π Setlist Time Planner
Build your gig setlist with song times, breaks, and buffers, and get the full schedule.
Total runtime
Tip: enter durations as minutes:seconds (4:30) or decimal minutes (4.5). Press Enter in the duration box to add quickly.
How to Use This Planner
Add every song with its real playing time, set your number of breaks, break length, and the buffer you need between songs, then enter your start time. The planner computes the total runtime, spaces your breaks evenly through the set, and builds a minute-by-minute schedule showing exactly when each song starts, when breaks fall, and when the night ends.
Type a song title and its duration as minutes:seconds (for example 4:30) or decimal minutes (4.5), then press Add Song. Repeat for the whole night in playing order, including likely encores.
Set the number of set breaks and how long each lasts. The planner inserts them at even intervals through the setlist automatically.
Set the buffer between songs. Two minutes covers tuning and quick banter for most club gigs; use more for costume changes or complex instrument swaps.
Enter your start time and press Calculate Schedule. Check the end time against the venue curfew, trim or reorder songs as needed, then Copy Setlist to share the schedule with the band.
How the Timing Math Works
The most common planning mistake is counting only the songs. A 12-song set of four-minute songs is 48 minutes of music, but with two-minute transitions it is really 70 minutes, and one 15-minute break pushes it to 85. The buffer is where gigs quietly run over, because every tuning pause, story, and drink of water consumes it. Planning the buffer explicitly is what separates bands that end on time from bands that get the lights flashed at them.
Break placement matters as much as break length. Even spacing keeps the audience's energy from sagging and gives the band predictable rest points. This planner distributes breaks evenly: with 12 songs and 2 breaks, the breaks land after song 4 and song 8. If you want a break in a specific spot, reorder the songs so the even split lands where you want it, or treat a planned encore as its own final mini-set.
Worked Example
A bar band plans 14 songs averaging 4 minutes each: 56 minutes of music. They set 1 break of 15 minutes and a 2-minute buffer between songs (13 transitions = 26 minutes). Total runtime = 56 + 15 + 26 = 97 minutes, or 1 hour 37 minutes. Starting at 9:00 PM, the break lands after song 7 at about 9:47 PM, and the night ends at 10:37 PM, comfortably inside a typical 11:00 PM curfew.
Now the band learns the venue has a hard 10:30 PM cutoff. They cut two songs (8 minutes of music plus 4 minutes of buffer = 12 minutes saved) and the night ends at 10:25 PM with five minutes to spare. That is the whole value of planning: small trims made calmly at home instead of panicked decisions on stage.
Practical Tips
Time your songs honestly. Play each one start to finish with a stopwatch, including the count-in and the ending ring-out, rather than guessing from the studio recording. Live versions with extended solos and audience sing-alongs routinely run a minute longer than the record. Add your most uncertain songs first when trimming, and keep one flexible "swing" song you can drop without hurting the arc of the set.
Build the setlist like a story: open with energy, dip into a slower middle section where the break can fall naturally, then climb to the biggest songs before the encore. Put new or risky material in the second third, never as the opener, and never stack three slow songs in a row unless the room is seated. Print the final schedule, tape it to the stage floor, and assign one band member to watch the clock and signal when the set is running long.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I plan the timing of a live set?
List every song with its real playing time, add a small buffer between songs for tuning and banter, then add your set breaks. This planner totals it all and lays out a minute-by-minute schedule from your start time, so you know exactly when each song begins and when the night ends.
How much buffer time should I add between songs?
Two to three minutes per transition covers tuning, quick banter, and the walk between stage positions for most bar and club gigs. Festival changeovers and theatrical shows with costume changes need more. The planner applies your buffer to every transition between songs automatically.
How long should a set break be?
Fifteen to twenty minutes is standard for club gigs: enough for the audience to get drinks and for the band to rest, tune, and reset the stage. Wedding and corporate sets often run 45 to 60 minutes of music with a 15 minute break. Enter your break count and length and the planner spaces the breaks evenly through the setlist.
Should I plan an encore?
Add your likely encore songs to the end of the list with a note in the title, or keep them as a separate mini-set after the last break. Planning the encore avoids the awkward on-stage huddle while the crowd chants. If the crowd is thin, you can simply drop them and end on time.
How do I handle a hard curfew at a venue?
Work backward from the curfew: subtract breaks and buffer first, then fit songs into the remaining music time. Build the setlist here with your start time set, check the computed end time, and trim or swap songs until the end time lands five to ten minutes before curfew. Venues fine bands that run over.
Can I share the setlist with my band?
Yes. Press Copy Setlist to grab a clean text version with the schedule, song times, breaks, and totals, then paste it into your band chat or print it for the stage. Many bands tape the setlist to the stage floor, so keep a printed copy as backup.