Building a Performance Timeline in BookLive

The Timeline Builder in BookLive lets you map out the full sequence of events for a performance — cocktail hour, ceremony, reception, grand entrance, and more — and attach a specific number of songs to each segment. Combined with Timeline Templates, you can build a reusable event structure and apply it to any performance in seconds.

Before You Begin #

• You must have a performance created in BookLive.
• Your act’s song library should have songs added so you can assign them to timeline events.
• Only the group leader or co-leaders can edit the timeline and timeline settings.

Step 1: Open the Timeline Tab #

1. Log in at https://booklive.com/login.
2. Navigate to the performance you want to build a timeline for.
3. Click the Timeline tab inside the performance detail view.

This tab shows all timeline events for the performance, along with any songs assigned to each event. It also contains controls for setting timeline and setlist due dates and locking both when they’re finalized.

Step 2: Add a Timeline Event #

1. At the bottom of the Timeline tab, click the Add button.
2. Select Event from the menu.
3. A dialog will open. Fill in the following fields:
   • Name — the name of this segment (e.g., Cocktail Hour, Ceremony, Grand March).
   • Start Time — the scheduled start time for this event.
   • Duration — how long this segment lasts, in minutes.
   • Songs Required — the number of songs needed for this event. Set to 0 if this segment doesn’t require music (e.g., dinner speeches).
   • TBD — check this box if the exact timing is flexible. TBD events still appear on the timeline but won’t show a fixed start time — useful for moments like a Unity Candle lighting where the cue is situational.
4. Click Save.

Repeat this process to add as many events as needed. Events are displayed in chronological order, with the start time and end time (calculated from duration) shown for each.

Step 3: Add Songs to a Timeline Event #

Each event tracks how many songs have been assigned versus how many are required (shown as a X/Y songs count). To add songs to an event:

1. Under the event, click Add Song.
2. An Add Song dialog will open. Search for a song from your act’s library, or select from an existing setlist.
3. Click to select the song, then confirm.
4. Repeat until the event has all the songs it needs.

Songs can be reordered by dragging them within an event. To remove a song, click the delete icon next to it.

Setting a Key Override #

If a song needs to be performed in a different key for this event, click the song’s key chip (or the Set Key button if no key is set yet) and enter the override. Key overrides are per-event and don’t affect the song’s default key in your library.

Step 4: Fill a Timeline Event with AI #

If you’re not sure which songs to assign to an event, BookLive can suggest songs from your library automatically:

1. Under any timeline event, click Fill with AI ✨.
2. BookLive will analyze your song library and assign an appropriate selection of songs to fill the event’s required count.

You can always remove or swap individual songs after AI fills the event.

Step 5: Save an Event’s Songs as a Setlist #

Once you’ve built a song list for an event that you’d like to reuse, you can save it as a named setlist:

1. Under the event (after adding at least one song), click Save Setlist.
2. Enter a name for the setlist.
3. Click Save.

The setlist will be available in your act’s Setlist library for future performances.

Step 6: Apply a Timeline Template #

If you’ve already built Timeline Templates for your group (see the section below on creating templates), you can apply one to a performance to instantly populate the timeline with your preset event structure:

1. In the Timeline tab, click Add, then select Timeline Template.
2. A dialog will appear listing your available templates. Select the one you want to apply.
3. Click Create Timeline.

BookLive will add all the events from the template to the performance timeline, calculated relative to the performance start time. You can edit individual events after applying.

Step 7: Create and Manage Timeline Templates #

Timeline Templates live at the group level and let you define a reusable event structure for a common type of performance (e.g., a 4-hour wedding reception).

Create a Template #

1. From your group’s sidebar, click Timelines under the Templates section.
2. Click the + button in the lower-right corner.
3. Enter a name for the template (e.g., 4-Hour Wedding Reception) and click Create.
4. Click the template name to open it.

Add Events to a Template #

1. Inside the template, click Add Event.
2. Fill in:
   • Event Name — the name of this segment.
   • Start Offset (minutes) — how many minutes after the performance start this event begins. Use a positive number (e.g., 60 for one hour in) or 0 for the opening event.
   • Duration (minutes) — how long the segment lasts.
   • Songs Required — how many songs this event needs.
   • TBD — check if the timing is flexible.
3. Click Save.

Add as many events as your typical performance structure requires. Use the optional Example Start Time field at the top of the template to preview what actual clock times each event would start at — helpful for verifying the structure looks right before applying it to a real performance.

Edit or Delete Events #

Each event in the template has Edit (pencil) and Delete (trash) icons. Click Edit to adjust any field, then save. Click Delete and confirm to remove an event.

Duplicate a Template #

To create a variation of an existing template, click the copy icon next to the template name on the Timeline Templates list page. Enter a new name and click Duplicate. All events from the original are copied to the new template.

Step 8: Set Timeline and Setlist Due Dates #

You can set due dates to remind clients (or yourself) when the timeline and song list need to be finalized:

1. In the Timeline tab, toggle on Timeline Due Date and/or Setlist Due Date.
2. Enter the number of days before the performance date when each is due.
3. Click Save.

Once set, the due date is displayed on the timeline and can be edited by clicking the edit icon next to it.

Step 9: Lock the Timeline and Setlist #

When the timeline and song selections are finalized, you can lock them to prevent further edits:

• Click Lock Timeline to prevent any changes to the event structure.
• Click Lock Playlist to prevent changes to the songs assigned to events.

Both can be unlocked at any time by clicking the same button (which will read Unlock Timeline or Unlock Playlist when locked).

Tips & Notes #

• Timeline events are visible on the Production Sheet, giving musicians a clear at-a-glance view of the performance flow.
• Events marked TBD appear on the timeline without a fixed start time — ideal for moments cued by ceremony events rather than the clock.
• If a song is assigned to two different timeline events in the same performance, it will be flagged as a duplicate — a yellow chip will appear next to the song name so you can decide whether that’s intentional.
• Client song requests submitted through the client portal can appear in your timeline events tagged as Client Request.

Related Articles #

• Using the Setlist Builder in BookLive
• Organizing Your Song Library with Tags in BookLive
• Managing Smart Form Submissions on a Performance in BookLive