The manual

Cobander is a sketchpad for your whole band. Everyone records, writes, mixes and practices on their own computer. The song lives in one folder the band already shares. This manual is written for people who have never used recording software.

Setup, in one breath

1. Open Cobander and type your name. Bandmates see it on the takes you record.
2. Click ⚙ and point Cobander at a folder inside the cloud folder your band shares (Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive or Dropbox). A new folder is fine: Band stuff / Cobander.
3. Every bandmate does the same, with the same folder. That's it. Songs, takes, chords and words show up for everyone within seconds.
4. If the band has a license, Cobander asks who you are from the names on it — pick yourself and, if you like, a nickname to show. Use Cobander on a second computer and pick the same name: your tracks and songs are yours there too, nobody's locked out by their own home PC. (⚙ → Who are you in the band? changes it.)

The first time you open it

• Windows shows "Windows protected your PC". Click More info, then Run anyway. That's SmartScreen not recognising a new installer. It happens once.
• Mac: the first open says Apple can't check it. Click Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway. (On macOS 14 and older, right-click the app → Open works too.) After that it opens normally.
• Cobander then asks for two things before the first song: your name and the band's shared folder. Both live under ⚙ (Settings).
• The first time you record, your computer asks for microphone permission. Say yes.

The five screens

Cobander is split into five screens, one for each stage of making a song. Pick one at the top, or press Ctrl+1 to 5 (Cmd on a Mac). Nothing is lost when you move between them.

• WriteThe song: parts, takes, lyrics, chords, notes, ideas, the Parts bin, History and Versions.
• RecordPick your input, hear yourself, punch in, tune up, see the takes on the selected track.
• MixEach track's volume, left/right position and effects. Auto mix and Auto master do a first pass.
• PracticeFull screen: lyrics and chords as they come, loop parts, slow down, take yourself out of the mix, Show mode, your phone.
• BandThe band's level, the setlist, the boss battle, who's done what, Loose ends, who's rehearsing.

Everything else

• TogetherThe shared folder, locks, presence, @mentions, the Band feed, the phone page.
• Free & licensesWhat's free, what a key does, how to enter one, what to do if you lose it.
• Keyboard shortcutsEvery key, in one place.
• TroubleshootingSmartScreen, no mic, a locked song, a folder that won't sync, a key that isn't accepted.

Help is built in

• Hover anything in Cobander for a plain-English tip.
• Press F1 (or the ? button at the top right) for help mode: little ? marks appear on everything and tips show instantly.
• Press F1 again for the glossary, the words that trip people up (track, take, bar, click, latency, comp…).
• Press ? for the keyboard shortcut sheet.

How updates work

• Cobander updates itself. It checks the band folder (and GitHub) every 10 minutes, or right now when you click Check for updates under ⚙.
• When a new version is out, a blue Update bar appears across the top of the window. It says which version is ready and which you have.
• Click Update now. Cobander saves your song, downloads the update, checks it, then closes and reopens by itself. What's new shows the changes; Later hides the bar for now.
• If the bar says it is still "waiting for Google Drive" (or your cloud), the new version is still syncing to your computer. Check again once it has.
• Updates are free and never required. A bandmate on an older version still sees your songs.

Words you'll see a lot

• Track: one instrument or voice. A song is a stack of tracks playing together.
• Take: one recording on a track. Keep several and pick the best.
• Part: a section of the song (Intro, Verse, Chorus…).
• Bar: a chunk of time, usually 4 beats. Songs are counted in bars.
• Click: a metronome you hear in your headphones. It is not in the recording.
• Playhead: the line that shows where you are in the song.

Guides: Easy recording for bands · Free DAW for bands · Lyrics from a vocal take · Practice your songs · Find your song's key · Chords from a recording · Song structure planner · Melody from a vocal · Recording software for bands · Free songwriting software · Home recording for beginners · Online music collaboration · Your band, gamified · Make music together