OnSong Console is an add-on feature available with the OnSong Premium membership that lets you import and edits songs from any modern web browser. This means that you can easily transfer files from your computer to your OnSong library and then edit those chord charts and lyrics with a full keyboard and mouse.
Enabling Console
Before you get started, you'll need to enable OnSong Console. To do this, open the Utilities Menu by tapping on the gear icon in the Menubar and then choose Console. If you've upgraded to an OnSong Premium membership, or have previously purchased as an add-on, you can just tap on the Enable Console button. This will display an IP address or website that you can type into a web browser on your computer to start managing your OnSong library.
How It Works
OnSong Console works by setting your device running OnSong up as a web server on your local network. This means that the computer that you use to access Console must be on the same computer network as your iPad. In addition, it means that your device needs to have OnSong running to be accessed. Typically when apps are closed, they shut down network-related activities to conserve battery power. Once you're connected, your computer will send a "heartbeat" signal that will keep OnSong running, even if you switch to different apps. When you make a change in OnSong Console, the changes are sent directly to your OnSong device and saved to the library. You'll even see the changes happen immediately on your device!
Accessing Console
Ensure that your computer is connected to the same network as your OnSong device and also make sure that OnSong is up and running. Type in the web address in the location bar of your web browser exactly as it appears in the Console screen. Failure to type in the "HTTP://" and the numbers exactly will prevent your web browser from access the Console. Once entered, press the Return or Enter key to load the web application.
The first time you run OnSong Console in a browser, a popup alert will appear within OnSong requesting access. This is a security measure to make sure you want to allow access to this OnSong Console session. Once you accept, the splash screen will fade, revealing the full OnSong Console interface.
You can learn more about this processing in our Connecting to OnSong Console section of the user manual.
Importing Files
To import supported file formats, tap on the + button in the upper left corner of the screen to open The Add Menu with different import options. Choose the Import Files option to open the Import Files Palette. From here you can browse for files to import. They will automatically begin to upload, adding those files to your library and refreshing the Song List. You can then select text-based files in the Song List to edit them in the Song Editor and see a real-time preview in the Song Viewer.
Troubleshooting
If you can't seem to connect to OnSong Console, it is likely caused by a networking issue. Most of these can be solved by going into the Console screen and disabling and reenabling the Console. This is because your network may have changed the IP address of your device. This process will ensure that the new web address is generated and the webserver is instantiated again on the network. You can then type the new web address into a web browser of your choice, being careful to type the web address exactly as it appears on the screen.
In more complex scenarios, if your computer is connected to the network via an Ethernet cable, or connected to a different access point (2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz), security protocols on the network router may prevent traffic from being. In addition, your router may be configured to disallow web servers from running on the local network. Check with your network administrator, and make sure that changed to security-related software on your computer permits access to the OnSong Console web address.
Tutorial Video
There so much more to know about the OnSong Console feature in OnSong. You can learn more about the power of OnSong Console in this comprehensive tutorial video: