How to Organize a Set List for a Gig

A good set list is ready before you walk in the door. Here's how to get every song into its own PDF, name the files so they line up in the right order, and load the whole night into Page Turner so the band switches songs together.

1. One PDF per Song

Page Turner treats each PDF as one piece in the set list, and everyone switches pieces when the leader does. So give every song its own file:

• Split songbooks and fake books into one PDF per song. Most PDF apps can extract a range of pages into a new file.
• Paper charts? Scan each one to its own PDF. The scanning guide covers it.
• Playing a song twice, like a reprise or an encore? Make a second copy with its own number so it has its own spot in the list.
• Keep files lean. Each PDF can be up to 100 MB and a set list holds up to 50, but smaller files open faster and save to everyone's device sooner.

2. Name the Files so They Sort in Set Order

When you upload several PDFs at once, Page Turner adds them in file-name order. Start each name with its position in the set, then the song title:

• 01 Opener - Superstition.pdf
• 02 Autumn Leaves (Gm).pdf
• 03 Ballad - At Last.pdf
• …
• 12 Closer - September.pdf

• Numbers sort the way you'd expect. Page Turner reads them as numbers, so 2 comes before 10. Two digits (01, 02 … 10) keep the files in the same order in Finder, File Explorer, and cloud drives too.
• The file name is the title everyone sees in the room and the set list, so make it readable. Put the key or arrangement in the name if it helps: Autumn Leaves (Gm).
• Leave room for changes. Numbering by tens (010, 020, 030) lets you slot a song in later without renaming the rest. Give maybes and encores high numbers like 90 Encore - Shout.pdf so they wait at the end.
• Upper and lower case don't affect the order.

3. One Folder per Gig, With a Subfolder per Set

Keep each gig's PDFs together in one folder, such as 2026-10-24 Blue Note. For a night with more than one set, put each set in its own numbered subfolder:

• Set 1/01 Opener - Superstition.pdf
• Set 1/02 Autumn Leaves (Gm).pdf
• Set 2/01 Take Five.pdf
• Set 2/02 Closer - September.pdf

On a computer you can upload the whole folder at once. Page Turner sorts by each file's path inside it, so all of Set 1 comes before Set 2, each in its own order. Files that aren't PDFs, and hidden files like .DS_Store, are skipped. A subfolder can also mean a part, so when a folder has subfolders, Page Turner asks first. Tap One Set List to keep your sets together in one list.

Folders for Each Part

If each section reads its own music, give each part a subfolder instead, numbering the files the same way in each one:

• Horns/01 Superstition.pdf
• Horns/02 September.pdf
• Rhythm/01 Superstition.pdf
• Rhythm/02 September.pdf

Choose or drop the folder and tap Start With Parts. Each subfolder becomes a part, and files with the same number become the same song, so a part can skip a song it doesn't play. In a room that's already open, choose a folder from ☰ → Set List → + Add a Part to add several parts at once. See how parts work.

4. Load It Into Page Turner

1. On the home page, tap Choose PDFs… and select every song. On a computer you can choose the folder instead, or drag the folder onto the page. Files can come from your device or from cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud.
2. The first PDF opens the room and the rest are added to its set list in order. You're the leader.
3. Open ☰ and tap ✎ next to the title to name the room after the gig, like Blue Note - Oct 24, so everyone knows they're in the right place.
4. Show the QR code, share the link, or read out the room code so the band can join.

5. Running the Set on the Night

• Next song: tap Next Piece ▶ in the toolbar, and every device moves to the next song.
• Jump around: open Set List and tap any song to show it on every device. Each song opens on the page it was last left on.
• Change the order: use ↑ and ↓ in the set list. Remove a song with ✕ (tap twice to confirm).
• Add a request: tap + Add PDFs… in the set list. Add & Show Now switches everyone to it straight away.
• Hands free: with a Bluetooth page-turner pedal, the leader can turn pages without letting go of their instrument.

6. Keep It for Next Time

When the gig's over, open ☰ → Set List and tap Save This Set List. Next time, tap it under Saved Set Lists on the home page to start a new room with the same songs, in order, with any marks and repeats. If you sign in, it's kept in your account and works from any device you sign in on; otherwise it's kept on the device you saved it from.

Before You Leave for the Gig

• Open the room on every device while you're on good Wi-Fi, then check that the set list shows "✓ All … pieces are saved on this device". Saved songs still open, and pages still turn, if the venue's Wi-Fi drops.
• Mind the 24-hour clock. A room is deleted 24 hours after a song was last added or switched to. Building it the night before is fine; switching songs at soundcheck keeps it going.
• Charge everything, and set each tablet up on a steady stand.
• On small screens, turn on Trim Margins from ☰ to make the notes bigger. For a dark stage, try Dark Stage.
• Playing outdoors or under bright lights? See reading sheet music on stage and outdoors for glare, heat, and power.

Questions? See the FAQ or contact us.