From planning your setlist, to team rehearsal, and to live performance, Playback provides powerful tools along the way to save you time for what really matters.

This guided tour will walk through everything to know about using Playback as a live tracks solution: starting with the basics of setting up Playback on a device and walking through each step of using it to lead worship well.

Playback is an Apple app available for free download from the iOS App Store for iPhone or iPad running iOS 10 or later, or from the Mac App Store for Mac computers running MacOS 11 (Big Sur) or later.

Search for “Playback” on the App Store or click this link.

When opening Playback for the first time, the login screen will appear. In order to log into Playback, a MultiTracks.com account is required. From this screen, you have two options:

In order to log into Playback for Mac, a Premium subscription is required. Learn more about Playback for Mac:

An organization in the MultiTracks.com ecosystem is the umbrella under which content can be purchased, users can be added, and subscriptions can be shared. When you create your user account, an organization is also created in which you can purchase content or subscriptions. Once you have created your MultiTracks.com account and log into Playback, you are prompted to select which organization to log into. If you are a user belonging only to the organization created when you built your account, then select that organization. However, a user can be added to other existing organizations and have access to content belonging to those organizations in Playback. Every organization that your user has been added to will be available for login at this screen.

If you are logging into your own organization, then you are ready to start downloading your organization’s purchased content or Rental credits immediately. When logging into another organization, certain permission subscriptions need to be added to your account in order for you to access purchased tracks, spend Rental credits, or save Cloud changes to setlists, song arrangements, and MIDI Cues.

For more information about managing your organization’s team members, subscriptions, and content permissions, check out these articles: https://helpcenter.multitracks.com/en/collections/2584937-set-up-your-organization

Once you have logged in, you’re ready to start building a setlist!

When opening Playback for the first time you will see the empty canvas of your account’s first setlist, called My Playback Setlist.

The top of the app interface is called the Transport, and includes the primary actions for using Playback (from left to right):

The next section down is the Setlist section, where all added song tiles are shown. This is where song order, transitions, and song-specific settings are managed.

The lower, dark section is where the Waveform of the currently selected song is shown. The playhead will move over the waveform while tracks are playing, showing real-time feedback of where in a song you are. Interact with the waveform to edit song section order, adjust start/end times, and more.

The final section of Playback is the Tracks view, as well as the Pad Player interface when opened. Here is where you can edit the volumes of every track and bus in a selected song, interact with the Pad Player live interface, and more.

Each of these areas of Playback will be covered in detail throughout this tour.

Next, let’s build our first setlist.

A variety of tracks products are available for over 15,000 songs in the MultiTracks.com catalog. Purchased tracks can be downloaded in Playback for free. Visit MultiTracks.com/Tracks to learn about our tracks options and find the best solution for your needs.

Tap “Add A Song” on the Setlist row to open the Add Song Menu. You have a few options of where to go from here:

Navigate to the song you would like to add to your setlist. For the purpose of this guide, we are adding Champion by Bethel Music.

The final screen before adding a song is where song details can be chosen before pressing "Add:"

Tap Add in the top right corner of the menu, and the song will begin downloading on your device.

Add more songs to a setlist by entering EDIT Setlist mode (tap the EDIT button), and tapping the Plus icon in the bottom right corner of any song tile.

Setlists created from MultiTracks.com, ChartBuilder, or another Playback device in your organization can be opened directly in Playback. As previously mentioned, content and user permissions apply when opening a setlist with purchased or rented tracks.

Tap the Setlists Icon in the top transport of Playback, to open the Setlists Main Menu. The currently opened setlist can be renamed, saved to the cloud and accessed from anywhere else in the ecosystem, and more from this menu.

To Open a previously saved setlist, tap Open Setlist and search for the setlist by name or sort upcoming and past setlists by service date.

When tapping on the setlist you would like to load, you can see an overview of every setlist song, key and song length, as well as the saved arrangement being used in the setlist. Tap any download icons to download tracks onto your device without loading the setlist, or choose to load the setlist immediately and automatically start downloading every song.

Once setlist songs have been added, it is time to start customizing your setlist.

Playback offers powerful and simple tools to build and tweak unique setlists for every service. Let’s start with an overview of the Playback Edit Modes.

