# Fretlist

> Personal song library for all musicians, chord sheets, practice, and gigs in one place.

Full documentation content: [llms-full.txt](https://fretlist.com/llms-full.txt)

## What is Fretlist?

Fretlist is a personal song library for musicians. It's where you keep your chord sheets, the songs you're learning, the covers you practise at home, and the setlists you take on stage. Everything in one place, on any device, with no scattered notes, lost PDFs, or forgotten Word files.

Most musicians store their chord sheets everywhere: iA Writer, Notion, Apple Notes, random PDFs from tabs websites, handwritten scraps in a guitar case. Fretlist replaces that chaos with a clean, organized library that's always with you: on your phone during practice, on your laptop at your desk, and on your tablet on stage.

It's not just for gigging musicians. Most Fretlist users are people who play at home: learning songs, building a repertoire, practising covers they love. The gig support is there when you need it (setlists, Play Mode, offline at the venue), but the daily value is simpler: one place for all your songs.

Fretlist is a modern alternative to legacy chord sheet apps like OnSong, SongbookPro, and BandHelper, built as a clean, focused web experience rather than a utility from 2009.

## Key Features

- **Chord Sheet Management**: Store lyrics with chords in multiple formats, chords above lyrics, inline [G]chord notation, guitar tab, and full ChordPro format
- **Song Editor**: The editor colors your chord sheet as you write it: chords in your chosen chord color, section headings and directives in teal, and bracketed performance notes like [x4] in italic rather than as chords. The same coloring is used for the read-only chord sheets shown elsewhere on the site, so a song looks the same while you write it and after you publish it. A Sections and Directives rail writes the syntax for you (Intro, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Instrumental, Interlude, Solo and Outro, plus inline chord, chord line, Chords table, chord definition, comment, note, chord grid, repeat bars, tab block and chorus recall), and typing / at the start of a line opens the same list without leaving the keyboard. The rail and the slash menu are desktop surfaces; on a phone the editor is the field and both are off. Tab steps through the fields of a chord definition (name, base fret, then each fret) and through the cells of a grid. Expand hides the title and details rows and gives the space to the lyrics. Switching between the two modes leaves lines you did not touch exactly as written, so a heading typed as "Verse:" or "= Chorus" survives the round trip. A web address written into the body of a song renders as a link and opens in a new tab, so a backing track or a tutorial can live in the song itself; links stay plain text in Play Mode so a tap on stage never leaves the app.
- **ChordPro Support**: Native ChordPro import and export. Directives like {title:}, {artist:}, {key:}, {capo:}, {define:}, and {instrument:} are all supported. Songs written in ChordPro render correctly with transposition, capo, and chord diagrams. The editor has two modes, Chords over Lyrics and ChordPro, and switches between them live, converting the content in either direction. This makes Fretlist a free, browser-based ChordPro converter: paste a song from Ultimate Guitar (chord-above-lyrics), click the ChordPro tab, export as .cho.
- **Frets, Visual Chord Diagrams**: Add a [Chords] block to any song and Fretlist renders a row of fingering grids above the lyrics. Built-in library covers guitar and ukulele with hundreds of voicings; mandolin and banjo supported with custom shapes. Tuning-aware: set a song to baritone ukulele and the diagrams switch to DGBE shapes rather than showing standard ukulele fingerings. Capo-aware, when you set a capo, every diagram shifts to show what you actually finger on the neck, not the sounding chord. Tap any chord card to pick a different voicing from a scrollable library carousel. Voicing editor lets you write your own fret notation with a live SVG preview. Hover over any chord name in the lyrics and a mini diagram pops up. In Play Mode, the Frets panel shows only the chords for the current section as you scroll.
- **Chord Grids**: Write a bar-and-chord grid (the jazz chart style: measures separated by bar lines, one chord per beat) and Fretlist renders it as an aligned chart. Two ways in, a compact style in the Chords over Lyrics editor and the full ChordPro {start_of_grid} environment, and either converts to the other. Supports repeats, first and second endings, bar repeats, strum patterns, row labels and margin notes. Grids transpose with the rest of the song and render in Play Mode and print.
