Bandligo Operating Guide
Set. List. Go.
Roles
Every Bandligo user is either a Director or a Member. Directors manage songs, set lists, gigs, bands, and members. Members participate — they vote on songs, suggest new ones, build personal practice lists, and RSVP to gigs.
| Capability | Director | Member |
|---|---|---|
| Add, edit, delete songs | ✓ | — |
| Suggest songs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vote on songs | — | ✓ |
| Approve suggested songs | ✓ | — |
| Assign songs to bands | ✓ | — |
| Create and manage set lists | ✓ | — |
| Build personal practice lists | — | ✓ |
| Schedule gigs and show days | ✓ | — |
| Publish show days | ✓ | — |
| RSVP to gigs | — | ✓ |
| View attendance roster | ✓ | — |
| Create and manage bands | ✓ | — |
| Invite members | ✓ | — |
| Manage members | ✓ | — |
Signing In
Go to bandligo.com and sign in with your email and password. New users need an invite link from their director — clicking the link takes you to a sign-up form where you set your name, email, and password. Your account is automatically placed in the correct band and school.
Forgot your password? Tap Forgot password? on the sign-in screen and enter your email. A reset link arrives within a minute. You can also request a reset at any time from Manage → Change Password once signed in.
First director login: you'll be asked for your music school or organization name. This appears in the dropdown for all directors. If you're not part of a school, tap Skip — your name appears instead. This prompt only shows once.
Navigation
The app has three tabs at the bottom: SET, LIST, and GO. The dropdown in the top-right header controls which band or school-wide view you're looking at — it affects all three tabs.
The ? button opens quick help. The Manage button opens the full menu for band and account management. The colored dot in the top-right shows your connection status: green = connected, red = offline (changes sync when you reconnect), yellow pulsing = saving.
SET Tab
The SET tab is the song library. What you see depends on your role and the dropdown selection.
For Directors
The dropdown controls the view:
- School name — shows all songs in the library across all bands.
- Band name — shows only songs assigned to that band.
Two filter buttons sit inline next to A–Z and ▲▼:
- Sugg — songs submitted by members waiting for approval.
- Unasgn — songs in the library not yet assigned to any band.
Tap any song title to open and edit it. Check songs and use the action bar:
- ＋ Add to Band — assign selected songs to a band.
- ✕ Remove from Band — remove selected songs from the current band.
- 🗑 Delete from Library — permanently remove selected songs from the entire library.
Tap + Add to create a new song. Use A–Z to sort alphabetically, ▲▼ to sort by vote score.
For Members
Members see their band's songs. If they belong to multiple bands, the dropdown switches between them.
- Tap ▲ or ▼ to vote a song up or down.
- Tap + Suggest to propose a song. Attach a chart and a YouTube link. The director reviews and approves it.
- Check songs and tap ＋ Add to List or ✕ Remove from List to manage your personal set lists.
- Tap 📄 to view a chart, ▶ to play via YouTube, or ♪ to play an audio file.
LIST Tab
The toolbar row is the same for directors and members (left to right): list selector · ▶ play · ⇄ random · + new · 🖨 print · ✎ rename · 🗑 delete.
For Directors
Select a specific band from the dropdown to view and manage that band's set lists. If your school name is selected, the tab shows a prompt to pick a band — set lists are per band, not school-wide.
Use the list selector dropdown in the toolbar to switch between set lists for the selected band. Toolbar actions:
- ▶ — launch the set list in the in-app player.
- ⇄ — start a shuffled random play session.
- + — create a new set list.
- 🖨 — print the current set list. When opened from a gig on the GO tab, band name, list name, venue, date, and time all fill automatically — no input needed. From the LIST tab directly, band name and list name fill; venue, date, and time are left blank.
- ✎ — rename the current set list or clear all songs from it.
- 🗑 — delete the list entirely.
Within a set list, use ▲▼ to reorder songs, 📝 to add a note to a song, and ✕ to remove a song. Tap between songs to add a transition note. All changes save in real time.
For Members
Members toggle between My Lists and Band Lists.
My Lists are personal and stored on your device only. The same toolbar applies: list selector, play, random, new, print, rename, delete. Songs with both a YouTube link and an audio file show a ▶ pref / ♪ pref badge — tap to flip which source plays by default for that song on that list.
Band Lists shows all official set lists created by directors — read-only. Use ▶ to play or 🖨 to print.
