SongBook
4 | 245 ratings
Price: 19
Last update: 01-31-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- Wayne ShearerGreat App/Awesome SupportFirst of all, on a recent trip to Nashville, a performer there showed me her digital fakebook. It was the first time I ever heard of anything like that. When I perform locally, I usually do so with two 2-inch binders of songs. So when I returned, I looked for one that would be compatible with my new Kindle HDX 8.9. While other fakebook Android apps MAY run on the Kindle HDX, this one said it was optimized for it. So I downloaded it to my Kindle.
Now, this isn't just a page displayer that shows text, doc, or PDF files on your Kindle. This app actually imports "tabs". If you play guitar or perform, you know what a tab is: lyrics and chords. SongBook will import tabs in "text" format and convert them to the Chordpro format used internally. Sometimes Chordpro format is hard to come by, but standard tabs are not. However, I did find a Chordpro file full of most of the Christmas standards on-line.
Once you have your song imported and in Chordpro format, then Songbook comes to life. Need to play for a singer who sings in a different key? Songbook will transpose your chords for you...just select the key you need. Need to correct the errors that the person who wrote the tab included? Go to edit mode and correct it. Don't know how to play that D7-5 chord? Tap on the chord and a chord tab appears showing the proper fingering. Have that secret special chord that you play for your favorite song? You can edit a special chord tab for it and put it in your song. Want to play on a different instrument? Select one of 10 that are available. Even tablatures are available for you to document that special riff you use on the intro.
This app is available on several platforms besides Android/Kindle, including Mac and Windows. I also have the Windows version and I can use that to edit my songs as I want. Editing with a real keyboard and mouse/touchpad is often easier than on a smaller touch screen. Then I copy the song from my PC to my Kindle either through Dropbox, via USB cable, or with one of the Wi-Fi file transfer apps available. The songs are cross-platform compatible.
Do you play in public...or just for your family? It doesn't matter, because that's where SongBook really shines. You can separate you songs into "Song Lists" of your choosing, like, "Children's Songs", "Slow Songs", "Dance Songs", "Country Songs", etc. Songs can be sorted by Title or by the "Subtitle", which is usually used for the Songwriter and/or the original recording artist. Choosing a song is as simple as tapping on the list.
You can also auto-zoom your song so the whole song fits on the screen. Oh, have "old eyes" like I do...then zoom the screen to a size you like and let Songbook show all your songs in that size. Now, if the whole song doesn't fit on one screen, you are going to have to scroll down the page. Put a "tempo" command in your song and set "Accelerometer Scroll" and it will move down the page at the speed you need. Or, use a Bluetooth pedal to control the scrolling yourself. I happen to use the Cicada Page Flip Pedal...but there are others. There's even a flashing metronome if you need it.
So it's perfect, right? Ok, it's REAL good, but not quite perfect. It would be nice if there were a file containing the "User's Guide" that explained all the settings and options available. Even some of the information on the website is not current with the newest software update. But hey, the updates are free. It also wouldn't hurt if it could display text or doc or PDF files. While I wouldn't have the editing capabilities, it would let me move my current set of fakebooks over to SongBook a lot faster. But these are "wish list" items to me. The app I received is a solid 5 stars.
In my case I had one problem. I could zoom my song "view" page to the size I wanted, but could not get it to save that setting. Every time I brought up another song, it reverted to the single page mode. So, I sent LinkSoft a support request. Well, because I didn't explain my problem all that well, and it was in the middle of the holidays, it took several days and several emails to get the "problem" solved. In the end, the problem was "operator error". Somehow I had set a global setting that auto-zoomed all my songs. I wasn't aware of this setting, but LinkeSOFT support kept in touch with me until I was satisfied. That, my friends, is what you call SUPPORT!
So, if you perform, own an iOS, Android, or Kindle tablet, and want an electronic Fakebook, this should be at the top of your consideration list. It's an awesome app.
And about the commenters that gave negative reviews? Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I suspect they either just didn't understand what this app would do for them or didn't work with it long enough to learn to use it. You do not need wireless to read your songs. But you will have to import or write your own songs to allow SongBook to show you its stuff.
Have fun...and SING! - DebErneyDotCombeats any other songbook app. GREAT SUPPORT.YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE INTERNET ACCESS TO USE THIS PRODUCT. I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED ANY OF THE PROBLEMS LISTED BY SOME OF THE REVIEWS HERE. I play live using SONGBOOK and I always have access to my files even though there is no internet access. KEEP IN MIND that data input and file maintenance is going to be tricky on Kindle Fire. Even so, I was able to put my songbook files (over 300 songs) on bandmates Kindle Fire by using USB cable and dragging files from my Macbook Pro.
I started out with GUITARTAPP and couldn't get it to format some songs correctly and I couldn't get support for it. I emailed and went to facebook, as suggested by the app info, and no reply.
I saw songbook and thought I'd give it a try. All of these programs have a learning curve but the tech support for SONGBOOK emailed back, answering every question, explaining everything for me step by step.
SONGBOOK works as advertised and can be shared across platforms: Mac, Pc, Samsung tablet, Kindle Fire.
I love that I can edit SONGBOOK files on my Macbook then put them into the songbook directory of my choice, either on tablet, Kindle, or computer, without worries of corrupt data files or lost links, unlike some of the other programs I've tried. This is fairly straight forward and not as quarky as most of the other song book programs out there that have stringent rules for song naming, placement, and editing. I CANT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW GREAT TECH SUPPORT ON THIS PRODUCT was while I was setting it up and transferring song files. I have never gotten good support from android apps and was very pleasantly surprised with SONGBOOKs support and guidance teaching me the finer details of this product.
best money I ever shelled out for an APP and computer program. I bought this program for Kindle, Android, and Macbook. SONGBOOK syncs perfectly between the three with the built in dropbox sync or drop and drag files with USB connection and even SD card transfer. - MattyHas Possibilities!First let me say that their customer service is amazing. Swift responses to multiple questions multiple times in a very pleasant and informative manner. I use OnSong for iPad. I was looking for something similar on the Kindle (Fire HD8) and was recommended this app. I emailed about whether you can sync a dropbox account for files (yes, limited), can you invert the colors for dark stages (told yes, haven't figured it out yet), and could a bluetooth enabled pedal be used to scroll (yes, haven't gotten there yet).
Downloaded the app, was proceeding to sync my dropbox which was so intuitive and couldn't. Most of my lyrics were saved as .docx files that I've edited and/or created through MS Word. Songbook won't accept that file so I now have to convert to pdf which is fine but when synced the pdf's are not sizable, which I mean I can't zoom in or out. Really not optimal or usable. So for my needs this is not the most user friendly app. I had hopes that this would be a workaround but it just doesn't fit the bill. - SBCIrreplaceable... the only app of it's kind.Absolutely Irreplaceable.
Have used it for years. The App versions are much more feature packed than the desktop versions. In fact. I run Bluestacks on my PC then run the Android version so that I can get the same fearure.
Flawless app, Most every pro musician I know keeps original music ideas on it as well as vast collections of covers making it a Real Book style Fake book.
Yes it has an antiquated interface and it's not pretty. but....No memory hogging graphics no unnecessary CGI, it's a text driven program that rules the industry. Pay for good software and quit wanting everything for free.