Quick update to my recommendation for OnSong for iPad lyrics....

[baimun]

I've been running OnSong for more than a decade and it works great.... you start with a text file with lyrics and then there are notation tools to put the chords in different color text above the lyrics, and can even do things like transpose all the chords of the song if you set up the page properly and then transpose.

Flash forward to my new iPad purchase... I went to put the latest version of OnSong 2026 and they've gone to a monthly subscription model. Fuck that shit in it's fucking face.... it's a goddamn text notebook... the fuck I'm going to pay for that shit forever....

So after much digging, I found out that if you paid for an app (I paid $20 years ago for the fully licensed "OnSong 2020" version) you can reinstall from your "previously purchased" settings. It took a while to figure out that I set up my old ipad with an old email address and my Mac and current phone are on a newer email. After a bunch of googling and cursing I got the accounts merged and restored.

I won't get any new software updates... I'm stuck with OnSong 2020 but I restored the app along with my entire songbook and groups of setlists from the cloud, so it's good for my needs.


So long story short.... I hesitate to recommend OnSong going forward unless they go back to a pay once model or if you've previously purchased the software for a different device. Maybe I'll have to test my hand at writing a competitor.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

I tried using Onsong on my Ipad for lyrics but I'm too old to read the screen and I didn't wanna try blowing up the font and trying some scrolling contraption. I need a giant teleprompter and a guy to run it.
So I just went back to paper and a music stand.
Most of the time I only need it for a memory jog of the next line and to keep the arrangement straight. So I can usually get by with only a few words per line, make the print really big and bold, and keep the entire song on one sheet of paper. I've never been able to retain lyrics entirely in memory with more than a couple of verses, 3 at most. For instance I sing Truckin' in my duo and even though Ive heard the song a a million times I'll still leave out verses, screw up the order, or forget where the bridge goes.
I figure people would rather see an old fart with a music stand than endure a fkd up rendition.
I'm too old to give a sht about how it looks. Heres a pic of our gig yesterday evening providing background music for the card players at the Eagles Lodge. We made a whole $37 in tips and it paid for our gas and beverages. We're big time now.

 

[baimun]

I tried using Onsong on my Ipad for lyrics but I'm too old to read the screen and I didn't wanna try blowing up the font and trying some scrolling contraption. I need a giant teleprompter and a guy to run it.
So I just went back to paper and a music stand.
Most of the time I only need it for a memory jog of the next line and to keep the arrangement straight....

There are several of my songs that I have the version of the song I use for my set list and then the full version of the song....

... particularly with long songs (I hate having to reach over to scroll during a song) so I'll put the chords at the top, the first line of each verse, a reminder of the bridge, and whatever notes I need like any mashups in the middle.

My old eyes are like yours.... I can get the reminder before the song starts and then maybe a glance between sections, but I can't really read it and play at the same time.

 

[baimun]

Pro Tip: If you do use the abbreviated version of a song in your set list, or one with only the words but no chords.... always make sure you also have the full version with the chords.

At our last practice, we added 3 new songs and revived 2 that we haven't played in years.... one of the old songs I had nada-zip-zero record of the chords or lyrics... and the other one I only had the lyrics but had to relearn the chords and what key we do it in. Not shitting you, we stumbled our way through it in three different keys... the second time I thought it was right until we got to the key change at the end. "Nope... I'm singing the first part in the end key... " (moves capo down a full step)