💡 Tapping ▶ Set List on a gig card in the GO tab jumps directly to that gig's set list in the LIST tab — no navigation needed.
GO Tab
The GO tab is the gig calendar. Use the dropdown to switch between viewing your school (all bands) or a specific band.
Single Gigs (+ New Gig)
Select a specific band in the dropdown, then tap + New Gig. Fill in date, time, venue, notes, and optionally link a set list. Single gigs are visible to members immediately after saving.
Show Days (+ Schedule Show Day)
Show days are multi-band events and follow a draft → publish workflow so directors can set everything up before members see anything.
Select your school name in the dropdown, then tap + Schedule Show Day. Add a date, venue, and notes, then add a slot for each performing band with start time, end time, and an optional set list. Tap Save — the show day is saved as a draft.
Draft show days are only visible to directors. Members cannot see them until they are published.
While in draft, the date header shows ✎ Manage Day. Use it to:
- Reorder bands with ▲▼.
- Edit the date, venue, Band Notes (shown to members), and Admin Notes (internal only).
- Add or remove band slots and link set lists per slot.
- Run ⚡ Generate Schedule to auto-fill all time slots given a start time, duration, and break length.
When everything is ready, tap ⚡ Publish. All slots for that show day go live at once. Members see the gigs and a red badge appears on their GO tab showing how many gigs need an RSVP.
Viewing Gigs
When a specific band is selected, you see that band's gigs. When your school name is selected, all published gigs across all bands appear grouped by date, each with a band name and time slot. Draft gigs appear in this view for directors only, marked with a DRAFT badge.
Directors see an attendance roster on each card. Tap ✎ Manage Day on a date header to edit the full day. Tap 🖨 Print on a date header to print a day-of schedule with times, set lists, and admin notes.
RSVP (Members)
Tap ✓ Going or ✗ Can't Make It on any gig card. Tap again to clear. Tap ▶ Set List to jump directly to that gig's set list in the LIST tab. The red badge on the GO tab counts upcoming published gigs you haven't RSVPd to yet.
Calendar Export
Tap 📅 Add to Calendar on any gig to download a .ics file. Open it to add the gig to Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook. If no end time is set, the export defaults to two hours.
Multi-Band Members
If you belong to multiple bands and have gigs on the same day, a 🖨 My Day of Show button appears — it prints a one-page summary of all your gigs for that date.
Manage Menu
Tap Manage in the top-right header to open the menu.
Band (Director Only)
- Create Band — name a new band. Use Invite Member afterward to get a sign-up link.
- Rename Band — rename the currently selected band.
- Delete Band — permanently delete the band and all its data. Cannot be undone.
Members
- Invite Member — generates a unique sign-up link for the current band. Toggle the role to Director before sharing if you're inviting a co-director. Tap 🔄 to invalidate the old link and generate a fresh one.
- Manage Members (Director) — see everyone in the current band, remove members, or add existing users.
- View All Members (Director) — see all users organized By Band or By Person. Edit band membership.
Account
- My Profile — update the display name your bandmates see.
- Change Password — sends a password reset link to your email.
- Sign Out — signs you out. Your data stays in place.
Song Records
Each song in the library can hold:
- Title and Artist — required.
- Duration — auto-detected when a YouTube URL is added.
- YouTube URL — links to a reference video for playback.
- Chart — PDF or image file up to 20 MB, viewable in the app.
- Audio File — MP3 or WAV up to 50 MB.
- Preferred Playback — shown when a song has both YouTube and audio. Sets whether ▶ or ♪ plays by default in set lists. Members can override this per song on their personal lists.
Band badges under the artist name show which bands the song is currently assigned to.
Members
A user can belong to multiple bands. Adding them to a second band doesn't remove them from the first. Their dropdown will show all bands they're in.
The View All Members screen has two views:
- By Band — each band listed with its members. Tap Edit Members to add or remove people using a checklist of all users.
- By Person — each person listed with their bands. Tap Edit Bands to change which bands they belong to.
Changes take effect immediately and sync in real time.
Account
Access account settings from Manage → Account.
- My Profile — change the display name your bandmates see. Takes effect immediately.
- Change Password — triggers a password reset email to your address on file.
- Sign Out — signs you out. All your data stays in Firebase.
