Migrate from Setlist Helper to Band Central

Band Central is the next generation of Setlist Helper, with cloud sync, band collaboration, and a modern interface. This guide walks you through importing your existing Setlist Helper data into Band Central.

Get Band Central

Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
Use on theWeb

Important

The import from Setlist Helper can only be performed once per band. Data created in Band Central does not sync back to Setlist Helper. Once you begin using Band Central, consider your Setlist Helper data separate and inactive.

Part 1: Import Your Songs, Setlists, and Lyrics

This is the core import step. It brings your songs, setlists, lyrics text, and all metadata from your Setlist Helper account into Band Central.

  1. Step 1: Create a Band Central Account

    Sign up or sign in at bandcentral.com or on the Band Central app (iOS or Android) using Google Sign-In or Apple Sign-In.

  2. Step 2: Create a Band

    After signing in, go to Bands and create a new band. This band will be the home for all of your imported Setlist Helper data. Give it any name you like — you can rename it later.

    Bands page with Create Band button

  3. Step 3: Go to the Bands Page on the Website

    Open bandcentral.com/bands in your browser. You should see the band you just created.

    Bands page showing band card with Import button

  4. Step 4: Click Import

    On your band card, click the "Import from Setlist Helper" button. This opens the import dialog.

    Login to Setlist Helper dialog with username and password fields

  5. Step 5: Enter Your Setlist Helper Credentials

    Enter your setlisthelper.com username and password.

    Use your username, not your email address

    Your Setlist Helper username is what you use to log in at setlisthelper.com. If you are unsure of your username, log in to setlisthelper.com and check your account settings. If you need help with your credentials, contact support.

  6. Step 6: Complete the Import

    Click Import and wait for the process to complete. All of your songs, setlists, lyrics text, tags, and metadata will be imported into your Band Central band.

    Import events log showing successful completion

No files to connect?

If your songs do not have audio files or document attachments (PDFs, images, ChordPro files), you are done! Your migration is complete. Skip to After Migration to verify your data.

Part 2: Connect Your Document and Audio Files

The Setlist Helper import brings in your song data, lyrics text, and metadata, but document files (PDFs, images, ChordPro files) and audio files (MP3s, WAVs) need to be connected separately. There are two approaches depending on where your files are stored.

Option A: Your Files Are in Dropbox

If your Setlist Helper documents and audio were sourced from Dropbox, the quickest approach is to use Update Dropbox Files.

  1. Open the Band Central App

    Open Band Central on your iOS or Android device. Make sure you are signed in and your band is selected.

  2. Connect to Dropbox

    If you haven't already, go to Settings > Dropbox and sign in to your Dropbox account.

  3. Update Dropbox Files

    Go to Songs, tap the menu (three dots), and choose Update Dropbox Files. Band Central will scan your Dropbox for files that match your imported song data and connect them automatically.

    Apple iPad (iOS)iOS Songs menu showing Update Dropbox Files option
    AndroidAndroid Songs menu showing Update Dropbox Files option

  4. Verify Your Files

    Open a few songs and check that their documents and audio files are attached and playable. If some files are missing, proceed to Option B below.

Try this option first

If all your files were in Dropbox, Update Dropbox Files should connect everything. Only proceed to Option B if files are missing after this step.

Option B: Export from Setlist Helper, Then Import into Band Central

If your files are stored locally on your device, or if Update Dropbox Files didn't connect all your files, follow these steps to export your data from Setlist Helper and import it into Band Central.

Step 1: Export from Setlist Helper

  1. Open Setlist Helper on your iOS or Android device.

  2. Go to Songs, tap the three-dot menu in the upper right, and choose Export.

    Below is the Setlist Helper app Songs view with the menu open:

    iOSSetlist Helper iOS Songs menu showing Export option
    AndroidSetlist Helper Android Songs menu showing Export option

  3. Choose Dropbox as the export destination.

    Strongly recommended

    Export to an empty Dropbox folder so that your Setlist Helper files are not mixed with other data. This makes the import into Band Central cleaner and faster. If you export to a folder that already contains files, those files will be comingled with your exported data. When you later import this folder into Band Central, the extra files could result in unwanted songs being created.

