishap, or a software error.

More information about this can be found here: .

Press the "..." button in the PDF document display

Then select "Edit annotations"

You can move the toolbar along this bar and then position it on the left, right, or top.

Press "x" to finish editing the annotations.

The metronome settings can be changed in two places: In the edit window with the song details or in the menu when a song is open.

In the text fields, you can directly enter the desired values.

Tap here in time with the music to learn the speed.

Press here to listen to the result.

Press "Edit" to start editing songs.

Tap the song in the list that you want to edit.

Edit the details of the song.

Press “Save”.

Tap another song or press “Done” to finish editing songs.

The "Night Mode" option allows you to switch specifically between normal colors and inverted colors for a dark stage or adopt the respective setting from the device.

If a button in the toolbar is still active, press it again so that no tool is active.

Tap anywhere on the annotation to open the corresponding menu.

Press "Delete" to remove the annotation.

Tip: If you want to delete multiple annotations at once, you can use this selection tool.

If a button is still active in the toolbar, press it again so that no tool is active anymore.

Tap anywhere on the annotation to open the associated menu.

Press “Save” to save the annotation for later reuse.

Already imported ChordPro files can be edited afterwards.

With the menu item "Edit ChordPro File," a text editor opens.

If you edit the text and save the changes with "Save," the adjusted file will automatically be re-imported from the changed file.

Alternatively, you can undo the import with the menu item "Undo ChordPro Import" and then replace the file with one edited outside of SongBook+ and re-import it.

If you want to make the same change to multiple songs at once, you can first select the desired songs and then choose an action that will be applied to all selected songs.

With this, you can simultaneously:

• Change the artist

Tap a song in the song list to display it.

Press the "X" button to return to the song list.

Press "Play" to start recorded browsing, finger pointer, or the music file.

Press the “...” button to display the menu with additional features.

Tap anywhere in the document to show or hide the toolbar.

Swipe with your finger(s) to the left (or up):

1. One finger: Move forward one page.

General Description

SongBook+ is the stage-ready app for musicians!

With SongBook+ you manage your songs with lyrics and/or sheet music, playbacks, MIDI files, videos, and you always have them ready for your performance.

If a button is still active in the toolbar, press it again so that no tool is active anymore.

Tap anywhere on the annotation to open the associated menu.

Press "Properties..." to open a window with the properties (color, font, etc.).

Handwritten annotations can also be corrected later with the eraser.

First, select from the toolbar what kind of annotation you want to insert and then insert it at the desired position in the document.

The types of annotations for marking text and drawing shapes are available in several variants. (You can recognize them by the small arrow in the corner of the button.) If you press such a button a little longer, a menu opens for selecting the desired variant.

Below you will find an overview of all possible types of annotations.

The buttons and menus in the image below each have a number. The corresponding annotations are marked with the same number.

With freehand drawing (14+15) and shape drawing (8-12), you can undo the last steps using the undo/redo function.

Undoing is possible as long as the tool in the toolbar is turned off or changed, and the drawn shape is thereby completed.

With the Finder

With the Finder, you can directly access the files of SongBook+.

You can find the folder of SongBook+ on the Mac at the following path:

or

Press the "..." button in the PDF document display.

Then select "Page Turn / Finger Pointer."

Select “Record Page Turning”.

Confirm and start the recording with this button.

Use the arrow buttons or swipe with your finger to turn pages. You can also use a foot pedal to turn pages.

Press the “Stop” button to end the recording.

When you press this button, a window with the same song list as in the main overview will appear.

The currently playing song is marked in the list with green color and a play symbol.

If a song is already preselected, it appears on the first line of the table and on the button in the toolbar. Additionally, it is marked in the list with blue color and a pause symbol.

When you select a song in the list, it will be preselected as the next song. The list closes, and the button in the toolbar shows the preselected song.

Pressing this button will jump to the displayed, preselected song.

Sorting, filtering, and selecting a playlist is also possible here.

If you are in a playlist, you can toggle with this button between the playlist and the full list in order to preselect a song that does not belong to the current playlist.

Press the "..." button in the PDF document display.

Then select "Scroll / Finger Pointer."

Select "Record Finger Pointer."

Confirm and start the recording with this button.

Point with your finger where you want to see a red dot during playback later.

Press the "Stop" button to end the recording.

Send MIDI Start when a Song is Started

In the SongBook+ settings, you can configure whether MIDI Start should be sent when a song is started.

Send More Configurable MIDI Commands

With the "Actions on Start" button in the song's edit window, you can define any MIDI commands to be sent when the song is started.

For a description, please refer to .

Send the Same MIDI Commands for All Songs

In the MIDI settings under "MIDI" -> "MIDI Macros" -> "Macros when Operating Songs", you can select a previously defined MIDI macro that will be sent when every song is started. It can also be determined whether it should be sent even if the song already contains its own "Actions on Start".

For a description, please refer to .

Send the Contents of a MIDI File When a Song is Started

SongBook sends the contents of a MIDI file as soon as a song is started, if a .mid file with the same name as the .pdf file extended with “_start.mid” exists.

(e.g. MySong.pdf -> MySong_start.mid)

Only MIDI files of type 0 (single track) are allowed. All commands are sent at once without considering the timing. Therefore, no music can be sent this way, only commands to configure the environment.

Press here to change the sorting of the list.

When you enter text in the search field, only the songs containing this text will be displayed.

With the "+", you can toggle between "Unused Files" and "All Existing Files".

The “Unused Files” section includes PDF documents that you have inserted into SongBook+ but have not yet added to the song list.

The other sections contain your songs grouped according to the selected sorting (first letter of title, artist, or genre).

The index on the right side allows for quick scrolling and fast alphabetical access in the song list. (Instead of aiming exactly at a letter, you can press roughly on the letter and keep your finger on it, then adjust up or down until the section with the desired letter appears in the list.)

If you press and hold on a line, a context menu will appear with actions you can perform with the selected entry.

SongBook+ can also import metadata such as artist, genre, title, tempo, key, and time signature from Midi, Mp3, or Chordpro files and automatically apply them to the song.

A description of this can be found in the chapter Insert Unused Files into the Song List.

SongBook+ can import lyrics and chords from MP3 files, MIDI files, LRC files, and ChordPro files.

The following pages explain the import process for the various file types.

SongBook+ can very flexibly control other devices via MIDI and can also be controlled by other devices via MIDI.

On the following pages, you will find descriptions of all MIDI features of SongBook+.

A very special annotation is the function button annotation.

This allows you to insert a button anywhere in the document and configure it with various actions to be executed when tapped.

Possible functions include sending various MIDI commands, jumping to another page, starting or stopping playback, scrolling, or the metronome, and much more.

Press this button to insert a function button annotation.

Press "Properties" to open the properties window.

Use the "+" to add the desired actions to be executed later when pressing the button.

The function buttons can optionally also have a group number. This is used, for example, to control specific function buttons or one function button after another using a foot pedal based on this group number.

It is also possible to create function buttons that display the value of a specific MIDI controller on a specific MIDI channel. And when you tap the button, a slider appears, allowing you to change the controller value.

To do this, create a normal function button and add "MIDI CC Button" as the only action.

SongBook+ can mark songs that have already been played. This way, during a performance, you can easily see if you have already played the song.

Songs marked as played are displayed in gray instead of black text.

To remove the markings after the concert, access the "Remove Played Song Marks" function in the menu.

The setting to activate this feature can be found under "Other."

Here you can also set when SongBook+ considers a song as played. This can be a minimum duration the song was open, or whether playback actually started in the song.

If you are also using the feature where songs are never opened but only the list is displayed, the song is considered played as soon as it is tapped.

Songs can also be individually toggled between played and not played by pressing the song for a bit longer until the context menu appears, and then switching it there.

Press this button to open the playlist menu.

Select the playlist you want to use.

The title of the selected playlist appears here.

The list now contains only the songs from the selected playlist.

If your songs have a play duration, the total playtime of the playlist is displayed here.

It is also possible to create function buttons that display the value of a specific MIDI controller on a specific MIDI channel. And when you tap the button, a slider appears, allowing you to change the controller value.

To do this, create a normal function button and add "MIDI CC Button" as the only action.

When the use of the Live Playlist is enabled in the SongBook+ settings, the Live Playlist always appears as the first playlist, and there are additional menu items.

This is a special playlist that cannot be deleted or renamed. Only the content can be changed, deleted, or copied from another playlist.

The Live Playlist is used, for example, to plan the next dance round during a break.

If SongBook+ is configured for synchronous switching of songs on multiple iPads, the Live Playlist can also be automatically synchronized to the other iPads in the same way.

The following pages show you how to back up your data to your computer and how to copy the backed-up data back into your SongBook+ (or onto another device).

With Finder (on Mac Computer)

On newer Mac computers (from operating system version macOS 10.15 "Catalina" onwards), files can be added to SongBook+ using the "Finder" program.

If you have a Mac with an older operating system or a Windows PC, please refer to the next section on how to do it with "iTunes".

Connect the iPad to the Mac using the USB cable and start the "Finder" app on the Mac.

Click on the connected iPad/iPhone on the left.

After inserting the PDF, music, or video files into SongBook, they appear as "Unused Files".

Manually Insert Individual Files

With the following steps, you can add them to the song list and enter additional information such as title, artist, genre, and MP3 file for background playback.

SongBook+ can also respond to other freely configurable MIDI commands and trigger freely configurable actions.

You can set how SongBook+ should respond to which MIDI commands in the function for MIDI foot pedals.

You can find more information on this on the page .

With the special annotation "Function Button," you can adjust the value of a specific MIDI controller on a specific MIDI channel using a slider, triggered by pressing a button in the song lyrics or music notes.

How to insert and configure such a function button annotation can be found on the page .

Import lyrics and chords from LRC files

Importing lyrics from LRC files works similarly to the method described above for MP3 files ().

However, you do not directly select the LRC in the song. Instead, SongBook+ searches for a file with the LRC extension that either has the same name as the song title or the assigned MP3 or MIDI file.

Press the button “...” in the song list.

Select “Photo to PDF”.

Insert photos using the built-in camera or select existing photos. Each inserted photo results in a new page for the PDF file.

Change the filename of the PDF file to be created.

Press “Save”.

Many functions of SongBook+ can also be controlled remotely.

• With foot pedals that simulate an external keyboard

• With foot pedals that send MIDI commands

• With finger gestures (swiping or tapping with 2 or 3 fingers)

Transpose Chords

Chord symbols, added with the annotation function (see ) or through import from Midi/LRC/ChordPro (see ), can be transposed afterwards.

Press the button "..." in the PDF document display

Select "Transpose chord annotations".

If no key is set in the song, you can choose the number of semitones to transpose and press "Transpose".

Jingles are frequently needed, short audio files that can be played quickly and easily at any time.

You can access these either through the menu or through configurable gestures, foot pedals, or actions on function buttons.

Audio files (mp3, wav, aiff, m4a) that start with "SB-Jingle-" are recognized by the Jingle function and appear alphabetically sorted in a submenu "Jingles" under the "..." button.

In the example image, the following 4 files were copied into SongBook+:

• SB-Jingle-1 My first jingle.wav

If you want to copy another musician’s data into your SongBook+ without overwriting your own data, you can now create subdirectories in SongBook+, each with completely separate data.

Each of these directories will contain its own database (files SongBookMidi.sqlite, SongBookMidi.sqlite-shm, SongBookMidi.sqlite-wal), its own settings (file SongBookMidi.settings), and your own files (PDF, MP3,...).

Creating and accessing such subdirectories is unfortunately not possible via iTunes, but only through the Wi-Fi sharing of SongBook+’s folder or through the “Files” app.

More information on accessing via Wi-Fi sharing or the “Files” app can be found on the page .

Simply create directories that begin with "SBDATA_", for example:

• SBDATA_My data

On the iPad, you can connect external USB audio hardware with multiple separate audio outputs.

If you want to specifically route the channels (left/right) of the 5 audio players included in SongBook+ to certain audio outputs of the external hardware, you can do this in the MediaPlayer settings of SongBook.

This can be used, for example, to play a synchronous click track for the drummer that only he hears.

Send MIDI Stop when a song is stopped

In the SongBook+ settings, you can configure whether MIDI Stop should be sent when stopping a song.

Send additional configurable MIDI commands

With the "Actions on Stop" button in the song's edit window, you can define any MIDI commands that should be sent when the song is stopped.

With the special annotation "Action Button," you can also send freely configurable MIDI commands at the push of a button from the lyrics or sheet music.

How to insert and configure such an action button annotation can be found on the page .

Press this button to open the playlist menu.

Press "Insert New Playlist".

Enter the name of the new playlist.

Press "Save".

The new playlist appears and is selected.

The new playlist does not yet contain any songs.

On the page , you will learn how to add, remove, move, or sort the desired songs in the list.

If you have any questions or feedback about SongBook+, visit us at

Here you will find a contact form to send us a message, frequently asked questions (FAQ), download links for the App Store, video tutorials, and more.

With the "Share Song" function, you can share an entire song (.sbk) or individual files from it (.pdf, .mp3, .mid, ...):

• as an attachment in an email

• to another app (e.g. Dropbox, iBooks, ...)

• directly to another SongBook in the vicinity

When you press the stop button on the toolbar during the playback of audio, video, or MIDI files, the playback does not stop abruptly but fades out quickly.

If you want a slower fade-out, press and hold the button slightly longer.

Similarly, on the button to jump to the pre-selected song, there is both a quick or slow fade-out when you press the button briefly or hold it while playback is running.

You can adjust how long the quick and slow fade-out lasts in the settings of the "Media Player".

Text files can be edited directly in SongBook+.

The menu item "Edit Text Files" opens a text editor.

Text or Sheet Music Files

To display song lyrics or sheet music, files with the extensions PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, TXT can be used.

Music Files

To play music, files with the extensions MP3, WAV, AIFF, M4A can be used.

Midi Files

For output via MIDI, files with the extensions MID, MIDI, SMF can be used.

Video Files

To output videos directly on the iPad itself or to an external monitor or projector, files with the extensions MOV, MP4, MPV, 3GP, M4V and the following compression standards can be used:

• H.264 Baseline Profile Level 3.0 video up to 640x480 at 30 fps

• MPEG-4 Part 2 video (Simple Profile)

ChordPro Files

To display lyrics and chords, ChortPro files with the extension .chopro can be imported.

LRC Files

To display lyrics and chords for an audio file, LRC files with the extension .lrc can be imported.

MP3 Files with Embedded Lyrics

SongBook+ can import lyrics from MP3 files if they are contained in an ID3 tag in the format “Lyrics3 v2.00”.