- **Live Transposition**: Transpose any song to a different key instantly. Capo support is built in, set a capo and all chord names update to reflect the open-string voicings you actually play. Transposition and capo preferences are saved per song to your account and synced across all your devices.
- **Setlist Organization**: Create setlists with multiple sets (set 1, set 2, encore), drag-and-drop reordering, set timing, and venue/date info. Share the whole setlist with bandmates or audiences.
- **Play Mode**: Full-screen, distraction-free view designed for live performance. Auto-scroll that paces itself to the song's length so it finishes as the song ends, adjustable font size and line spacing, columns, swipe navigation between songs, keyboard and Bluetooth page-turner support, screen wake lock so your device stays on during a gig. Open a song from a setlist and Play Mode carries the whole set, so you move song to song hands-free; an end-of-song pill cues the next song (tap to advance or set it to auto-advance). The Frets panel shows chord diagrams for the current section only as you scroll through the song.
- **Offline Support**: Full offline functionality as a PWA (Progressive Web App). Songs and setlists are synced to your device, so you can access everything at a gig without Wi-Fi or mobile data. Works on stage even at a venue with no signal, or when connected to a stage mixer's Wi-Fi that has no internet.
- **Import from Many Sources**: Import individual songs or entire libraries from PDF, Word (.docx), ChordPro (.pro, .chopro, .crd, .cho), OnSong (.onsong), plain text, and more. AI-powered parsing detects chord lines, fixes formatting, and extracts metadata like title, artist, key, and capo. SongbookPro backup (.sbpbackup) and entire OnSong folder exports supported.
- **Export Formats**: Export songs as PDF (with chord diagrams and metadata), Word (DOCX), ChordPro (.pro), plain text, JSON, or bulk ZIP archive. Export an entire setlist or your whole library at once.
- **Folders**: Organize songs into named folders. Move songs individually (drag-and-drop or the ... menu) or in bulk using the bulk toolbar. Import directly into a folder. Searching your library flattens the folder view so results from all folders appear together.
- **Sharing**: Share individual songs or full setlists via public link, WhatsApp, or email. Emailing attaches the styled chord-sheet PDF (for a setlist, its running order) and lets you add a short personal message. Shared pages let anyone view the song/setlist, and recipients can import the content directly into their own Fretlist library: a single song, or a whole setlist with its songs (songs they already own are reused, not duplicated). The setlist owner enables this with an "Allow importing setlist" toggle.
- **Metadata per song**: Key, tuning, capo, tempo (BPM), time signature, duration, original artist, all stored with the song and shown in the sidebar.
- **Dark/Light Mode**: Full theme support. Dark mode is optimized for stage use; light mode is optimized for printing.
- **Display Preferences**: Choose the font for your chord sheets (default monospace, serif, or sans) and the color of chord and key symbols (brand amber, a custom color from a curated palette, or off). Colors adapt to dark mode and stay high-contrast. Set per account in Settings, synced across devices, with a live preview.
- **Show and hide parts of a song**: Per song, toggle lyrics, chords, chord grids, and tabs on or off independently. Hide the lyrics for a chords-and-grids only "music" view, useful for players who read charts rather than words; hide the chords for a plain lyric sheet. The setting is per song, syncs across devices, and carries into Play Mode and print. At least one part always stays visible.
- **Print & Export**: A dedicated Print & Export window with a live page preview. Pick paper size (A4/Letter), portrait or landscape, 1 to 3 columns, text size, and high contrast. The printout matches your view (transpose, capo, chord color, hidden chords or tabs). Print it, save as PDF, email it, or export to ChordPro, Word, or plain text from the same window. Chord diagrams included. Setlists print as a gig running order or a chord-sheet booklet.
- **Multiple instruments**: Chord diagrams and import support for guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and banjo.

## Platform Support

Fretlist runs in any modern browser on any device, no app installation required:
- iPhone and iPad (Safari, Chrome)
- Android phones and tablets (Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet)
- Mac (Safari, Chrome, Firefox)
- Windows (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
- Linux (Chrome, Firefox)
- Chromebooks

You can also install it as a PWA from the browser for an app-like experience on your home screen. All devices use the same web app. Step-by-step [install guide](https://fretlist.com/docs/install-the-app).

