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The Live Logger

The live logger is the screen you use to record tunes during a session. It's built for a phone on your knee in a noisy pub: type a few letters and the tune matches instantly, everything saves as you go (there's no save button), and it keeps working when the Wi-Fi doesn't.

It's also multi-user: several people can log the same session at once, and everyone sees each other's changes live.

Getting There

Open a session log from the session's Logs tab (or the home page's "continue logging" shortcut for a log you're mid-way through). The header shows the session name and date — tap it to expand for notes, attendance, and the "mark complete" control. The ⮐ arrow next to the session name takes you back to the session's home page.

Logging Tunes

  • Type a tune name in the box at the bottom. Matches appear instantly as you type — tap one, or press Enter to take the top match.
  • Likely next tune - When you're at the end of a set, the logger suggests the tune that usually comes next in this session's sets. Tap it to log it, or the × to dismiss the suggestion.
  • End set - Tap the yellow End set button when the set finishes. The next tune you log starts a new set.
  • Unmatched names are fine - If a name doesn't match anything, choose Log "…" as-is. It's saved as text, and you (or anyone else) can link it to a real tune later.
  • Paste a whole night - Paste text into the entry box: commas separate tunes within a set, line breaks start new sets. Each name is matched just as if you'd typed it.

Searching Deeper

If the quick match doesn't find your tune, tap Search 🔍 (or the 🔍 on any quick result to take a closer look at it first). The full search can:

  • Search the catalog by name or by ABC notes (e.g. type "GED" to find a tune by its opening notes), with a tune-type filter
  • Search thesession.org for tunes not in the catalog yet
  • Import from a pasted thesession.org URL or tune ID

Tapping a result opens a preview: full notation, alternate settings you can page through, aliases, and how often it's been played at this session. Use the ‹ › arrows to compare candidates, then confirm to log it — or use the ＋ on the result card to skip the preview and add in one tap. If you page to a particular setting in the preview, that setting is saved with the tune.

Fixing Things

Tap a tune row to select it, revealing its actions:

  • ⓘ Info - Open the tune's detail drawer (notation, your list status, history, stats)
  • ✎ Edit - Re-pick the match, rename, or unlink
  • 🗑 Remove - Delete the tune from the log
  • ↑ / ↓ - Insert a tune above or below this one

Rows marked ⚠ unlinked are text-only — edit them to link them to a catalog tune. Between tunes and sets you'll see seams with Split and Join pills for reorganizing sets in place.

Sets are labeled by tune type ("Reels", "Jigs", or "Mixed"). Tap the label to open the set's tray, showing who logged it and — if your session tracks set starters — a Started by control to note who kicked it off.

Logging Together

  • Presence circles in the header show who's currently on the log, by their initials. Each person gets a color, and tunes are tinted by who added them.
  • Toasts announce what others do ("Mary added The Silver Spear"), and you'll see changes appear in place immediately.
  • If two people log the same tune in the same set at nearly the same time, the logger merges them and tells you (you can keep both if it really was played twice).
  • The expanded header lets you edit session notes and — if your session tracks attendance — see and manage who's checked in.

Finding a Tune in the Log

Scroll to the very top of the list to reveal the pull-down filter bar. Typing filters the log live to sets containing a matching tune, with the match highlighted. Tap Done Searching to clear it. This works in view mode and on completed logs too.

Selection Mode

The ☑ button on the filter bar enters selection mode. Tap rows to select them (or use Select all), then use the bottom bar:

  • Copy / Paste - Move tunes between spots, or copy a set as plain text you can paste anywhere (lines = sets, commas = tunes)
  • Delete - Bulk remove, with an Undo toast
  • Assign - Set the "started by" person for the selected sets
  • ⠿ drag bar - Drag a selection to a new spot; drop zones appear at the seams, including "new set" zones at the ends

My-List Highlight (★)

The ★ button on the filter bar colors every tune in the log by your learning status (learned / learning / want to learn / not on your list) — handy for spotting which of tonight's tunes you should learn next. If you play multiple instruments you can scope it to one. While it's on, selection mode gains a My list button to bulk-add the selected tunes to your list at a chosen status.

View Mode & Completing a Log

Tap Done when you finish logging to switch to read-only view mode; tap ✎ Edit log to go back. In view mode you can browse, filter, open tune details, and copy — without any risk of nudging the log. When the night is fully logged, use Mark this log complete in the expanded header; a completed log hides the editing controls (and can be re-opened later if needed).

On a Computer

On wider screens the logger adds a second pane with the always-visible tune search and the "usually next" suggestion, and everything works from the keyboard:

  • Type to search; Enter logs the top match; ↑ / ↓ walk the match list
  • ↑ / ↓ (with nothing focused) move the insertion cursor through the log; Enter splits or joins sets at the cursor, or ends the set at the live end; Space jumps back to the entry box
  • / jumps to the search pane from anywhere
  • Cmd/Ctrl+C, V, A and Delete work in selection mode
  • In search: Enter previews, Enter again confirms, Cmd/Ctrl+Enter adds without previewing, ← / → step through results, Esc backs out

Working Offline

The logger keeps working when the signal drops. Changes are saved on your device and marked offline on the row; a banner shows how many are queued, and everything syncs automatically when you reconnect. The connection dot (top right) tells the story: green = live, orange = offline with changes queued, pulsing = reconnecting/syncing. Tap it for details — how long you've been offline, what's queued, and which server is unreachable if something's wrong. On the rare occasion an offline change can't be applied after reconnecting (usually because someone else edited the same tune first), the logger shows you exactly which changes didn't stick.

See Working Offline for how the rest of the app behaves without a connection.

Reading a Log Without an Account

Session logs are public. Anyone can open a session date and read what was played, set by set — no account needed. That view is read-only: there's no entry box and nothing about people (who was there, who logged what, who started a set) — that's for members of the session. While a session is actually under way, the public view updates live as tunes are logged; once it's over, it's a static page.

Switching Loggers

The live logger is what you get by default — open any session date and you're in it. The old pill editor is still there for now, but the only way to reach it is to switch on your profile page: look for Tune logger under Account Information and choose Use classic editor. The same setting switches you back. If something isn't working for you in the live logger, please get in touch — the classic editor is on its way out.