There are different ways to connect the iPad with MIDI.

Older iPads to devices with USB-MIDI connection

Many iPad models do not yet have a USB-C connection, but a Lightning or even a 32-pin connection.

Many MIDI adapters and some devices (keyboards, etc.) have a USB connection for MIDI.

Because the older iPad models do not have a USB connection by default, an adapter is needed to extend the iPad with a USB connection. Apple calls this adapter the "iPad Camera Connection Kit."

USB-MIDI adapters and USB-MIDI devices can then be connected to it, provided they are compatible with Apple.

Newer iPads to devices with USB-MIDI connection

Newer iPad models have a USB-C connection instead of the Lightning connection.

Therefore, it is no longer necessary to use an adapter to extend the iPad with a USB connection.

With a suitable cable with a USB-C connection, you can directly connect the iPad to the device.

MIDI adapters that connect directly to the iPad

Some MIDI adapters can be connected directly to older iPads without an adapter.

These include, for example:

• iConnectMIDI2+ by iConnectivity

• iRig MIDI Version 1+2 by IK Multimedia

• ioDock by Alesis

• iStudio is202 by Behringer

With these, the iPad can also be powered while in MIDI operation (all listed above except iRig MIDI Version 2).

There are also a few simple, small MIDI keyboards that can be directly connected to the iPad.

Wireless via Bluetooth or WLAN

There are also wireless MIDI adapters that can be connected to the iPad wirelessly via Bluetooth (Bluetooth MIDI LE) or WLAN.

These include, for example:

• mi.1 by QuiccoSound (Bluetooth)

• PUC wireless MIDI interface (WLAN)

• Yamaha Tyros 5 Keyboard with WLAN stick

• Yamaha MD-BT01

Many other keyboards can also be connected to SongBook+. However, you will need to find out from the manuals of the respective keyboards how they can be controlled via MIDI or what MIDI commands they can send to control other devices.

You can then configure SongBook+ so that it opens songs remotely via MIDI and/or sends MIDI commands when opening a song to control the keyboard remotely.

You can find more about this here:

• Open Song Remotely via MIDI

• MIDI Commands When Opening Songs

For some keyboards, there are also separate manuals, some of which have been provided by customers:

SongBook+ supports all foot pedals that simulate an external keyboard and can send one or more of the following keys:

In the settings, you can activate the use of foot pedals and assign the following actions to the keys, among other things:

• Do nothing

• Move one page forward/backward

• Press the start/stop/pause/resume button

• Jump to the next song

In the Midi and Bluetooth Monitor, you can see which keys your foot pedal sends.

With this function, you can use for example the following foot pedals:

• AirTurn BT-105/BT-106/DIGIT/QUAD/DUO/PED/PEDpro/BT200S-x () connected via Bluetooth

• STOMP from Coda Music Technologies ()

• Cicada/Firefly/Dragonfly/Butterfly from PageFlip () connected via Bluetooth

• iRig BlueTurn from IK Multimedia () connected via Bluetooth

Here you can find some separate guides for various foot pedals:

Import lyrics and chords from ChordPro files

ChordPro files are first inserted into SongBook like normal text or PDF files. After opening, you can then display the unformatted original content of the ChordPro file.

With the menu item "Import ChordPro file," they can be imported similarly to MP3 files (From MP3 Files). A PDF file is then generated.

Formatting lyrics from ChordPro files

Starting with version 6.4, SongBook+ can also adopt formatting information from ChordPro files and display sections like chorus, verse, etc., with different colors or in italic or bold.

For this purpose, various directives in curly braces are used:

• {start_of_chorus} / {end_of_chorus} or shortly {soc} / {eoc}

• {start_of_verse} / {end_of_verse} or shortly {sov} / {eov}

• {start_of_bridge} / {end_of_bridge} or shortly {sob} / {eob}

• {start_of_solo} / {end_of_solo}

In the settings under "Import lyrics and chords" - "Format ChordPro text," you can set the color for each of these sections and whether the section should be displayed in bold and/or italic.

Direct use of colors:

• {textcolour:x} or {textcolor:x} can switch to a specific color

  • For x, you can use one of the following colors:

    red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, cyan, black

  • Instead of these colors, the hexadecimal RGB value of any

    color can be used in the format #RRGGBB, e.g., #7A67EE

Press this button to open the playlist menu.

Press “Rename or Delete Playlists”.

To delete a playlist, press the red button.

To rename a playlist, tap the playlist.

Change the name.

Press “Save”.

When you are finished, press “Finish renaming or deleting.”

Import Song Text and Chords from MIDI Files

The import of song texts from MIDI files works the same way as described above for MP3 files (From MP3 Files).

The only difference is that there is a separate field for selecting a MIDI file.

Formatting Lyrics from MIDI Files

Starting with version 6.4, SongBook+ can also import formatting information from MIDI lyrics.

