What does SetBook do?

SetBook combines gig scheduling, setlist building, chart organization, pay tracking, and band collaboration in one app — so you don't need to juggle spreadsheets, group chats, and separate calendar apps.

How do I organize setlists for my band?

With SetBook, you build setlists by dragging songs from your chart library. You can override keys and add notes per gig without changing the originals, share setlists with bandmates, and switch to a clean stage view during performances.

SetBook starts with a free 2-week trial. A card is required to start it, but you aren't charged until the trial ends and can cancel anytime before then. After the trial, plans start at $9.99/month for individuals, with team plans available for bands and organizations.

Can I use SetBook on my phone or tablet?

Yes! SetBook is available on both web and iOS — iPhone and iPad. Your charts, setlists, and gigs sync across all your devices so you can prep at home and perform on stage.

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June 23, 2026

The Best Band Management Apps for Working Bands in 2026

Running a band is more than playing music — it's scheduling, setlists, charts, communication, and pay. Here are the best band management apps in 2026, compared.

By SetBook Team

Being in a working band means being part-musician, part-project-manager. Someone has to schedule the gigs, build the setlists, chase down who's available, share the charts, and make sure everyone gets paid. Do that across a group chat, a shared calendar, and a spreadsheet, and things fall through the cracks fast.

A good band management app pulls all of that into one place. Here are the best options in 2026, and who each one is for.

What "band management" actually involves

Before comparing apps, it helps to name the jobs a band manager (often just the bandleader) is actually doing:

Scheduling gigs — dates, venues, call times, load-in, set length.
Coordinating people — who's in for which gig, subs when someone's out, RSVPs.
Setlists and charts — the right songs in the right keys, shared so everyone's on the same page.
Communication — one source of truth instead of a 200-message group chat.
Money — what the gig pays, who owes what, and tracking it at tax time.

The best app for you depends on which of these you struggle with most.

1. SetBook

Best for: Bands that want gigs, setlists, charts, collaboration, and pay in one place

Platforms: Web and mobile

Price: $9.99/month (free 2-week trial)

SetBook is built around the full life of a gig, not just one slice of it. You schedule a show with its venue, call time, and pay, attach a setlist, invite the band, and track RSVPs — and everyone sees the same shared charts and setlists. If you run more than one project, you can keep each band's library separate.

Strengths:

Gig scheduling with call time, pay, and notes
Band invites by link, email, or SMS — bandmates RSVP without an account
Shared chart library with per-gig key overrides
Pay tracking with an earnings dashboard and CSV export
Works on web and mobile

Limitations:

No MIDI automation
No Android app yet

Try SetBook free

2. BandHelper

Best for: Bands whose live show runs on MIDI and automation

Platforms: iOS + Android

Price: Tiered subscriptions from ~$4.99/month

BandHelper handles setlists, lyric/chord display, and stage automation — MIDI patches, backing tracks, and lighting cues. It also has some scheduling and availability features for bands, which puts it closer to "management" than a pure performance app.

Strengths:

Deep MIDI and automation control
Setlists with auto-scroll and foot-pedal support
Some scheduling and member availability tools

Limitations:

No web app — mobile only
No pay tracking
Steeper learning curve

3. Muzodo

Best for: Bands that want a free, simple organizer

Platforms: Web

Price: Free

Muzodo is a free, web-based band organizer focused on setlists, song libraries, and event scheduling with member availability. If you want a no-cost way to get the band off a group chat, it's a reasonable starting point.

Strengths:

Free
Setlists, song database, and event calendar
Member availability tracking

Limitations:

Web only, dated interface
No pay tracking or gig invites with RSVP
Limited mobile experience

4. Master Tour

Best for: Touring acts and crews with a road manager

Platforms: Web + iOS + Android

Price: Subscription (built for professional touring)

Master Tour is the industry tool for professional touring — day sheets, itineraries, guest lists, contacts, and logistics for a whole crew. It's powerful, but it's aimed at acts with a dedicated road or tour manager, not a four-piece playing weekends.

Strengths:

Comprehensive tour logistics and day sheets
Built for crews and professional road management

Limitations:

Overkill (and overpriced) for local/regional bands
Not focused on setlists or charts
Complex to set up

5. The DIY stack (spreadsheet + group chat + calendar)

Best for: Brand-new bands testing whether they'll stick together

Platforms: Whatever you already use

Price: Free

Plenty of bands run on a shared spreadsheet, a group text, and a calendar. It costs nothing and everyone already knows how to use it. The catch: nothing talks to anything else, the setlist lives in one place and the pay in another, and the group chat never actually agrees on the date.

Strengths:

Free and familiar
No setup

Limitations:

Nothing is connected — details get lost between apps
No single source of truth
Falls apart as soon as you add subs, multiple gigs, or money

Quick comparison

| Feature | SetBook | BandHelper | Muzodo | Master Tour | DIY stack | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Gig scheduling | Yes | Some | Yes | Yes (tours) | Manual | | Setlists | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Manual | | Chart library | Yes | Lyrics/chords | Basic | Files | Scattered | | Band invites + RSVP | Yes | Limited | Availability | Crew | Group chat | | Pay tracking | Yes | No | No | No | Spreadsheet | | Web access | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Price | $9.99/mo | ~$4.99/mo+ | Free | $$$ | Free |

How to choose

You want the whole gig in one place (schedule, setlist, charts, invites, pay) → SetBook
Your live show runs on MIDI and cues → BandHelper
You want a free, basic organizer → Muzodo
You're touring with a road manager and a crew → Master Tour
You're a brand-new band just seeing if it sticks → the DIY stack (for now)

Most working bands outgrow the DIY stack the moment money and subs enter the picture. If that's you, SetBook was built to be the one place your band actually agrees on.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best free band management app? Muzodo is genuinely free for setlists and basic scheduling. SetBook is paid but includes a free 2-week trial, so you can run a few real gigs through it before deciding.

Do we need an app, or is a group chat enough? A group chat works until you're juggling multiple gigs, subs, charts, and pay. At that point the chat becomes the problem — nothing's findable and nobody agrees on the details. That's the gap a band management app closes.

How do band invites work in SetBook? You invite bandmates by link, email, or SMS, and they can RSVP to a gig without creating an account. You see who's in, who's out, and who hasn't answered.

Can it track what each member gets paid? SetBook tracks what a gig pays and lets you mark gigs paid, with a CSV export at tax time. For a deeper look, see How to get paid on time as a musician.

Ready to get your band organized? Start your free SetBook trial — free for two weeks, cancel anytime.