## Chord Sheet Formats Supported

**Import formats:**
- ChordPro (.pro, .chopro, .crd, .cho), all standard directives supported
- OnSong (.onsong), full library exports
- SongbookPro backup (.sbpbackup), complete library migrations with setlists
- Plain text, paste a chord sheet from anywhere and Fretlist formats it
- PDF, AI-powered extraction from scanned and digital PDFs
- Word (.docx), extracts chord sheets from Word documents
- Ultimate Guitar, copy and paste from ultimateguitar.com, Fretlist detects the format

**Export formats:**
- ChordPro (.cho), compatible with OnSong, SongbookPro, and any ChordPro reader
- PDF, with chord diagrams, metadata badges, print-ready
- Word (.docx), editable chord sheet with chord formatting preserved
- Plain text, universal, works anywhere
- JSON, structured backup of your full library
- ZIP, bulk export of your entire library in any format

## Who is it for?

Fretlist is for musicians at every level:

- **Musicians learning songs** who want chord sheets and diagrams in one place as they build their repertoire
- **Home practitioners** who play every day and want all their songs, not scattered across notes apps, PDFs, and scraps of paper
- **Singer-songwriters** managing a growing catalog of originals and covers
- **Guitar and ukulele players** building a library of songs they know, are learning, and want to remember
- **Worship teams** who update setlists weekly and need the whole team to see the same version
- **Cover bands** keeping a large repertoire organized across multiple setlists and gigs
- **Gigging musicians** who need reliable chord sheets and setlists on stage, on any device
- **Guitar teachers** managing a song library for lessons
- **Musicians migrating from OnSong, SongbookPro, or BandHelper** who want a simpler, cross-platform alternative

## How to Get Started

1. Go to [fretlist.com](https://fretlist.com) and sign up (free, no credit card)
2. Add your first song, paste lyrics + chords, or import from PDF, ChordPro, or a backup from another app
3. Keep adding songs as you learn them. The library becomes useful once you have 10-20 songs in it.
4. When you have a gig: create a setlist, drag songs into it, open in Play Mode on stage

Step-by-step guides in the [documentation](https://fretlist.com/docs)

## Common Questions

**Is Fretlist free?**
Yes, currently in Early Access, all Pro features are free until the official launch (expected later in 2026). No credit card required to sign up.

**I'm learning guitar, is Fretlist useful for me?**
Yes. Most Fretlist users are people who play at home, not on stage. You can store the chord sheets for every song you're learning, see chord diagrams right in the sheet, transpose to the key that suits your voice, and access everything from your phone or laptop during practice. The library becomes genuinely useful once you have a few songs in it, most users hit that within the first week.

**I don't gig, is Fretlist still worth it?**
Yes. Fretlist is a personal song library first. If you practise at home and want a clean, organized place for your chord sheets instead of scattered notes and PDFs, that's the core value. The setlist and Play Mode features are there when you need them, but plenty of users never use them.

**Does it work on Android?**
Yes. Fretlist is a web app and works on any Android phone or tablet in Chrome, Firefox, or Samsung Internet. This is one of the main reasons musicians switch from OnSong (iOS-only) to Fretlist.

**Does it work offline?**
Yes. Install Fretlist as a PWA on your phone or tablet, and your songs and setlists are synced to the device. Open any song without an internet connection, useful at a gig, or just in a room with poor signal.

**Can I import my songs from OnSong?**
Yes. Export your library from OnSong as an .onsong folder export and import it into Fretlist. The import wizard handles bulk imports with progress tracking and duplicate detection. Step-by-step [OnSong import guide](https://fretlist.com/docs/import-from-onsong)

**Can I import from SongbookPro?**
Yes. Export a .sbpbackup file from SongbookPro and import it into Fretlist. Songs, metadata, and setlists are all migrated. Step-by-step [SongbookPro import guide](https://fretlist.com/docs/import-from-songbookpro)

**Can I import from Ultimate Guitar?**
Yes. Copy the chord sheet from Ultimate Guitar and paste it into the Fretlist importer. Fretlist detects the format, cleans up the formatting, and extracts the key and other metadata. Guide: [importing from Ultimate Guitar](https://fretlist.com/docs/import-from-ultimate-guitar)

**Does it support ChordPro?**
Yes. Fretlist supports ChordPro natively, import .pro, .chopro, .crd, and .cho files. All standard directives are supported, including {title:}, {artist:}, {key:}, {capo:}, {define:}, {instrument:}, {start_of_verse:}, {start_of_chorus:}, {start_of_bridge:}, and more. Export back to ChordPro format at any time.