This is not an official standard but a definition created by SongBook+, inspired by ChordPro.

The formatting defined here for MIDI files could also be used by SongBook+ if they appeared in ChordPro files.

In the MIDI lyrics, the following tags can be inserted to affect the display in SongBook+:

• {color:x}, to switch to a different color

  • For x, you can use one of the following colors: red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, cyan, black

  • Instead of these colors, you can also use the hexadecimal RGB value of any color in the format #RRGGBB, e.g., #7A67EE

• {bold:on}, to switch to bold text

The tags can be inserted as separate syllables or appended to the front or back of an existing syllable, or even inserted in the middle of a syllable.

The tags can appear anywhere in the text, even in the middle of the text, multiple times in succession, and can be nested arbitrarily.

Example:

Here comes red text, then it becomes italic, not italic anymore,_ then bold, then bold and italic and in blue, then back to normal and in black.

You can also let SongBook+ send MIDI commands when a song is opened.

A typical application for this is to set external devices, like a keyboard, to match the selected song.

There are several ways to send MIDI commands:

Send the Configured BankSelect/ProgramChange Commands

SongBook+ sends the BankSelect and ProgramChange commands set in the "Edit Song Details" window when the "Send MIDI Command on Opening" switch is turned on.

The MIDI channel on which SongBook+ sends these commands is the same as the one set for MIDI reception.

With these settings, a BankSelect High 1, a BankSelect Low 5, and a ProgramChange 16 command are sent on Channel 1 to the MIDI output.

Send Additional Configurable MIDI Commands

With the "Actions on Opening" button in the song's edit window, you can define any MIDI commands that should be sent when opening the song.

Send the Same MIDI Commands for All Songs

In the MIDI settings under "MIDI" -> "MIDI Macros" -> "Macros When Operating Songs," you can select a predefined MIDI macro, which will then be sent upon opening every song. It can also be specified below if it should be sent even when the song already contains its own "Actions on Opening."

Send the Content of a MIDI File When a Song is Opened

SongBook+ sends the content of a MIDI file as soon as a song is opened if a .mid file exists with the exact same name as the .pdf file, extended with "_open.mid".

(e.g. MySong.pdf -> MySong_open.mid)

Only MIDI files of type 0 (single track) are allowed. All commands are sent at once without considering timing. Thus, music cannot be sent, but only commands to configure the environment.

SongBook+ can import lyrics from MP3 files if they are included in an ID3 tag in the "Lyrics3 v2.00" format.

Chords can also be imported from MP3 files if they are included in the lyrics in square brackets (similar to the ChordPro format).

Importing lyrics from MP3 files is a two-step process:

First, a song must be created that uses the MP3 file.

Then the song must be opened and the import started. In doing so, the missing PDF file will be automatically generated.

Add Song without PDF File and Select MP3

Press "Edit".

Press this "+" button to add a song without a PDF.

Select the MP3 file with the "..." button.

The title will be automatically populated with the file name, but can be changed freely.

Press "Save".

Press "Done".

Generate PDF File from the Text in the MP3 File

When you open the song for the first time afterward, and if SongBook+ finds text to import, you will be asked if you want to import the text. (The automatic import can be disabled in the settings.)

Alternatively, you can also start the import manually as described in the following steps.

Press the "..." button with the song open.

Select the menu item "Import lyrics from MP3 file".

Confirm that you want to import the text and overwrite the PDF if it already exists.

With Ableton Link, you can synchronize the song tempo and the current beat with other devices.

Ableton Link uses broadcast messages in the local network for communication. It only works if the devices are in the same network/WiFi and SongBook+ has permission to access the local network. If you turn on the feature for the first time, the operating system will ask if you want to grant permission to access the local network.

SongBook+ can send the tempo set in the metronome settings of a song to other devices via Ableton Link when opening the song, send start and stop signals to other devices, and respond to start and stop signals from other devices.

For example, an external metronome can adopt the tempo from SongBook+ and then be started in sync with SongBook+.

Unfortunately, Ableton Link can only transmit the tempo and the phase of the beat, but not the time signature, meaning which beat should be emphasized.

Since the playback tempo of songs in SongBook+ is fixed and cannot be changed, SongBook+ does not respond to tempo changes requested by other devices.

MIDI macros are a very powerful MIDI feature of SongBook+.

They allow you to define a sequence of MIDI commands, which can then be used in many different places within SongBook+:

• As an action with foot pedal settings

• As an action with gesture control

• As an action in function buttons

• As an action in a MIDI macro (nesting macros)

• As an action in songs upon opening/starting/stopping/closing

• As a global action when opening/starting/stopping/closing songs

• Macros marked as favorites appear in the MIDI button in the toolbar

This allows you to define often-used MIDI sequences, for example, to turn certain effects on or off once, and then use them across many songs instead of entering the same sequence everywhere. This also has the advantage that you can later adjust this sequence centrally in one place.

Send Configurable MIDI Commands

With the "Actions when Playing" button in the song's edit window, you can define any MIDI commands to be sent at specific times while playing the song.

