Keep four things together: a short video, the song, the date and place, and one line about why it mattered. A camera roll keeps the video but loses the rest. Chord, an app for live music, keeps the clip, the song and the night in one place.
Why the camera roll forgets
Your camera roll sorts by date. It does not know the song or the show. Years later you scroll past a dark clip and cannot tell which night it was.
What to save, in four steps
- Film one or two short moments. The song and the crowd matter more than the whole set.
- Name the song, with a song-ID app or the setlist on setlist.fm.
- Note the date, the venue and who came with you.
- Write one line about why it mattered. Future you will want it.
Save the setlist
A setlist is a map of the night. Copy it from setlist.fm, or build a playlist of the songs. Playing that playlist later brings the night back faster than most photos. Music is a strong memory cue.
A poor video is fine
Do not worry if the video is poor. A shaky ten-second clip with the right song in it is worth more than a perfect clip with no name. The sound often carries the memory, even when the picture is dark.
Back it up
Phones break and get lost. Keep a second copy of the clips that matter. Use cloud backup or a hard drive, and check that the backup works.
Add the people
The people you went with are part of the memory. Note who came. Ask them for their clips too. Five phones catch five different moments, and together they fill the gaps that yours missed.
Make it a habit
Do the four steps the morning after, while the night is fresh. It takes about five minutes. After a month you will not remember the details. After a year you will not remember the order.
- Keep a playlist for each year of live music.
- Keep the ticket or a photo of it. It proves the date and the venue.
- Share the clips with the friends who were there. They will remember other parts.
- Look back on the anniversary. Replaying the playlist is the easiest way in.
Where Chord fits
In Chord you film the moment and Live Mode saves the song with the clip. Festival Mode and Nights group the clips by show. The Morning Recap, the Night Card and Year in Chord let you look back.
Save the setlist turns a night into a Spotify or Apple Music playlist. With Song-Triggered Recall switched on, a song from one of your nights can remind you of that night when it plays on Spotify, Apple Music or Last.fm. Moments are private by default. Chord is in invite-only beta on iPhone.
Why a song brings a night back: the science of music and memory →
Why your camera roll is not a memory →
Questions people ask
How do I remember what song was playing at a concert?
Name it while it plays with a song-ID app, or check the setlist later. Save the song with the video so they stay together.
What is the best way to keep concert videos?
Keep a few short clips, not hours. Back them up and store them with the song, date and place.
Can music really bring a memory back?
Research on music-evoked memories says songs can cue vivid personal memories. Our science article covers the studies.
Is Chord free?
Yes. Free includes unlimited song detection, Live Mode and Nights. Every paid feature is free during the beta.