Workflow: First-Time Director Setup
Getting your school up and running
- Sign in at bandligo.com. Enter your school or organization name when prompted (tap Skip if it's just your band).
- Tap Manage → Create Band. Name the first band and save.
- Tap Manage → Invite Member. Copy the invite link and share it with your members. Toggle the role to Director before copying if you're inviting a co-director.
- Go to the SET tab. Select your school name in the dropdown, then tap + Add to start building the song library.
- For each song, add a title, artist, and optionally a YouTube URL, chart, or audio file.
- Once songs are in the library, select a specific band in the dropdown. Check the songs you want to assign and tap ＋ Add to Band.
- Repeat steps 2–6 for each additional band.
Workflow: Adding Songs
Director adds a song directly
- Go to the SET tab. Select your school name (or the target band) in the dropdown.
- Tap + Add. Enter the title, artist, YouTube URL, and any other details. Tap Save.
- To assign the song to a band: check it, then tap ＋ Add to Band and select the band.
Workflow: Approving Member Suggestions
Reviewing and acting on member suggestions
- Go to the SET tab. Tap the Sugg button to filter to pending suggestions.
- Tap a song title to review it — check the attached chart, audio, or YouTube link, and edit any details.
- To approve: check the song and tap ＋ Add to Band to assign it. This moves it from Suggested into the active library.
- To reject: check the song and tap 🗑 Delete from Library.
Workflow: Building a Set List
Creating and populating a set list for a band
- Go to the LIST tab. Select the target band from the dropdown.
- Tap + in the toolbar and give the list a name (e.g. "Friday Show"). Tap Save.
- Go to the SET tab. Select the same band from the dropdown.
- Check the songs you want. Tap ＋ Add to List in the action bar and select the set list you just created.
- Return to the LIST tab. Use ▲▼ to reorder, 📝 for song notes (key, cue, feel), and tap between songs for transition notes.
- Tap 🖨 to print or ▶ to run through the list in the player.
Workflow: Scheduling a Single Gig
Adding a gig for one band
- Go to the GO tab. Select the band from the dropdown.
- Tap + New Gig. Enter the date, start and end time, venue, and notes.
- In the Set List field, select an existing set list or create a new one on the spot.
- Tap Save. The gig is immediately visible to members, who can RSVP right away.
Workflow: Scheduling a Multi-Band Show Day
Setting up a full show with multiple bands — draft first, then publish
- Go to the GO tab. Select your school name in the dropdown.
- Tap + Schedule Show Day. Enter the date, venue, and any shared notes (e.g. address, load-in instructions).
- Tap + Add Band Slot for each performing band. For each slot, pick the band, set start and end times, and optionally link a set list.
- Or tap ⚡ Generate Schedule: enter the number of bands, start time, set duration, and break length — all time slots fill automatically.
- Tap Save. The show day is saved as a draft — only directors can see it. Members see nothing yet.
- Tap ✎ Manage Day on the date header to refine the schedule: reorder bands, adjust times, add Band Notes and Admin Notes, link set lists.
- When the schedule is final, tap ⚡ Publish. All slots go live at once. Members see the gigs and a red badge appears on GO.
- After publishing, tap 🖨 Print on the date header to generate a full day-of schedule.
Workflow: RSVPing to a Gig (Members)
Confirming attendance and viewing the set list
- Go to the GO tab. A red badge on the tab shows how many gigs need an RSVP.
- Find the gig card. Tap ✓ Going or ✗ Can't Make It. Tap the same button again to clear your RSVP.
- Tap ▶ Set List on the gig card to jump directly to that gig's set list in the LIST tab — the correct list opens automatically, no navigation needed.
- Tap 📅 Add to Calendar to add the gig to Apple, Google, or Outlook calendar.
Workflow: Printing a Set List
Two paths — from GO tab (full auto-fill) or from LIST tab directly
- Go to the GO tab and find the gig.
- Tap ▶ Set List — this opens the LIST tab with that gig's set list already selected.
- Tap 🖨 in the toolbar. The print sheet fills automatically with the band name, set list name, venue, date, and start/end times from the gig. No input required.
- Use your browser's print dialog to print or save as PDF.
- Go to the LIST tab and select the band and set list you want to print.
- Tap 🖨 in the toolbar. The print sheet shows the band name and set list name. Venue, date, and time are left blank since no gig context is available.
- Use your browser's print dialog to print or save as PDF.