The window that opens is very similar to "Actions on Opening," but for each inserted MIDI event, you can additionally set the time it will be sent.

In the upper right, there is also a button that allows you to set the time for the next event to be used before inserting an event.

This time is automatically increased by 0.01 second after each event is inserted, so that consecutively added events automatically acquire advancing timestamps and the sequence is clearly determined by the timestamps.

If there are no MIDI events in the list when the popup window is opened, the button still shows 00:00:00. The first inserted MIDI event will, therefore, have the time 00:00:00.

If there are already MIDI events in the list when the window opens, the time from the last MIDI event + 0.01 seconds is automatically used. The next inserted MIDI event will then by default be inserted 0.01s after the last existing MIDI event.

You can also insert MIDI events using the learning function with the "Learn MIDI Events" button. When you press this button, you'll first be asked whether the events should be recorded time-controlled or continuously. "Time-controlled" means the timestamps will be set as the MIDI events are received and learned in real-time. "Continuous" means the received events will get consecutive timestamps, each event 0.01 seconds higher than the previous one. In this case, it doesn’t matter how quickly and when the events are received and learned. For both variants, the starting time taken is the one currently set on the time button.

You can connect multiple iPads with SongBook+ via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, MIDI (cable), or Wireless MIDI (wireless).

If you want to use the simple "Short Range Connection," select "Server in Short Range Connection" in the "SongBook to SongBook Connection" mode on one device and "Client in Short Range Connection" on all other devices.

If you prefer a MIDI connection (Wireless MIDI, Bluetooth LE MIDI, or wired), select "MIDI Connection" as the connection mode in the "SongBook to SongBook Connection" on all devices.

For Wireless MIDI, additionally configure one device as the Wireless MIDI Server and the others as Wireless MIDI Clients in the MIDI settings.

For Bluetooth LE MIDI, start the Bluetooth LE MIDI server on all devices except one. On the remaining device, find and connect to all other devices in the list of Bluetooth LE MIDI devices.

The following actions can be synchronized between the SongBooks:

• Select a song

• Preselect a song

• Page turning

• Start button

• Stop button

• Live playlist

If you want to form multiple SongBook groups using the Short Range Connection or protect against connections from other SongBooks, you can configure a common connection key.

The devices automatically connect when starting SongBook+ if the feature is enabled in the settings.

The "SongBook to SongBook" connection can also be used to synchronize two adjacent devices in "Side by Side Mode" so that they display two consecutive pages of the same song.

Configure the devices to synchronize song openings and page turns, and additionally activate the "Side by Side Mode" in the settings.

There are two methods to link the corresponding songs on different iPads: via code or via the song's MIDI information.

The synchronization method used must be selected in the settings under "SongBook to SongBook Connection" as the "Key field for synchronization."

Synchronization via Code

Since version 2.1 of SongBook+, there is a simpler method to synchronously open songs on multiple devices. The content from the "Code" field of the song is sent to other iPads, which then search for a song with the same code.

SongBook+ can also automatically assign song numbers for new songs and assign consecutive numbers to existing songs if needed.

You can find these settings under "Other" 🡪 "Automatic Song Numbering (Code)."

To assign numbers retroactively to existing songs, go to the "..." button, then "Special Features" 🡪 "Insert song numbers into Code field."

Synchronization via MIDI Information

If you already use SongBook+ for remote control via MIDI with a keyboard or another external device, you can use the same MIDI settings to synchronize with other iPads. The 3 numbers from the MIDI settings are sent to other iPads, which then search for a song with the same 3 numbers.

MIDI Communication:

The MIDI communication is based on sample code by Pete Goodliffe.

Thank you to Pete for publishing his sample code on the internet.

You can find more information here:

http://goodliffe.blogspot.com/2010/10/using-coremidi-in-ios-example.html

Music Symbols:

The music symbols for insertion with the annotation function are from Linkware Graphics.

Thank you to Shirley Kaiser for publishing these symbols.

You can find more information here:

http://linkwaregraphics.com/music/

In-App-Settings:

The in-app settings were realized with "InAppSettingsKit". Thank you to Luc Vandal and Ortwin Gentz for the development and publication.

You can find more information here:

OpenSSL:

SongBook+ uses OpenSSL. According to the licensing terms, this must be mentioned with the following statement:

“This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit ().”

When you close an app with the Home button, it continues to run in the background and still uses memory, which might be lacking for other apps.

Therefore, especially before performances, it is highly recommended to completely close all these apps, including SongBook+, and then restart only SongBook+ so that as much free memory as possible is available for this app.

Double-click the “Home” button on your iPad. On an iPad or iPhone without a "Home" button, swipe your finger from the bottom into the screen, stop briefly, and then release.

Swipe the app you want to close upward and out of the screen.

If you don't see the app you want to close, you can scroll until the desired app is visible.

If you need to document which songs you played after a performance, for example, to settle accounts with a collecting society such as GEMA or SUISA, you can use the music logbook.

