Managing Songs
This guide covers the song editor and collections. For searching and projecting songs, see Songs.
Adding a new song
- Open the Songs tab.
- Click the + button above the song list. (In an empty library, click Add Your First Song.)
- Type the title.
- Add the lyrics, one section at a time (see below).
- Click Create Song, or press Ctrl + S.
Editing a song
Right-click the song and choose Edit Song. Make your changes and click Save Changes (Ctrl + S).
Saving updates the song everywhere it's used, including rows in your schedule, unless you've edited that schedule row separately. If the song is live, the screen updates the next time you click one of its slides in the Live panel or send it again.
Sections
A song is a list of sections. Each section becomes one slide.
The editor has two views. Switch between them with the Structured / Raw text toggle, or press Ctrl + M.
Structured view
Each section is a card with:
- A label, such as Verse 1, Chorus, Bridge or Tag. The label is free text, so name sections however your team is used to.
- The lyrics. Each line you type is a line on screen.
Hover over a section's number to duplicate or delete it. Click Add section at the bottom for a new one.
Raw text view
The whole song in one box, which is quicker for typing or pasting a full song:
[Verse 1]
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
[Chorus]
My chains are gone, I've been set free- Put a label in square brackets on its own line to start a new section.
- Leave a blank line between sections.
Switching back to the structured view splits the text into section cards.
Changing section order
Sections play in the order they're written. To move one, switch to Raw text, cut the section with its label and paste it where you want it.
Live preview
The right side of the editor shows the selected section in the song's theme, so you can check line breaks and text size before the service.
Formatting lyrics
Select some words and use the toolbar above the lyrics:
| Button | Shortcut | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| B | Ctrl + B | Bold |
| I | Ctrl + I | Italic |
| U | Ctrl + U | Underline |
| Colour dots | Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple or grey text |
With nothing selected, the button formats the word under the cursor. Formatting is handy for marking a part for the men or women, a repeated line, or the word to emphasise.
Pasting lyrics
- Ctrl + V keeps bold, italic and underline from the source and drops everything else (fonts, sizes, background colours), so lyrics pasted from a website look like the rest of your library.
- Ctrl + Shift + V pastes plain text.
In Raw text view, blank lines in pasted text become section breaks.
Choosing a theme for one song
The Theme dropdown in the editor sets the theme for this song only. Leave it on Use default theme to follow the default song theme. See Themes.
Undo, redo and closing
- Ctrl + Z undoes and Ctrl + Y (or Ctrl + Shift + Z) redoes. There are also buttons in the editor header.
- Cancel or Esc closes the editor. Save first if you want to keep your changes.
Duplicating and deleting
- Duplicate Song (right-click) makes a copy, for example to keep a special arrangement next to the usual one.
- Delete Song (right-click) removes the song permanently after you confirm. It also disappears from every collection.
Collections
Collections group songs for a season, service or team, such as Christmas, Communion or Youth. A song can be in several collections, and removing it from one doesn't delete it.
| To... | Do this |
|---|---|
| Create a collection | Click + at the bottom of the Songs sidebar and give it a name |
| Add a song | Right-click the song > Add to Collection… > pick a collection (or New collection…) |
| View a collection | Expand My Collections in the sidebar and click it |
| Remove a song | While viewing the collection, right-click the song > Remove from Collection |
| Rename, duplicate or delete a collection | Select it, then click the gear at the bottom of the sidebar |
Deleting a collection keeps its songs in your library.
Favourites
Right-click a song and choose Add to Favorites to mark it with a heart. My Favorites in the sidebar lists them all.