smartphone synonyms

I’m always looking for ways to increase my efficiency AND capture my songwriting ideas on the fly. When I had a few extra minutes one day, I was browsing through the App store for songwriting apps and ended up downloading…

‘Songwriter Lite’.

I have to say, I am quite enjoying it! There was a recent update on the free version that limits the number of songs you can create to 5. Whereas the previous version had no restrictions. I guess you can’t blame the guys for wanting to get paid for a great app.

I find myself using the app regularly. In fact, I came out with a song idea while I was out for dinner. The app allows you to break out each section, record audio for each section and rhyme on the fly. Of course you may have to run to the restroom if you’re getting too many funny looks from fellow restaurant diners.

Pros

Portable!
Chord picker feature allows you to choose your key, then when you go to add a chord, gives you all the relevant chords in that key!
Let’s you add your own tab by displaying guitar string diagram
Automatically backs up to your dropbox account
Records separate audio for each section if required
Built in rhyming dictionary… use it by selecting the word and hitting the right-arrow over to eligible rhymes or synonyms or other dictionary items.
Can send yourself or your co-writer a version of the song you are working on.

Cons

Limit to 5 songs unless you upgrade to Pro/Full version for $5.99
Can take up space pretty quickly on a small memory smartphone
Difficult to switch to chord charts for other instruments.
Have to single tap to view menu that’s normally hidden by the ads at the top of the screen (took me a minute to figure that one out)

A few other things to note, it took me a minute to figure out that you needed to tap once on the screen in View/Edit mode to get the ads at the top to disappear. Otherwise the ads block the menu for adding new chords, skipping to the next section etc.

And it took it me minute to figure out how to use the rhyming dictionary. You have to select only the specific word you want… then tap the right arrow next to cut/copy/paste options that come up in order to access the dictionary, synonyms and rhyming dictionary. No big deal, just be ready for it.

Overall

It always seems like $5.99 is a huge cost in the land of apps. I have found that once in awhile, skipping my weekly Starbucks and purchasing an App such as this one… makes my life so much simpler. I have been looking for a way to record my ideas into one place, on the fly. If you are a serious songwriter or just looking for a way to simplify your life. This is certainly an excellent option.

There is also a Mac store version for $9.99 which I have not used. Frankly, I probably won’t. I find the easy of my iPhone’s portability much easier plus I’m not sure that the Mac and iPhone version sync together… which makes it useless in my world.

Do what I do… ask everyone for gift cards to the App store for Christmas and birthdays!

Check it out Songwriter Lite in the App store here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/songwriter-lite-songwriting/id447771549?mt=8

Or the full version at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/songwriter-songwriting-made/id422227894?mt=8

Try it out and let me know what you think!