| Tool | Best For | Key Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design My Setlist | Client song requests & easy online setlist building | Online setlist builder, setlist generator, client portal | $69 one-time payment |
| Band Pencil | Full band management suite + setlists | Setlist builder tool, scheduling, CRM | £24–£70/month |
| Band Helper | All-in-one band management | Setlist maker, MIDI automation, real-time sync | $2.25-$32/month |
1. Design My Setlist
Design My Setlist is a tool which allows musicians, DJs, and performers to avoid awkward moments by letting their clients choose the songs they want (and don’t want!) at their event.
Let's say your band can play 50 songs, but you only have time for 20. Don't know what to pick? Let the client decide with Design My Setlist. It also helps you figure out what songs are a hit or not. Not everyone wants to hear Someone Like You by Adele at their wedding!
Pros:
- Easy to use and get started with
- Cheap pricing
- Allows you to know which songs your clients want to hear
Cons:
- Doesn’t ‘build’ your setlist (we’re working on it!)
2. Band Pencil
Band Pencil is a user-friendly, band and event-focused CRM packed with everything you need to manage every aspect of your music business. With this comes a setlist builder tool—and a pretty powerful one at that!
You can add your song library and drag and drop your songs to build your setlist. It has a built-in duration calculator so you know exactly how long your sets are. You can also share your setlists with your musicians and performers via the Member Portal.
Pros:
- Lots of functionality
- Upload files to each song
- Add labels to each song in the set (such as first dance)
Cons:
- Price – Band Pencil is an all-in-one band management tool, so the setlist builder is part of the package.
- Unlike Design My Setlist, you’ll still need to manually request which songs the client does and doesn’t want to hear.
3. Band Helper
Band Helper is similar to Band Pencil—it’s an ‘all-in-one’ management tool for bands. It’s a little older, and with that, it looks a bit more dated, but it’s still a well-used tool around the world.
Its setlist builder allows you to add songs from your music library, drag and drop to arrange them, and automatically calculates set duration. Band members can share updates in real-time, ensuring everyone is on the same page during shows and practices.
Pros:
- Packed with tools for song management, setlists, MIDI automation, finance, and scheduling.
- Real-Time Syncing: Bandmates get live updates on changes, ensuring everyone is prepared for each gig.
Cons:
- Learning Curve for New Users: With its extensive features, it may take time to learn and fully utilize.
- It’s quite dated – the user interface could use an update!
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a simple online setlist builder, a flexible setlist generator for events, or a complete setlist maker integrated into a band management suite, each tool reviewed here offers something different. For musicians wanting client interaction, Design My Setlist is the strongest choice. For those needing full CRM-style features, Band Pencil or Band Helper may suit better.