Songs Module - User Manual

Introduction

The Songs module helps you manage your band's song repertoire. You can store song information, record audio directly in your browser, attach files, and write detailed notes for each song.

Guided Tour

On every main screen (Songs list, Add song/idea, View song, Edit song, Settings, View note, Edit note) you can start a guided tour from the Help icon in the header. The tour highlights the most important elements on the page. Use it to get familiar with the module or to show others how it works.

Getting Started

Accessing Songs

  1. Select a band from the band selector (if you have access to multiple bands)
  2. Click "Songs" in the main menu
  3. You'll see a list of all songs for the selected band

Permissions

Your access to songs depends on your user level and permissions:

  • View - You can see songs and their details
  • Edit - You can create, modify, and upload files
  • Delete - You can remove songs (if granted)

Storage limits

Your package may set a maximum total storage per band and a maximum size per song (recordings and file uploads stored on the system). If you go over these limits, a warning message will appear on your dashboard and in the Songs module: "Je storage ruimte is op. Overweeg een hoger package." Uploads are not blocked; consider upgrading your package or freeing space if you see this message.

Managing Songs

Adding a New Song

  1. Click the "Add Song" button on the songs list page
  2. Fill in the song details:
    • Title (required) - The name of the song
    • Key (required) - Musical key (e.g., "C Major", "A Minor")
    • Tempo (BPM) (required) - Beats per minute
    • Mood (optional) - Descriptive mood (e.g., "Happy", "Melancholic")
    • Duration (optional) - Format: minutes:seconds (e.g., "3:30")
  3. Click "Save Song"

Editing a Song

  1. Click on a song title from the list, or click "Edit" next to a song
  2. Modify any fields you want to change
  3. Click "Update Song" to save changes

Viewing Song Details

  1. Click on a song title from the list
  2. You'll see:
    • All song metadata
    • Recordings (audio files)
    • File attachments
    • Notes

Deleting a Song

  1. Go to the song edit page
  2. Click "Delete Song" at the bottom
  3. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Deleting a song will also delete all associated recordings, files, and notes. This action cannot be undone.

Recording Audio

Making a Recording

  1. Go to the song edit page
  2. Click "New Recording" in the Recordings section
  3. A recording modal will open
  4. Enter a title and optionally switch between Mono/Stereo on the same title row
  5. Click "Start Recording" and grant microphone access when prompted
  6. Speak or play your instrument
  7. Click "Stop Recording" when finished
  8. Use the Play button next to Record to preview directly in the waveform area
  9. Click "Save Recording" to upload

Trimming Your Recording

After recording, you can trim the audio:

  1. You'll see a waveform canvas of your recording
  2. Drag the left handle to set the start point
  3. Drag the right handle to set the end point
  4. The audio between the handles will be saved
  5. Enter a title for your recording
  6. Click "Save Recording" to upload

Tips:

  • The waveform shows the audio levels - peaks indicate louder sections
  • You can drag handles to precisely select the portion you want
  • Playback runs in the canvas with a moving cursor, so no extra preview player is shown below
  • Only the selected portion will be saved

Editing an Existing Recording

  1. Open the song edit page and open the recording context menu (right-click/long-press)
  2. Choose Edit
  3. In the edit modal, drag trim handles on the waveform canvas
  4. Use the green Play button to preview; playback position is shown as a draggable cursor in the canvas
  5. Drag on the canvas to move the playback start position before pressing Play
  6. Click Save Changes to apply title/trim updates

Recording Quality

  • Desktop: Recordings are made in stereo (2 channels) at high quality
  • Mobile: Recordings are made in mono (1 channel) - phones typically record mono
  • Audio processing is disabled to preserve music quality
  • Recordings are automatically converted to MP3 format after upload

Recording Status

After saving a recording:

  1. You'll see a spinner with "Uploading and converting..." message
  2. The recording is being processed in the background
  3. Once conversion is complete, the audio player will appear
  4. You can play the recording directly in your browser

Note: Conversion usually takes a few seconds. If conversion fails, you'll see an error message and can try again.