Playback is built so that everything you see is useful in live performance. To keep the customization of your setlist easy to access, we have built out 7 Edit Modes with specific purposes. Tap the Edit button and then select and edit mode from the edit menu drawer (Screenshot below).

Let’s break down how to use each of these modes and what you can do while using them.

Tap the Edit button to enter Setlist Edit Mode.

Here's what can be edited in each section of Playback:

Transitions can be customized between songs in a setlist. There are few options to build seamless moments to fit your service.

Pro Tip: Combine transitions with custom start and end points to build specific transitions for your setlist.

Each song in a setlist has many customization options. Tap the More Button over the center of any song, click, or pad tile to open the Edit Song Menu.

With a Playback Pro subscription, MIDI Cues can be added to any song in your setlist directly in Playback.

Tap the Edit button to open the Edit mode menu and select the MIDI Cues Edit mode.

While a song is highlighted, scroll to anywhere on the timeline and tap the + icon on the playhead to add a MIDI Cue to any of the 8 available MIDI Buses:

· Lyrics Bus

· Lights 1

· Lights 2

· Patches 1

· Patches 2

· Guitar

· Aux 1

· Aux 2

There are 3 types of MIDI messages that can be added to Playback:

Note: It is helpful to determine what actions in your software you want Playback to control before getting started.

There are a couple ways of selecting and editing MIDI Cues on the waveform.

Tap on the ellipsis (3 dot) menu in the top left to open a quick access menu for the selected MIDI Cue.

This menu gives you a couple options:

Each repeated song section for most songs will have the same exact lyrics and the same rhythm. Instead of manually adding new MIDI Cues to each repeated song section, simply build the MIDI Cues for one section and copy to each repeated section.

When adding MIDI Cues to a song that controls lyric slides, it’s important to trigger lyrics at the exact moment you need them. MIDI Cues can be added to the Lyrics Bus while tracks are playing and are sent out of Playback in real time.

Depending on the subscriptions available in your organization, there are a couple options when leaving MIDI Cue Edit Mode. A Cloud Pro Intro or higher subscription is required to save MIDI Cues to the cloud for use in other setlists and devices.

Members of an organization with Org Admin or Campus Admin permissions are able to save MIDI Cues to the cloud.

Team Members and Team Leaders with appropriate access and a Playback Pro subscription can create and edit MIDI Cues in Playback, but these changes will be local only and can not overwrite currently existing MIDI Cues in their organization's Library.

NOTE: For users with no Cloud Pro Intro subscription, Saving MIDI Cue locally is the only option.

Use your favorite MIDI Controller to take control of Playback during a live performance, mapping controls to the play/pause button, bus faders, loop/infinite loop buttons, and much more.

Tap and hold the Edit button to enable MIDI Mapping Edit Mode. While in MIDI Mapping mode, every mappable action in Playback will have a blue overlay.

Playback offers the ability to map a midi control to a specific song, or to a specific song position. Mapping a MIDI controller to song positions would allow song 1, song 2, and song 3’s mapped buttons to always control song 1, 2, and 3 across different setlists, no matter the song in that song’s position. Mapping to a song’s position can be done by tapping the large numbered space above the song title, and mapping to the song specifically (so a control is always mapped to that song across all setlists) can be done by tapping on the song’s title while in MIDI mapping mode.

While a song is playing, a MIDI controller can navigate the arrangement and jump to any other section in the song or in between songs in a setlist using Live ReOrder. While in MIDI Mapping Edit Mode, the Live ReOrder controls (left arrow, right arrow, check mark) can be mapped to by any button on a MIDI Controller.

Once every action is mapped, you can press EDIT to exit MIDI Mapping mode. Using the MIDI Controller will now control the mapped actions in Playback.

Use a Cloud Pro subscription to upload original songs and load custom audio tracks in Playback. Once tracks have been uploaded on MultiTracks.com (learn more here), song section markers can be added directly in Playback. Song section markers unlock powerful Playback features such as dynamic guide cues, looping and live ReOrdering between sections, custom song arrangements, and more.

Note: Making song section changes to a cloud song will reset the song map to default in any existing saved arrangements.

When a Cloud Song is first opened in Playback, the entire waveform will be labeled as an “Intro” song section. Scroll to any bar and press the + button to add additional song sections.