**Can I use a page turner / foot pedal?**
Yes. In Play Mode, Bluetooth page turners and foot pedals that send keyboard events (arrow keys, Page Up/Down, space bar) work out of the box. No setup required. Guide: [Play Mode](https://fretlist.com/docs/play-mode)

**Can I share chord sheets with my band?**
Yes. Share individual songs or entire setlists via a public link. Bandmates can view the song or setlist in their browser, no account needed to view. They can also import a shared song, or an entire shared setlist with all its songs, directly into their own Fretlist library (songs they already have are reused, not duplicated).

**Does it have chord diagrams?**
Yes. The Frets feature adds visual chord diagrams (fingering grids) to any song. Guitar and ukulele are fully supported with hundreds of built-in voicings. Mandolin and banjo work with custom shapes. In Play Mode, the Frets panel shows only the chords for the current section as you scroll.

**Can I transpose songs?**
Yes. Click the transpose control and pick any key. Chord names update instantly. You can also set a capo, the chord names then show the open-string voicings you play at the capo, while the actual sounding key is displayed separately. Chord diagrams shift with transposition and capo.

**Is there an auto-scroll feature?**
Yes. In Play Mode, tap the auto-scroll control to start scrolling at an adjustable speed. You can control scroll speed with keyboard shortcuts or on-screen buttons.

**Can I print chord sheets?**
Yes. Any song can be printed directly from the browser with a clean, print-optimized layout. Chord diagrams are included in the print output.

## Fretlist vs OnSong

OnSong is an iOS-only chord sheet app that's been around since 2009. It's powerful, MIDI, DMX lighting, lyrics projection, backing tracks, but it's locked to Apple devices and has a steep learning curve.

**Why musicians switch from OnSong to Fretlist:**
- **Works on any device**: Fretlist runs in any browser, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux. OnSong requires iPhone or iPad.
- **Edit from your computer**: OnSong requires an add-on (OnSong Console) to edit from desktop. Fretlist is web-based, edit anywhere, including on your laptop.
- **Simpler interface**: OnSong has menus within menus. Fretlist is intentionally focused, songs and setlists, done well.
- **No sync headaches**: OnSong's iCloud sync can be fragile. Fretlist syncs automatically via the cloud with no setup.
- **More affordable**: OnSong charges €24–48/year. Fretlist Pro is ~€3/month (currently free during Early Access).

**When OnSong is the better choice**: If you need MIDI control, DMX automation, lyrics projection, or backing tracks synced to setlists, OnSong is purpose-built for complex worship and stage setups.

More details: [Fretlist vs OnSong](https://fretlist.com/alternative/onsong)

## Fretlist vs SongbookPro

SongbookPro sells separate native apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Syncing between platforms requires a Groups subscription.

**Why musicians switch from SongbookPro to Fretlist:**
- **One app, every device**: SongbookPro requires separate purchases per platform. Fretlist is one web app that works everywhere from a single account.
- **Automatic cloud sync**: SongbookPro sync requires same platform or a Groups subscription. Fretlist syncs automatically, edit on laptop, see it on your phone at the gig.
- **Modern interface**: Fretlist was designed in 2026 with a clean, minimal UI.
- **Band-friendly**: Fretlist's upcoming Band plan includes per-player settings (capo, tuning) so each musician in the band can have their own preferences for the same song.

**When SongbookPro is the better choice**: If you prefer a one-time purchase over subscriptions, want direct Ultimate Guitar integration, need PDF sheet music annotation, or prefer a native app.

More details: [Fretlist vs SongbookPro](https://fretlist.com/alternative/songbookpro)

## Fretlist vs BandHelper

BandHelper is a full band management platform, setlists, scheduling, stage plots, finances, MIDI automation, document storage. It's impressive but complex.