Once it is activated, played songs are recorded in a .CSV file with additional information such as the time, duration, artist, and genre.

The CSV files can be displayed and further processed by most spreadsheet programs.

Before the performance, you can clear the contents of the music logbook, and after the performance, you can send the CSV file with the played songs via email or hand it off to another app using "Open in", save it to iCloud, or send it to another device via AirDrop.

When a song is considered played can be configured. This can be a minimum duration for which the song was open, or whether playback was actually started in the song.

Press “Edit Playlist” when a playlist is active to start editing.

While editing the songs in the playlist, you can sort and filter to find the songs you want to add to the playlist.

Press the red “-“ button to remove a song from the playlist.

Press the green “+” button to add a song to the playlist. The background color of the song will turn green or blue, and the song will also appear as the last song at the top of the playlist.

The songs that are already included in this playlist are displayed with a green background. The songs that are in another playlist are blue.

To change the order of the songs, drag a song to the desired position using this symbol.

Press “Done” when you have finished “Editing”.

SongBook+ can play standard MIDI files, but it does not have a built-in synthesizer to produce sound from them.

To produce sound from MIDI data, you need either an external hardware connected via MIDI (such as a keyboard or a sound module) or a synthesizer app from another developer that runs in the background and receives signals from SongBook via “Virtual MIDI.”

One possible app that can be used to produce sounds directly on the iPad is, for example, “bismark bs-16i.” If this app is running in the background with “Virtual MIDI” enabled, you will hear the music directly on the iPad without external hardware.

SongBook+ supports all foot pedals that can send one or more MIDI commands:

• MIDI Start

• MIDI Stop

• MIDI Pause

Send MIDI Start When a Song is Stopped

In the SongBook+ settings, you can configure whether MIDI Start should be sent when a song is stopped.

Send Other Configurable MIDI Commands

With the "Actions When Stopping" button in the song's edit window, you can define any MIDI commands to be sent when the song starts.

SongBook+ can listen for BankSelect and ProgramChange commands on the MIDI interface and then open a song. These commands are typically used to select an instrument.

A typical application for this is when ProgramChange commands are sent from a MIDI style, from a MIDI file being played, or from the keyboard when selecting a registration. SongBook+ then opens the matching text. (A MIDI style may repeatedly send the same ProgramChange command without issues).

SongBook+ opens a song when it receives BankSelect and ProgramChange commands as configured in the "Edit Song Details" window.

Please note that SongBook+ uses values from 0 to 127. If your keyboard instead uses values from 1 to 128, you need to subtract 1 to get the value to set in SongBook+.

With these settings, the song will be opened when a MIDI device sends the command to select instrument 16 on bank 1 / 5.

Press this button if you want to use a MIDI sequence to learn instead of setting with the dials.

Activate and Use Function

Open the book cover.

Press "Edit books."

Then switch to "Use multiple books."

Afterwards, you will find a list of 15 books on the book cover. When you are not in edit mode, select the desired book by tapping here.

Book titles can be changed directly here.

On iPads or iPhones with "Face ID" or newer iPads with at least an M1 processor, you can control SongBook+ with facial gestures.

If you want the control to work even in less favorable lighting conditions, it should definitely be a device with "Face ID". Face ID can scan your face in 3D with an infrared camera and therefore works much more reliably than the normal front camera.

SongBook+ recognizes 9 different facial gestures:

• Close left eye

• Close right eye

SongBook+ can either display the entire list of all available songs or playlists that contain only a portion of the songs.

What are playlists in SongBook+?

• Playlists have any name

• Playlists contain references to songs from the full list.

• A song can be included in multiple playlists.

For Yamaha keyboards and Korg keyboards of the PA series, SongBook+ has a built-in function "Simple Keyboard Control", which allows you to easily connect the keyboard with SongBook+ with minimal configuration.

Depending on the model, you can then select a song in SongBook+, and the keyboard will automatically set the registration that matches the song, or conversely, when selecting a registration on the keyboard, the corresponding song will open automatically.

In the MIDI settings of SongBook+, you will find a section "Simple Keyboard Control" with various control options to choose from.

KORG SongBook Entries (Code)

With this control method, the entries from the internal SongBook of the keyboard are linked with the entries in SongBook+.

This feature allows you to export an existing playlist and transfer it to another SongBook+.

The playlist is exported into an .sbklist file and can be imported into the target SongBook+.

When exporting, you decide the extent to which the playlist is exported:

• Only Song References: The export contains only song titles, codes, and the settings of the "MIDI sliders" of the songs. The corresponding songs must already be present on the target SongBook+.

• Song Data Without Files The export also includes complete song data (title, artist, genre, actions upon opening/starting/stopping/closing), recorded paging, finger pointer, annotations...

SongBook+ can recognize swipe gestures with 2 or 3 fingers up, down, left, and right, as well as tapping with 2 or 3 fingers top left, top right, bottom left, or bottom left.