Pro Tip: In order to utilize Playback’s built-in count off for the beginning of the song, change the first song section to a Count Off and then add the first song section (whenever the band comes in) 1-2 bars after the count off.

Changing a marker’s song section

Moving a Song Section Marker

Method 1: Quick Menu moving

Method 2: Using the Edit Marker Menu

Since song section markers can be created online and in Playback and affect every saved song arrangement, choosing to Save To Cloud will overwrite the default song sections stored in your Library.

Don’t Save to Cloud: Changes made to song section markers will be local only in the current setlist.

There are a number of ways to customize your Playback experience, from audio routing to click/guide presets and more.

To open Settings:

That’s everything there is to know about customizing your setlist in Playback. Let’s learn how to use Playback in a Live Performance!

Now that your setlist has been customized and is ready for service, let’s make sure that your Playback is set up to work with your audio and MIDI hardware.

There are two main ways to send audio out of Playback.

· Auto Pan: Send click and tracks from Playback using the headphone port without any additional audio hardware. Learn how to use Auto Pan with Playback.

· MultiOuts: With a Pro subscription, Playback can send up to 10 outputs of tracks using a USB audio interface. With a Premium subscription, up to 32 outputs can be accessed using compatible audio devices.

Playback is compatible with most class-compliant USB audio interfaces for sending multiple outputs of tracks. However, some require additional routing and setup.

Here is a list of USB audio interfaces tested and confirmed for support with Playback.

Recommended: The iConnectivity PlayAudio12 is the all-in-one best audio/MIDI interface for use with Playback. See this tutorial for how the PA12 maximizes Playback’s audio and MIDI features.

Learn More: Supported Audio Devices

Learn More: Troubleshooting Audio issues with Playback

When using Playback to its max potential, multiple USB devices are required. In order to connect a MIDI controller, audio interface, and other MIDI Out connections to your iOS device, we recommend This Guide.

Learn More: Does my MIDI Controller work with Playback?

With Playback Pro, every instrument track is routed to 10 instrument buses, creating an easier way to take control of the overall mix of every song.

Tracks Outputs

The Tracks Settings tab is where the default bus routing of every instrument part in the MultiTracks.com catalog can be adjusted. Scroll to any instrument part, Tap the row, and select the new bus that this track will be routed to.

Bus Outputs

The Bus Settings tab is where Buses can be customized and outputs can be re-routed from the default settings. Playback has 10 default buses with SmartRouting that automatically route the related instrument tracks to each of the buses. However, Bus routing and naming is completely customizable and saved by audio device.

Quick Tip: Renaming Playback Buses in Bus Settings

Change Bus Routing

Bus Routing is saved and recalled based on the connected audio device and dependent on the number of supported outputs. If an audio interface has 10 outputs, then those 10 are available for routing.

When adding MIDI Cues to a song in Playback, cues can be added to any of the 8 available MIDI Buses. Control the MIDI routing of these buses in the MIDI settings.

Select MIDI Output Port

Tap on this action to open the MIDI port selector.

Select MIDI Channel

Choose to send MIDI Cues to MIDI global channel(s) 1-16.

On/Off Toggle

Enable or disable an entire MIDI Bus.

Your hardware setup is now ready for services! Now let’s master using Playback’s powerful live performances features during a service.

Sync the tempo of your virtual instruments, external controllers, guitar delay pedals, and more with Playback using MIDI Clock. Send MIDI Clock data out of any selected MIDI port while tracks are playing to keep any MIDI Clock-supported instruments and music equipment in time with Playback.

Select MIDI Ports to Send MIDI Clock

Navigate to the MIDI Settings tab and scroll to the bottom of the page:

Tap on the "Select Ports" row, and select which available MIDI Ports you would like to send MIDI Clock to.

Once enabled, MIDI Clock will be sent to selected MIDI Ports any time tracks are playing. The tempo of the sending clock will update in real time based on the BPM of the currently playing songs or click track.

While Playback's number one feature is and always will be maintaining a stable tracks experience, technology always involves some unpredictability, from an accidental disconnected cable to a dead battery.

However, a redundant setup with two Playback devices simultaneously running ensures an extra layer of protection against any hardware, software, or other freak incident that may cause an issue with the performance of Playback.

