Band in a Box user guide

The welcome page

Open Band in a Box signed out and you see the welcome page, with Start a new band and Log in. Joining a friend's band? Skip it and open the invite link they sent you.

The menu bar

• The logo (top left) takes you to your band's home page. In several bands, it opens About Band in a Box, where Go to my band picks up where you left off.
• by A&R Guru, under the logo, goes to the A&R Guru home page.
• Guide opens this page.
• Signed out: Log in. Signed in: Menu (My band or My bands, About Band in a Box, Guide, A&R Guru home) and Log out, with "Signed in as your name" so you know which account this is.
• Log out brings you back to the Band in a Box welcome page.

The step bar and your band's home page

On each step the top says "Step N of 5", with numbered buttons: 1 About you 2 Songs 3 Invite 4 Vote 5 Set list. Tap any step you've already reached to go back to it.

Tap the logo for your band's home page: the band name, the jam session, Continue where you left off, and every step marked Open, Done or Not yet.

In more than one band

Each band has its own songs, votes and set list. Tap Switch band (the band name next to "Step N of 5"), pick a band under My bands in the Menu, or use the Your bands card on the band's home page.

Getting back from the A&R Guru home page

On the main A&R Guru site, tap Band in a Box in the left sidebar, or use the Your Band in a Box bands card on your home page: each band shows where it is, a Continue button, and a button for each step you can open.

1Step 1: Start your band

1. Tap Start a new band.
2. Fill in Your name, Email and Password (or tap Log in in the note at the top if you have an account).
3. Under What do you play?, check everything you play. Singers, check Vocals.
4. Band name: type one, or leave it blank and we'll call it your first name's Jam Band.
5. Band email (optional): a shared address, if the band has one. Fans' messages go there.
6. Tap Start my band.

Verify your email

The page says "Check your inbox to verify your email." Open the email Verify your A&R Guru email address and tap Verify My Email. Leave Band in a Box open: it moves on to Step 2 by itself (or tap Continue to your songs).

Typo? Edit Email Address, then Save and resend. Nothing after a minute? Check Junk or Spam, then Resend the link.

2Step 2: Your songs

1. Find a song: type a title or artist, then tap the song row to add it. Adding a song counts as your first 👍.
2. Can't find it? Type it in: enter the Title and Artist and tap Add.
3. Add from your library: check songs you saved before and tap Add the ticked songs.
4. Each song shows its length and a green ▶ button for a 30-second preview. The red trash button removes a song, with Undo.
5. Tap Next: invite your friends. (Came back to add a song? The button takes you back to where you were, for example Done: back to voting.)

3Step 3: Invite your friends

Your band has one invite link for everyone. Text it to the group chat.

1. No link yet? Tap Get your invite link to text friends.
2. Tap Copy Invite Link to Text Friends, or Share… on a phone, and paste it into your text.

The link works at least two weeks, and always until the day after your jam. Move the jam later and the link stretches to match by itself.

When and where do you play? (optional)

Pick the Date and Time from the calendar and clock, type the Place, and tap Set the jam. To move it, change the fields and tap Change the jam. The jam shows on the invite, the join page, the voting page and the band email.

Prefer email?

Under Or email them an invite, edit Your letter, add Friends' email addresses, and tap Send invites. Tapped Set the jam first? Your addresses are kept, and the page says your invites have NOT been sent yet until you tap Send invites.

Who's in so far shows each friend as Sent, Joined, or Not reached, try again (with Try again). Then tap Go to song voting room; you don't have to wait there.

4Step 4: Agree on songs

Until a friend joins, the page shows your songs so far ("Voting opens as soon as one friend joins"), with Add or change songs, your invite link to copy or share, and who has joined.

As soon as one friend joins, voting opens:

• Tap 👍 or 👎 on each song. Tap the other thumb to change your vote.
• The list sorts itself, most 👍 at the top. Each song says who suggested it.
• There is no voting deadline.
• Add more songs, Send email to your band, and when the band has had its say, Next: make the set list.

Your band is ready

After the set list goes out, step 5 shows the jam, the Lineup, the numbered Set list with its total time, and your next gig. From there:

• Suggest another song. Once the band votes it in, the leader sees Add to set list, then confirms and emails the update.
• Suggest a musician to the leader (members).
• Send email to your band, Rehearse this set, Open live mode, Print set list, Download PDF.
• Members: Make leader, Remove, Leave the band (a leader hands over leadership first).