  4. Wait for the export to complete. All your documents and audio files will be uploaded to Dropbox.

Step 2: Import into Band Central

iOS (iPhone / iPad)

  1. Open Band Central on your iOS device.

  2. Go to Songs, tap the menu (three dots), and choose Import.

    iOS Songs menu showing Import option

  3. Choose Dropbox as the import source and navigate to the folder where you exported your Setlist Helper data.

  4. Select the files you want to import and tap Import. Band Central will match files to your songs by filename and connect them automatically.

Alternatively, use File Sharing (local files)

If you prefer not to use Dropbox, you can copy your files to Band Central via Apple File Sharing (Finder on Mac or iTunes on Windows). Then use Songs > Menu > Import and choose File Sharing to connect your local files.

Android

  1. Open Band Central on your Android device.

  2. Go to Songs, tap the menu (three dots), and choose Import.

    Android Songs view with menu

  3. Choose Dropbox as the import source and navigate to the folder where you exported your Setlist Helper data.

  4. Select the files you want to import and tap Import.

Using local files on Android

If you prefer not to use Dropbox, you can place your files on your device and import the folder. On Android 10 and later, imported files are copied into the directory that Android allocates for the Band Central app. This means a duplicate of your files will be created. You can safely remove the original files from your device after import if you need to free up storage space.

Supported File Types

Documents

  • PDF (.pdf)
  • Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
  • Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)
  • Plain Text (.txt, .rtf)
  • Apple iWork (.pages, .numbers, .keynote)

Images

  • PNG (.png)
  • JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
  • GIF (.gif)
  • HEIC (.heic)

ChordPro

  • .pro
  • .chopro
  • .chordpro

Audio

  • MP3 (.mp3)
  • WAV (.wav)
  • AIFF (.aiff, .aif)
  • AAC / Apple (.m4a)

Audio files require manual linking

Audio files are imported and stored on your device but must be linked to a specific lyric manually from the lyric edit screen. Once linked, you can use Import to reconnect your audio files if they become unlinked from the lyrics later.

Document files are automatically matched to an existing lyric if the filename matches (case insensitive). If no matching file is found in the database, a new song and lyric will be created using the filename as the song title.

After Migration

After completing the import, take a few minutes to verify your data:

  • Check that all your songs and setlists appear in Band Central
  • Open a few songs and verify that lyrics text imported correctly
  • Check that documents (PDFs, images) are attached to the correct songs
  • Confirm that audio files are playable
  • Invite your band members to join using your band's invite code

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Will importing to Band Central wipe my songs from Setlist Helper?No. The import from Setlist Helper to Band Central is a one-way copy. Your Setlist Helper data remains completely untouched. You can continue using Setlist Helper while you transition to Band Central. However, any changes you make in Band Central will not sync back to Setlist Helper, so at some point you will want to switch over to Band Central as your primary app.
  • Import button not showing?Make sure you are the band owner. Only band owners can import data. The import is done on the website at bandcentral.com, not in the app.
  • "Invalid credentials" error?Make sure you are using your Setlist Helper username, not your email address. Your username is what you use to log in at setlisthelper.com. If you still can't log in, contact support for account help.
  • Documents or audio files not attached?The initial import only brings in song data and lyrics text. Documents and audio files must be connected separately using Update Dropbox Files or the Import option (see Part 2 above).
  • Some Dropbox files not found?Make sure the files are still in the same Dropbox folder and that Band Central has access to your Dropbox account (Settings > Dropbox). If files were moved or renamed in Dropbox, they may not match automatically. If you need further assistance, contact support.
  • Can I import again?The Setlist Helper import can only be done once per band. If you need to re-import, create a new band and perform the import into that band.
  • Can I go back to Setlist Helper?Data created in Band Central does not sync back to Setlist Helper. The two systems are completely separate after import.