Buyer’s guide
How to choose a band management app
A checklist from working musicians. Use it to compare any app, including ours.
Most bands start with a group text, a shared calendar and a folder of charts. The trouble starts when a gig moves, a sub needs the set, or three people are in two other bands. Here is what to check before you move your band to an app.
1. Scheduling that knows who’s free
- Can members answer yes, maybe or no for each gig and practice?
- Does it pull in members’ own calendars (Google, Outlook, Apple) to show who’s busy, without exposing what they’re doing?
- Does it warn you about double-bookings before you confirm, including across other bands a member plays in?
- Can it find a practice time everyone can make?
2. Songs and setlists you can use on stage
- Is there one shared song library with keys, tempos and charts, or does every setlist start from scratch?
- Can each player see what they need (lyrics, chords, tabs) for the same song?
- Is there a stage view that’s readable in the dark and one tap from the next song?
- How long does it take to get your existing song list in?
3. Subs, roles and permissions
- Can a sub see the gig they’re playing without seeing the band’s money or every other date?
- Who can edit the schedule and the setlists? Can you have more than one admin?
- Can you keep a list of go-to subs and find new players when you need one?
4. Changes and notifications
- When a time or venue changes, is everyone on the gig told what changed?
- Can each person choose how much they’re notified, instantly or in a daily summary?
5. The public side
- Can you publish upcoming shows without also publishing private events?
- Is there a press kit and rider you can send to venues?
- Can fans subscribe to your shows?
6. Practical questions
- Devices: does it work on every member’s phone, including the one who won’t install apps?
- Cost: is it priced per band or per member, and what happens to members who only sub?
- Your data: can you export it, and does the company sell it or use it for ads? Read the privacy policy.
- Calendar access: if it connects to your calendar, is it read-only, and can you disconnect and delete what it imported?
Where Gigometry fits
We built Gigometry for bands that gig regularly and players who are in more than one band. It runs in any browser, doesn’t sell your data or show ads, and calendar access is read-only. See the features or try it with your band.
Questions
What is a band management app?
An app that keeps a band’s shared information in one place: the schedule, who’s available, songs and setlists, and messages. The better ones also handle subs, notifications when plans change, and a public page for fans and bookers.
Do small bands need one?
If you have more than a couple of gigs a month, or anyone plays in more than one band, a shared calendar with availability usually saves more time than anything else.
Should we just use a shared Google Calendar and a spreadsheet?
That works for a while. It breaks down with RSVPs, subs who shouldn’t see everything, setlists that change per gig, and knowing who’s busy without asking.
Try it with your next gig
Works in any browser on your phone or computer. Add it to your home screen and it behaves like an app.