Setlist Builder
Build your setlist, manage your time, and walk into every show and rehearsal with a plan. Add your songs, set your time limit, and drag to reorder.
Set details
Are you planning for a live show or a full rehearsal run-through?
Live show tips
Most venues give opening acts 20-30 minutes and headliners 40-60. Always plan 2-3 minutes shorter than your allotted time — sound checks run late, transitions take longer than you think, and going over your time is one of the fastest ways to burn a relationship with a venue. Budget 10-20 seconds between songs for tuning, banter, or just letting the room breathe.
No songs yet. Add your first song to start building your set.
Open strong, close stronger
Industry Standard
Professional touring acts open with a high-energy song that immediately grabs attention, then build through the set to a peak at the end. The second song is often the weakest slot — it's where energy dips after the opening excitement.
Independent Artist Move
For a short set (20-30 min), you can't afford a slow build. Open with your most energetic or recognizable song. Close with your absolute best. If you only have 5-6 songs, make the last one the one people remember.
Energy flow matters
Industry Standard
Think of your set as a wave, not a straight line. Pros plan deliberate valleys (a slower song mid-set) so the peaks hit harder. Three high-energy songs in a row can actually flatten the energy because there's no contrast.
Independent Artist Move
Try the 'W' shape: high, dip, high, dip, highest. Even with 4-5 songs, one mid-energy or slower song in position 2 or 3 makes the closer feel massive. Tag each song's energy level above to visualize your flow.
Time your transitions
Industry Standard
Dead air kills momentum. The best live bands have a plan for every gap — tuning happens while the vocalist talks, the drummer keeps a groove going during guitar changes, or there's a pre-planned segue between songs.
Independent Artist Move
If you're tuning between songs, have the vocalist ready with 10 seconds of stage talk. Or have a band member keep a simple pulse going. Practice transitions in rehearsal as much as you practice the songs — the space between songs is where amateur sets fall apart.
Know your venue slot
Industry Standard
Opening acts get the shortest time and the coldest crowd. Headliners have more freedom to take risks. Your position on the bill should change how you structure your set — openers should hit hard and fast, headliners can breathe more.
Independent Artist Move
If you're opening, cut your set to your 4-5 strongest songs and leave them wanting more. Never go over time. The sound engineer, the venue, and the headliner will all remember — and that reputation follows you.