Chord chart (when enabled on the server)

If your host has configured automatic chord transcription (internal ChordMini service), use Chords & MIDI from the long-press / right-click menu on a finished recording or uploaded audio row on the song edit page (not on the song view page). The hub asks for Chords and lyrics: you can enable Generate chords (ChordMini chord chart note), Generate lyrics (catalog search via LRCLIB using your song title and band name, with optional speech-to-text fallback if the host installs Whisper — see server docs), or both — at least one must stay on to queue a job. Lyrics-only can run even when ChordMini is off, as long as LRCLIB or Whisper is available on the server. There is no new MIDI from the server in the default product path. Your package may limit how many jobs you can start per song in a rolling 24-hour period (often one); if the limit is reached, wait or ask an administrator to raise the package setting.

  1. Wait until the recording or file is fully converted (no spinner).

  2. Right-click (or long-press) the row, choose Chords & MIDI, pick Generate chords and/or Generate lyrics, then click Generate if you need a new run.

  3. The server queues a job; the page polls until it finishes (often within a minute).

  4. When done, a new note is added with an approximate chord chart — chords are estimated by ChordMini from the recording (same behaviour as any other note: open, fullscreen on the note view page, edit with the rich-text editor). The host may enable vocal separation (Spleeter) and beat detection in server config for results closer to the public ChordMini site on full mixes; the note may then mention Spleeter and show a table per measure when beat data is available (or from your song tempo). The chart’s intro lines list detected key and tempo (when available): the host may derive key from local audio analysis (chroma + chord timeline) without external AI, then fall back to any key returned by ChordMini or optional cloud key detection. The lines also show which key was used to spell chord names (your Key field is used when it matches the audio well; otherwise the detected key). Deleting a note is only on the edit note page (not on view), per app design patterns.

  5. After transcription, the chord chart is a normal entry in Notes. Open the hub from Chords & MIDI on a recording or audio file row (edit page) to queue another run when allowed. When the job completes, the result dialog offers links to open or edit the new chord note (older jobs may still show a legacy MIDI download link if one exists). Back on the note returns you along the usual navigation stack.

Important: Chords are estimated from machine transcription and are not a guaranteed lead sheet. Always verify by ear.

Managing Files

Uploading Files

You can attach files to songs in three ways:

1. Upload a File

  1. Go to the song edit page
  2. In the Files section, select "Upload"
  3. Enter a title for the file
  4. Click "Choose File" and select a file from your computer
  5. Click "Upload File"

Supported file types:

  • Images (JPG, PNG, GIF)
  • PDF documents
  • Audio files (MP3, WAV, etc.)
  • Other common file types

If your band uses the Drives module:

  1. Select "Link" as the file type
  2. Choose a connection from the dropdown
  3. Select a file from that connection
  4. Click "Link File"

3. Add External URL

  1. Select "URL" as the file type
  2. Enter a title
  3. Paste the URL (must start with http:// or https://)
  4. Click "Add URL"

Viewing Files

  • Click on a file title to view or download it
  • Images and PDFs can be viewed directly in the browser
  • Audio files can be played in the browser
  • Other files will be downloaded

Deleting Files

  1. Go to the song edit page
  2. Find the file in the Files section
  3. Click the delete icon (trash can) next to the file
  4. Confirm deletion

Managing Notes

Creating Notes

Notes allow you to add detailed information about a song:

  1. Go to the song edit page
  2. In the Notes section, click "Add Note"
  3. Enter a title
  4. Optionally add Tags (comma-separated labels) and turn on Use as lyrics if this note should be the song’s single “active lyrics” note (not available on chord chart notes — those stay separate)
  5. Write your content using the rich text editor
  6. Click "Save Note"

Editing Notes

  1. Click on a note title from the song edit page
  2. Modify the title, tags, Use as lyrics, or content as needed
  3. Click "Save Note"

Tags and lyrics: Tags are short free labels (for example lyrics, live, idea); the app stores them normalized. Use as lyrics marks the note that should represent readable lyrics for the song; only one note per song can have this at a time — saving turns it off on the others. Chord-chart notes generated from transcription do not offer “Use as lyrics” because their content is structured chord data, not plain lyrics.

