Backup

One great advantage with OnSong is that your OnSong library is stored directly on your device. This means you never need to worry if you have an Internet connection to access your music. Whether you are playing in a pub on the outskirts of town, a busy concert hall with lots of wireless interference, or as a missionary in the jungles of the Philippines, OnSong will continue to work non-stop.

Why Backup?

While having everything stored on the device itself a great feature, it does have some downsides. We hear all too often of users who have had their iPads stolen or lost. Sometimes they just forgot their device on the roof of the tour van and picked up the pieces on the highway. Yet others find their app missing when deleted by children or when wiping their iPad for a new operating system. The crucial step you need to take is to make a backup!

How To Backup

Creating a backup in OnSong is really easy. First, we recommend backing up your library to Dropbox to make sure your content is stored safely off your device. In addition, if anything happens to your device, you can easily restore your library from your Dropbox with an Internet connection and your Dropbox credentials. Go to the Dropbox section to learn how to sign up for Dropbox and use it in OnSong.

Next, go into the Share Menu from the Menubar in OnSong. Tap on the Export option. In this screen, place a checkmark next to the OnSong Backup format. Tap on the folder icon in the lower right to open the Location Picker and choose Dropbox. From there you can select a location where the backup file should be stored. Once you choose a location, tap on the Export button at the top of the export screen to create the backup file and upload the file to your Dropbox location.

What's In a Backup?

The backup file that is created has a .backup file extension and the file name is the current date and time in YYYYMMDDHHMMSS format. This allows no two backup files to have the same name.

The backup file is actual a ZIP archive that contains the entire contents of your OnSong library folder. In addition to containing the OnSong database called OnSong.sqlite3 and imported files, this also contains your imported media files (music and images), help files, and a special preferences file that contains all the settings you had made in the app.

How To Restore

So now that you have the file in a safe place, let's learn how we can restore the backup file. It's as easy as importing a file into OnSong.

Go into the Songs Menu and select the All Songs tab. Tap on the + button on the bottom right to view the Add Songs screen. Tap on the Dropbox option. From here you can browse for your backup file and import it.

When you select the backup file to restore, you will be prompted that importing it will completely overwrite any other songs or settings you have in the current library. If you agree, the file will be downloaded and restored, returning your OnSong library to it's original state.

Note: Backup files are the ZIP-compressed contents of the OnSong library directory. OnSong can create backup files of approximately 4 GB in size.