Creating a New Song

Adding songs to Song7 is straightforward. Fill in the basics, paste in your lyrics and chords, and save. Here's how.

Shortcut: Import from a Photo (Beta)

If you already have the song on paper or a printed chord sheet, you don't have to type it all out. On the Create New page, click "Import from Photo", then take or upload a photo of the sheet. Song7 reads the image and fills in the title, author, key, chords, and lyrics for you — just review the result and save.

Best results come from a clear, flat, well-lit photo (JPG or PNG, max 5MB). The extraction is smart but not perfect, so always check it before saving. Your photo is sent to Google for processing and isn't stored afterward.

Prefer to type it in yourself? Keep reading.

The Basics

When you click Create New, you'll see these fields:

Title - The song name

Written By - The author or songwriter

Key - What key the song is in (C, G, D, etc.)

Time Signature - Usually 4/4, but could be 3/4, 6/8, etc.

Tempo - Beats per minute (BPM)

Tags - Categories like "Easter," "upbeat," "children's song" (Type a tag and press Enter to add it)

Song Content - The Important Part

This is where your lyrics and chords go.

How to Format

Chords go above the lyrics where they're played:

[Verse 1]
    C        F
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
     Am         G
That saved a wretch like me

Section labels use square brackets:

• [Verse 1]
• [Chorus]
• [Bridge]
• [Pre-Chorus]
• [Intro]

Comments start with # and won't show in presentations:

# Original key was D
# We play it in C with capo 2

Full Example

# Key of C, moderate tempo

[Verse 1]
    C        F
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
     Am         G
That saved a wretch like me

[Chorus]
    C           F
I once was lost but now am found
    Am        G       C
Was blind but now I see

Tips for Clean Formatting

Align your chords - Put them right above where they change

Use blank lines - Separate sections for readability

Be consistent - If you use Verse 1, use Verse 2, not Verse Two

Comments are your friend - Note anything the team should know

Notes Section

Below the song content, there's a rich text editor for notes:

• Rehearsal tips
• Links to reference recordings
• Special instructions
• Arrangement details

Advanced Metadata

Click to expand the advanced section if you want to add:

• Subtitle
• Album
• Year
• Genre
• Composer (if different from writer)
• Lyricist
• Copyright info
• CCLI number
• Duration
• Difficulty level
• Arrangement notes
• Transcriber name

You don't need all of these - just use what's helpful.

Save and Done

Hit Save and your song is in the library. Your team can see it, use it in sets, and everyone stays on the same page.

Quick Reference

Good formatting:

[Verse 1]
    C        F
Amazing grace how sweet

Works, but not ideal:

C F
Amazing grace how sweet

Section labels:[Verse 1], [Chorus], [Bridge], [Intro], [Outro]

Comments:# Note to team: Play softly on verse 1

Attachments & notation

Beyond the chord chart, you can attach files to a song. Open the song for editing (you must be an editor); you'll find two tabs in the form:

• Attachments — upload a PDF or image (a chord chart, scanned sheet music, or a phone photo of a paper chart). Files are stored as-is.
• Notation — upload one or more MusicXML files to display engraved staff notation rendered in the app. Add several (e.g. one per instrument) and give each a label like "Piano" or "Guitar"; readers pick which to view. You can create or export MusicXML from tools like MuseScore (free), Flat.io, Noteflight, or Soundslice, or via Export → MusicXML in Finale/Sibelius. When viewing, a Transpose control shifts the notation up or down by semitones, and a download button saves the MusicXML file back to your device (e.g. to edit it in MuseScore).

When reading a song, these appear as Attachments and Notation tabs below the chart — view only, no editing. When there are several files, a selector lets you view one at a time (with a Show all option). A new song must be saved first before you can attach files.

When a song is added to a set, the set shows the same files — they're shared from the original, so there's one place to keep them up to date.

Notation is stored with the song and is available offline (handy on stage with patchy wifi). Attachment files (PDF/image) need a connection to upload, and a file you haven't opened before may not be available offline. MusicXML files must be under ~900 KB.

Music references

Songs often have several recordings worth listening to — the studio version, a live take, a specific artist's arrangement. Open the song for editing and use the References tab to add them:

• YouTube — type in the search box and pick a result; the video is added with its title and thumbnail.
• Spotify and Apple Music — open the song in that service, copy its share link, and paste it into the References tab (optionally add your own label).

Add as many as you like, including multiple of the same service for different versions. When reading a song, a References tab appears below the chart with an embedded player for each, so you can listen without leaving the app (an Open link is always there as a fallback). A new song must be saved first before you can add references.

Related

• Song Library - Manage all your songs
• Adding Songs Guide - More details on importing and organizing

Good formatting now means smooth performances later. Take an extra minute to get it right.