Note Features

The note editor includes:

  • Tags (comma-separated) and Use as lyrics (plain notes only)
  • Bold, italic, and underline text
  • Headings and lists
  • Links
  • Text formatting options

Exporting Notes

You can export notes as:

  • PDF - Click "Export PDF" on the note view page
  • Word Document - Click "Export DOCX" on the note view page

Deleting Notes

  1. Go to the note edit page
  2. Click "Delete Note" at the bottom
  3. Confirm deletion

Searching Songs

On the songs list page:

  1. Type in the search box at the top
  2. The list filters automatically as you type
  3. Search matches song titles, keys, and moods

Tips for Organization

  • Use consistent naming for song titles
  • Fill in key and tempo for easier searching
  • Add mood descriptors to help categorize songs
  • Use notes to store lyrics, chord progressions, or performance notes

Limits & Restrictions

Your package may have limits on:

  • Maximum songs - Total number of songs per band
  • Maximum files - Files per song
  • Maximum notes - Notes per song

If you reach a limit, you'll see a message when trying to add more items. Contact your administrator to upgrade your package if needed.

Troubleshooting

Recording Issues

"Microphone access denied"

  • Check your browser permissions
  • Make sure you clicked "Allow" when prompted
  • Try refreshing the page and granting access again

Recording doesn't start

  • Check that your microphone is connected and working
  • Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
  • Make sure no other application is using your microphone

Recording is too quiet or distorted

  • Check your microphone volume settings
  • Move closer to the microphone
  • Ensure audio processing is disabled (handled automatically)

File Upload Issues

"Upload failed"

  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify the file isn't too large
  • Try a different file format

"Maximum files reached"

  • Delete unused files to free up space
  • Contact your administrator about package limits

Conversion Issues

Recording stuck on "Uploading and converting..."

  • Wait a few minutes - conversion may take time
  • Refresh the page
  • If it persists, try recording again
  • Contact support if the issue continues

Best Practices

Organizing Your Songs

  1. Use consistent titles - Keep naming conventions consistent
  2. Fill in metadata - Key, tempo, and mood help with organization
  3. Add recordings - Record practice sessions or performances
  4. Write notes - Document lyrics, chords, arrangement notes
  5. Attach files - Store sheet music, chord charts, or reference recordings

Recording Tips

  1. Find a quiet space - Reduce background noise
  2. Test your setup - Do a quick test recording first
  3. Use trimming - Remove silence or mistakes before saving
  4. Add descriptive titles - Name recordings clearly (e.g., "Practice - Dec 8", "Live - Venue Name")

File Management

  1. Use descriptive titles - Make files easy to identify
  2. Organize by type - Separate recordings from sheet music and other files
  3. Delete unused files - Keep your library clean
  4. Link when possible - Use Drives module links to avoid duplicates

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Search - Start typing in the search box to filter songs
  • Enter - Submit forms (after filling required fields)
  • Escape - Close modals

Mobile Usage

The Songs module works on mobile devices:

  • Recording - Works on phones and tablets (records in mono)
  • File uploads - Use your device's file picker
  • Viewing - Optimized for mobile screens
  • Editing - Touch-friendly interface

Note: Some features may work differently on mobile browsers. For best results, use a modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox).

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check this manual for solutions
  2. Contact your band administrator
  3. Review error messages carefully
  4. Try refreshing the page
  5. Clear your browser cache if problems persist

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I record multiple takes?
A: Yes! Each recording is saved separately. Record as many takes as you need.

Q: Can I edit a recording after saving?
A: Currently, recordings cannot be edited after upload. You'll need to record again if you want changes.

Q: What audio formats are supported?
A: Recordings are converted to MP3 format. You can also upload MP3, WAV, and other common audio formats.

Q: Can I download my recordings?
A: Yes! On the song view and song edit pages, long-press (mobile) or right-click (desktop) a recording and choose Download. The app starts the download directly (including native app and mobile browser).

Q: How long can recordings be?
A: There's no hard limit, but very long recordings may take longer to convert. Keep recordings under 10 minutes for best results.

Q: Can I share songs with other bands?
A: Songs are tied to specific bands. To share, you'll need to add the song to the other band separately.

Q: What happens if I delete a song?
A: All recordings, files, and notes associated with that song will also be deleted. This cannot be undone.

Last updated: December 2024

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