A song book that scrolls itself
Most of us started with a binder, then a folder of PDFs, then an app that still made us turn the page mid song. A digital song book solves the carrying. It does not solve the turning. Here is what to look for if you want both.
What the binder was actually for
A binder did three jobs at once: it held every song you know, it kept tonight's set in order, and it stayed open at the right page. Most apps do the first two well and drop the third, which is the one that matters while you are playing.
Books, not folders
A book is how musicians already think. One for the covers band, one for Sunday, one for the duo, one for the originals. The same song lives in more than one book without being copied, so a lyric fix is fixed everywhere. On the shelf they stand spine out with the name down the binding, so a big library still fits on one screen.
The page turning problem
A chart on a tablet is still a page. You still take a hand off the instrument, or stomp a pedal, and you still lose your place if you miss it. A prompter is different: the words move on their own and the line you are singing stays in front of you. QMe Prompter does that three ways, and you pick per song. Voice Follow listens and keeps up with you, which handles a long instrumental or a repeated chorus without any setup. Tempo scroll moves at the song's own speed. A foot pedal is still there when you want to drive it yourself.
Tonight's set
A setlist holds the running order, with sets inside it for a two or three set night, who sings what, and the run time so you know if you are over the slot. The next song is a swipe away, and the whole set can be sent to a bandmate as a file or followed live in their browser, even on Android.
Reading it on stage
Words on a tablet on a stand is one way. The same words on Even Realities G2 smart glasses, or on wired display glasses, means your eyes stay on the room. That is worth more than any feature list the first time you play a small room where the audience is three feet away.
QMe Prompter at a glance. iPhone and iPad, iOS 17.6 or later. Free to download, 30 day full trial, then a free plan that keeps 3 songs or Pro by month or year. Words and chords on screen, scrolling on their own by voice, by tempo or by foot pedal. Setlists, books, Apple Watch, Even Realities G2 and wired display glasses, Planning Center import, MIDI in and out, and a web console at qmeprompter.com for building the library on a computer. No account needed to start.
Questions musicians ask
Can I keep separate song books for different bands?
Yes. Books hold whatever you want in them, a covers band, a worship set, solo material, and a song can sit in more than one book without being duplicated.
Does it show chords as well as lyrics?
Yes, chords sit over the words they are played on. You can hide the chords for a singer who does not want them.
Do I have to turn pages?
No. That is the point. The words scroll as you sing, or at the song's tempo, or on a foot pedal if you would rather drive it yourself.
Can I get my existing songs in?
Yes. Import ChordPro files or a SongBook Pro backup in bulk from the web console, bring in a PDF chart, or paste words straight in. Worship teams can pull a Planning Center plan in as a setlist.
Related: Best teleprompter app for musicians · A teleprompter that follows your voice · Books in the manual
Try it on your next rehearsal
Free to download, 30 days of everything, no card. Put three songs in and run one through.
Download on the App Store