**Why musicians switch from BandHelper to Fretlist:**
- **Focused on what matters**: BandHelper does everything. Fretlist does one thing well, chord sheets and setlists.
- **Up and running in minutes**: BandHelper has a significant learning curve. Fretlist is designed to be obvious.
- **Same experience on all devices**: BandHelper works best when set up on desktop first. Fretlist is the same web app everywhere.
- **Simpler pricing**: BandHelper charges $25–50/year. Fretlist Pro is ~€3/month (currently free during Early Access).

**When BandHelper is the better choice**: If you run a working band doing 100+ gigs/year and need scheduling, finances, MIDI/lighting automation, stage plots, and backing tracks all in one platform.

More details: [Fretlist vs BandHelper](https://fretlist.com/alternative/bandhelper)

## Fretlist vs JustChords

JustChords is a minimalist, community-favorite chord sheet app with a clean UI and local-first storage.

**Key differences from Fretlist:**
- Fretlist has full offline support (PWA) and automatic cloud sync, JustChords is primarily local storage.
- Fretlist has visual chord diagrams (Frets) for guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, with capo awareness and voicing picker.
- Fretlist supports bulk import from PDF, ChordPro, OnSong, SongbookPro, Word, and more.
- Fretlist's Play Mode has section-aware chord diagrams, auto-scroll, and Bluetooth page turner support.
- Both are clean and focused, JustChords is simpler; Fretlist has more depth for musicians building a real song library.

## Chord Sheet Format Guide

Fretlist supports multiple ways to write a chord sheet:

**Chords above lyrics (most common):**
```
## Verse 1
       G              C
Strumming on my guitar tonight
    D              G
The music fills the room with light
```

**Inline ChordPro notation:**
```
[G]Strumming on my [C]guitar tonight
The [D]music fills the [G]room with light
```

**Tab notation:**
Fretlist renders guitar tab lines that appear below chord names, aligned in columns.

**Section headers:**
Use ## headers for sections: ## Intro, ## Verse, ## Chorus, ## Bridge, ## Outro. These power section navigation in Play Mode.

**ChordPro directives:**
{title: Song Title}, {artist: Artist Name}, {key: G}, {capo: 2}, {define: Cadd9 base-fret 1 frets x 3 2 0 3 3}, {instrument: ukulele}

## Links

- [Fretlist](https://fretlist.com): The app itself, and what it is for.
- [Documentation](https://fretlist.com/docs): Guides for every feature, written for musicians rather than developers.
- [Play Mode guide](https://fretlist.com/docs/play-mode): The full-screen performance view, auto-scroll, and Bluetooth pedal support.
- [Song editor guide](https://fretlist.com/docs/song-editor): Writing a song in either format, with live preview and syntax coloring.
- [Chord grids guide](https://fretlist.com/docs/grids): Charting a song as bars and chords, with no lyrics.
- [Import from Ultimate Guitar](https://fretlist.com/docs/import-from-ultimate-guitar): Bringing a library in from UG, one song or in bulk.
- [Ultimate Guitar to ChordPro converter](https://fretlist.com/tools/ultimate-guitar-to-chordpro): Free, no account, runs in the browser.
- [ChordPro converter](https://fretlist.com/tools/chordpro-converter): Converts a chords-over-lyrics sheet to ChordPro. Free, no account.
- [Blog](https://fretlist.com/blog): Articles on chord sheets, ChordPro, and playing live.
- [Changelog](https://fretlist.com/changelog): What shipped, and when.
- [Sign up](https://fretlist.com/login): Free to start, no card required.
- [Fretlist vs OnSong](https://fretlist.com/alternative/onsong): How the two compare, honestly.
- [Fretlist vs SongbookPro](https://fretlist.com/alternative/songbookpro): How the two compare.
- [Fretlist vs BandHelper](https://fretlist.com/alternative/bandhelper): How the two compare.
- [Full documentation as one file](https://fretlist.com/llms-full.txt): Every doc page concatenated, for deeper context.
- [Contact](mailto:hello@fretlist.com): A real person answers, usually the founder.

## Technical Details

- Web app (PWA), works in any browser, installable on mobile and desktop as an app
- Built with Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
- Hosted on Vercel
- Data stored in Supabase (Postgres) with row-level security
- Payments via Stripe
- AI-powered import via Claude (Anthropic)