For songwriters and musicians
Your songs, in your own words.
Palimpsest is a calm, private notebook for your songs: the words with the chords above them, every draft kept, set lists and a stage view for playing live, and tools for recording and release. It never writes a word for you.
Mac, Windows, Linux, and any web browser. No account needed. Everything free for 30 days.
No A.I. writing, ever
Palimpsest never suggests a line, a chord or a melody. It keeps, measures and shows; the writing is yours.
Private, and yours
Each song is a plain text file in a folder you choose, on your own computer. No account, and nothing is sent anywhere unless you choose to.
From first idea to release
Write, play live, record, finish and release, and look after the artists you produce, all in one place.
What it does
Free to write and play. More when you need it.
Each plan includes everything before it. Try them all free for 30 days.
Free
Free, for good
- Unlimited songs, with the chords above the words
- Any key, capo and your own singing range
- Every draft kept
- Set lists, the stage view, printing and PDF songbooks
- Guitar chord diagrams
- Songs brought in from ChordPro, OnSong, Word, PDF and more
Pro
€29 a year
- Recordings on every song, measured for tempo, key, loudness and sung range
- Every version compared, with proof of authorship
- Songs sent to Logic, GarageBand, Ableton, Cubase or Reaper
- Words that scroll in time, a click, a second screen and MIDI control on stage
- Writers' splits, release details and a pitching log
Studio
€59 a year
- Masters and cover art checked for every streaming service, with a release sheet
- Your recordings split into voice, guitar, piano, bass and drums
- Whole sessions of bounces and stems brought in at once
- Co-writing live, in the room or over the internet, with who wrote which lines
Producer
€99 a year
- A book of their own for each artist you produce
- Mixes sent for the artist to approve or comment on
- Sessions, credits, hours and simple invoices
- Every mix and its stems kept in order
Monthly and pay-once prices, and offers for students and teachers, are on the prices page.
On stage
Made to be read from where you stand.
Your set list fills the screen, large and clear. Turn pages with the arrow keys or a pedal, count in, and keep an eye on the set clock.
Made by a songwriter
Why Palimpsest
I'm Gerry Maher, a songwriter. I write in English and in German, and I made Palimpsest for my own songs first: one quiet place to keep them, play them and see them through to release, without anything writing for me.
A palimpsest is a page written over, with the earlier words still showing through. That's what keeping every draft of a song means, and it gives the app its name.
In testing now
Hear when it's ready
Palimpsest is being tested by musicians now. Leave your email and I'll write when it's ready to buy, with the founding members' price: 40% off for the first 500, for as long as they stay. I'll only write about Palimpsest, and you can leave the list any time.
The list opens very soon. Until then, write to hello@palimpsestmusic.com.