Importing song data from a file or playlist
You can quickly enter songs into your database by importing them from a song list that you set up on your computer. You can watch a tutorial video, or read on for more details:
- Your list must be saved in a tab-delimited text format. You can create this format directly using Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac), or set up a spreadsheet in Excel or Numbers and save your file in this format when you're done.
- The file should contain eight basic columns in each row: Title, Artist, Style, Key, Time Signature, Tempo, Duration and Other. If you enter styles here that match styles you've already defined in your database, they will be imported; otherwise you can set the style in the app after importing. Durations should be entered as minutes and seconds separated by a colon (e.g., 3:15). You can use this sample file as a starting point (right-click and select the Download or Save File option).
- If you've copied charts to your device, you can specify their file names (including the file extensions) in a ninth column in your import file, and Set List Maker will attach the charts to the songs upon import.
- If you'd like to include additional notes for each song, you can add those in a tenth column in your import file. However, you cannot import more than one line of notes. You can enter more than one line of notes in the app after you finish your import.
- The file should be named import.txt. When the file is ready, you can email it to yourself, then tap the file in the email message and choose "Open in ... Set List Maker." Alternatively, you can copy the file to your device using the file sharing feature in iTunes: with your device connected, click it in the iTunes sidebar; then click the Apps tab for your device; then scroll down to the File Sharing section and click Set List Maker. For more info on iTunes File Sharing, click here.
- After copying your file, navigate to the Songs list in your database and tap the Import button at the top of the list, then choose "Import from a text file." Set List Maker will show you a preview of the data it's importing. You can review this to make sure your file is set up correctly before finishing the import.
In Set List Maker version 2.1 or newer, you can also enter songs by importing them from a playlist that you set up in iTunes (or an on-the-go playlist that you set up on your device). Read on for more details:
- Navigate to the Songs list in your database and tap the Import button at the top of the list, then choose "Import from a playlist." Select the desired playlist, then tap Done (iPhone/iPad) or tap elsewhere on the screen (iPad) to continue.
- Set List Maker will show you a preview of the data it's importing. If a song title in the playlist matches an existing song in your database, Set List Maker will not import that song. Duplicate songs will appear in gray text in the import preview window.
- Set List Maker will import the Title and Artist for each song, and link the song to the recording.
- If they are defined in iTunes, Set List Maker will import additional fields as follows: iTunes Genre to Set List Maker Style, if Genre matches an existing style; iTunes Beats Per Minute to Set List Maker Tempo; and iTunes Comments to Set List Maker Notes.
- After importing the songs, Set List Maker will create a new show using the playlist name, and will add all the imported songs to that show. (If a show with this name already exists, it will add the newly imported songs to that show.) This allows you to review the songs you just imported and add more data manually if needed. If you don't need to keep this show record, you can delete it without affecting the imported songs.