How Redundancy Works

Using the two USB ports built into an iConnectivity PlayAudio12, a setlist can be run simultaneously on two different Playback devices. The primary Playback device is used by default throughout the time that the setlist is running. However, if anything occurs that causes the audio in the first Playback device to be interrupted (software crash, cable unplugged, device issue, etc.), the PlayAudio12 will automatically detect the failure and switch over to the secondary Playback device with no detectable interruption in the audio.

This works for both tracks as well as MIDI Cues being sent out of Playback to control lyric slides, lighting cues, and more. The PlayAudio12 will automatically begin sending the secondary Playback device's MIDI Cues so there is no interruption in the production.

SMPTE is a set of standards used to label frames of video or film, and has been adapted to be used to synchronize audio, video, and lighting in productions.

Introduced in v7.6.5, SMPTE is now available in Playback natively.

NOTE: SMPTE is a Playback Premium feature and requires a Playback Premium seat.

For setup instructions see: HOW TO | SMPTE Timecode in Playback

The heart and soul of Playback is to be the most powerful, flexible, and simple solution for running tracks live. Let’s break down some features that will help you lead worship well.

The top transport row is where the primary controls for the playback of songs loaded in your setlist are found. See where in the song you currently are, the time signature/tempo, and more.

The second row of Playback is where you interact with the songs during live performance and navigate through songs in your setlist during live performance.

Use the waveform to navigate the currently playing song in real time. Here are some powerful tools and actions to use while a song is playing.

Create your own mix of every song’s tracks in the tracks/buses mixer pane. The Tracks Mixer is where volume control of each track in a song can be set.

Toggle between Mixer Views

Mixing Faders

Understand each way to interact with the faders for complete control of your mix.

Reminder: The bus fader mix can be song specific or global. Change this in General Settings.

Master Fader

Take full control of all audience-facing audio with the master track fader. This fader controls the overall volume output of all instrument tracks + buses, as well as the pad player.

Reminder: The master fader volume is globally set by default. For song specific master volume, enable this in General Settings.

Click Track Subdivisions

When the selected Click Track preset is in the Built-In category, click subdivisions are available for more detailed control over the click track mix.

Note: Built-In Click Track mixes are Song Specific.

The Pad Player can be opened using the mixer view toggle and is available for Premium subscribers. Unlock the power of live key and pad sound switching.

Playback Sync connects the Charts in ChartBuilder to the setlist in Playback in real time; the Charts swipe automatically and follow Playback arrangement changes.

Which Playback Actions will be followed by ChartBuilder?

Dive Deeper into Playback Sync.

Playback has several powerful live flexibility controls in the Console, located in between the Master fader and tracks pane.

When using Playback on a Mac, a selection of keyboard shortcuts are available for quickly navigating Playback during service. These keyboard shortcuts will control the designated actions in Playback while the app is foregrounded:

Transport Controls

Setlist Navigation

Congrats, you are now a master of using Playback in live performance!

Once service is over, there are new ways to save your time and work for the next service. Using the power of Cloud Pro, song arrangements can be saved to the Cloud and recalled at any time – on any device.

Save a song’s key/tempo, fader mix, song map and more as a custom arrangement. Custom song arrangements can be loaded into any other setlist instantly when the song is added.

Refer back to the User Permissions section in order to understand what user permissions are required to save arrangement changes to the cloud.

Learn More: Managing Team Roles and Permissions

Manage a song’s custom arrangements in the Edit Song Menu. While in Setlist Edit Mode, Tap on a song tile to open the Edit Song Menu. The top section of the Edit Song Menu is where the song’s arrangements can be managed and loaded.

Note: The default arrangement cannot be renamed or deleted.

Any saved song arrangement can be loaded in the current setlist, replacing any currently unsaved song changes.

Do you like particular changes to a song arrangement made in a setlist? Update the currently loaded song arrangement with any changes made in the setlist. A new arrangement can also be saved at any time from the setlist.

If undesired changes have been made to a custom arrangement since the last time it was saved, undo these changes by restoring the arrangement.

Is there something missing from this User Guide? Still confused about an experience in Playback, or do you have a request or an idea for making Playback even better? Please reach out to MultiTracks.com/support and we would love to assist you.