A pin-up board for your DAW project files

The Song Is is a visual project browser for FL Studio and Ableton Live.

Features

Open in your DAW instantly

Straight from the app, open any project you find in the DAW of your choosing.

Freeform canvas

Your project folders are cards you can place anywhere — organise by mood, genre, whatever. Great for visual thinkers.

Rate & colour-tag

5-star ratings and 10 colour tags so your best ideas are always visible.

Notes & stickies

Per-project notes and canvas sticky notes for ideas, todos, and reminders.

Instant search

Find any project by name as you type. Hide finished or shelved projects.

Export & backup

All metadata exports to a single JSON file. Import it back any time.

How to use

Download the app

Enter your email above to download the app, or build it yourself via the source code. Follow the instructions to install.

Pick your DAW and projects folder

On first launch, select FL Studio or Ableton Live, then point the app at your projects folder. You only have to do this at first startup.

Browse and organise

Each subfolder with a .flp or .als file appears as a card, first organised in a default grid. Drag, rate, tag, annotate. Click a project to open it in your DAW.

Privacy & Safety

The Song Is is designed to run as a lightweight app used to open your project files.

No internet connection required. The app makes zero network requests. I'm not interested in your project files.
No account required, no login, no tracking of any kind.
Your project files are never read beyond filenames and last-modified dates.
Your projects won't get accidentally deleted via this app.
All metadata (ratings, notes, positions) stored locally on your machine. Create backups yourself, your problem as far as I'm concerned.
Fully open source.

FAQ

macOS says "The Song Is cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified."

Right-click (or Control-click) the app → Open → Open. You only need to do this once.

Windows SmartScreen says the app is unrecognised.

Click More info → Run anyway. Once only.

Where is my data stored?

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/The Song Is/data.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\The Song Is\data.json

Does it work with both FL Studio and Ableton at the same time?

Not currently. One DAW per installation. Switch any time in Settings.

Can I contribute or report a bug?

Yes, open an issue or pull request on GitHub.