In the settings for gesture control, you can assign the following actions to these gestures, among others:

Restoring with the New Restore Function

If you have backed up your data using the built-in backup function, you can easily restore it via the "Manage Backups" menu item.

Press the "..." button.

Select "Manage Backups."

A list of all existing cloud backups from all your devices using the same Apple ID will appear.

An explanation of the buttons can be found below the following image:

Restore Backup. With this button, you start the backup restoration.

Permanently Delete Backup. With this button, the backup is deleted from the device and also from the cloud.

Delete Backup Locally. With this button, the local copy of the backup is deleted. It still remains in the cloud and can be downloaded again if needed.

Download Backup from the Cloud. With this button, a copy of the backup is downloaded so it can then be restored with button (1).

The buttons for restoring or permanently deleting are only active if the backup is downloaded (4).

When you press the restore button (1), this window with additional information about the backup and what happens when restoring will first appear.

Here you can check the contents of the backup and decide whether to restore the backup or cancel.

Restoring a .sbkbkp Backup File

The backup files from SongBook+ have the extension .sbkbkp (SongBook-Backup).

If you click on such a file in the Files app or pass it to SongBook+ from another app with "Open in...", SongBook+ will start and display the window for restoring the backup (see above).

Here you can check the contents of the backup and decide whether to restore the backup or cancel.

(On a Mac, you can drag the backup file onto the app icon of SongBook+ to restore it.)

Other Recovery Options

If you did not perform a data backup with the backup function of SongBook+ but instead manually copied the files, you can also manually copy them back into SongBook+.

The backed-up files are copied back into SongBook+ in the same way as normal files are copied into SongBook+.

Therefore, please refer to the page to see how to copy files into SongBook+ and proceed with your backed-up files in the same way.

Free Basic Version

SongBook+ can be downloaded from the Apple App Store without charge and is free to use in its basic version for hobby musicians.

The basic version already includes all features of the full version, but is limited to 1 book with 15 songs. If you want to remove this limitation, you can unlock the full version with an in-app purchase.

Unlocking the Full Version

In the full version, the number of songs is unlimited and you can also create and use 15 books. In addition, you can create any number of data subdirectories with completely separate data and settings (multi-client capability).

You can unlock the full version with a monthly or yearly automatically renewing subscription or through a one-time payment.

Press here to open the menu.

Select "Unlock Full Version".

Press here for a monthly subscription

Press here for a yearly subscription

Press here to purchase the full version (including 5 years of free updates) Prices depend on the buyer’s country, currency, and exchange rate. They are determined by Apple and displayed below the key.

Full Version as a Subscription

The subscription renews automatically unless renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The Apple user account will be charged for renewal during the 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions can be managed by the user and automatic renewal can be turned off in the settings of the iTunes user account.

Purchase the Full Version (including 5 years of free updates)

The one-time payment entitles you to use the full version indefinitely. However, after 5 years, you may not install updates, otherwise the full version will expire upon update. SongBook+ will remind you beforehand so you can disable automatic app updates. Thus, you can continue to use the full version without additional payment indefinitely even after 5 years.

Switch from Subscription to Purchased Full Version

If you have already signed up for a subscription to the full version, but now would prefer to switch to the purchased full version, you can do the following:

• Cancel the SongBook+ full version subscription in your Apple account

• The subscription remains valid until the already paid period has expired

• When you open SongBook+ a few days after the subscription has expired, it will be downgraded to the demo version.

• SongBook+ will then display a hint instead of your songs that there are too many songs in the database for the full version. Your songs are still in the database but are not displayed because there are too many.

Sponsorship

If you have purchased the full version (not a subscription) and would also like to voluntarily support its development and support, there is an option for sponsorship.

Sponsorship is voluntary and does not offer any added value in the first 5 years of the full version. However, after these 5 years, it continues to entitle you to updates and use of the full version as long as the sponsorship is not canceled.

Here you open the editor for position markers.

To edit a position marker, first select it by directly tapping or using the buttons next or previous. You can then either move it with your finger or adjust its time with the "wheels".

Here you add a new marker or delete the currently selected marker.

Related markers can be assigned the same group. They can then be activated/deactivated simultaneously by tapping only one marker later. The group number can also be used to control the markers via a foot pedal.

To check the exact position, you can listen to the last few seconds before or the first seconds after the point here.

When playing the song, the position markers appear on the right side on a progress bar. You can turn them on and off by tapping. As mentioned above, related markers can be grouped and will activate/deactivate simultaneously if any marker of the group is tapped.

If two markers are activated, at least one of which is in the future, SongBook+ shows the planned jump with an arrow. The jump will be executed when the second marker is reached, as long as it is still activated then.

During playback pause, the position markers also appear. Tapping a marker sets the current position to this point.

Backing Up Your Data with the New Backup Function

Press the button "...".

Select "Backup data".

Choose where the backup should be stored. The easiest way is to save in the "iCloud Drive".

Select which data should be backed up.