Songs of praise used by various local (Gibraltar) groups have traditionally been difficult to distribute and
share due to the sheer number of songs that have been collected over time (over 700 at the last count). There
are apps on the market that can be used to store and distribute these songs, but the good ones are costly,
many are not cross-platform, they don't cater for a central database of songs, and all the songs would have to
be manually converted, added and maintained.
As a musician in one such group, I created Our Music Book as a solution to this problem for our group with the added facility to allow everyone to follow a 'Leader' whereby the next song will automatically appear on everyone's device as soon as the Leader selects it. However, word got out about the app and it has since been upgraded to allow anyone to be a 'Leader', so it can be used by every group who needs it.
Our Music Book is meant to be just that - 'Our' Music Book. It's completely free of charge, works on all platforms/devices, and includes all the expected features such as transposition to any key, show/hide chords, and of course the 'Leader' feature.
We also cater for the non-musicians or congregation who want the lyrics but shouldn't have to install an app and work out how to follow a 'Leader' in order to do so, so we have a very simple setup for them where they simply scan in a QR code and away they go (see below).
Our Music Book currently includes access to over 400 songs, but these are being added to constantly. The aim is for Our Music Book to be the only source of songs you need, and for that we need your help. If you let us know which songs you want added to the app (see below), we'll prioritise them and add them next. That will help make Our Music Book more useful to you much sooner than if we add songs randomly.
Instructions on how to use Our Music Book can be viewed/downloaded here. They're easy to follow and I strongly suggest you read them quickly. The same instructions can also be read within the app itself every time you start it.
In order to keep costs to a minimum, Our Music Book is a web app which means you install it directly from here. To install it on your mobile device, tap on Our Music Book App below and, once the page has loaded, tap on the icon shown in red below. It will bring up a menu.
At the bottom on iPhone![]() At the top right on iPad
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At the top on Android
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Scroll down the menu and tap on 'Add to Home Screen' on iPhone/iPad or 'Install App' on Android.
iPhone/iPad
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Android
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On iPhone/iPad tap on 'Add' to finish. On Android tap on 'Install'.
iPhone/iPad
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Android
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You should now close your Internet browser and look for the app with all your other apps and run it from there.
If you're using a computer, depending on the browser, you may also be able to install the app, otherwise simply bookmark the page for future access.
We have a simple lyric-only app which is only accessible by scanning in a QR code which includes the Leader ID and immediately opens up with the chosen song.
If you already have your Leader ID, you can create your QR code on our QR Code Generator page. You can save the QR code as an image and, for example, include it on your own poster which you may display at the event, or print out copies and distribute them throughout your venue, etc. Provided everyone can see and scan in the QR code, they'll all be able to easily participate.
We have also included three 'songs' in our library that aren't actual songs but instead are messages to keep the congregation informed:
If you have a request for a song to be added sooner than later, please send an email to:
Please ensure you clearly specify or explain which song it is you want, and if you can include the actual music (you can include a link or picture or document) or even a link to the actual song in YouTube, that will help.
If you come across a problem using Our Music Book, then the first thing to do is completely restart the app as explained at the end of the main instructions as this usually fixes everything. If the problem persists even after completely restarting the app, then please send an email to:
Please ensure you explain what the issue is in as much detail as you can, including (if possible) what causes it to happen. Any appropriate screenshots would also really help. We'll look into it and publish an updated, fixed version as soon as we can.
27th June 2024
Follow Along version and QR Code Generator are released:
We understand that non-musicians and/or the congregation will want to follow along with just the lyrics without having to install
an app and work out how to follow a Leader ID, so we created a lyrics-only app that is launched by simply scanning in a QR Code that
includes the Leader ID and immediately displays the chosen song lyrics and continues to follow the Leader.
8th January 2022
Version 2.3 is released:
We recognise that different people/groups will want to play the songs in different keys and it's a nuisance to have to remember
which key you have to transpose the song to each time you load it. So from now on, if you transpose a song, the device will remember
and automatically transpose it back to that key the next time you load it.
6th January 2022
Version 2.2 is released:
Added background detection so the app stops polling for songs when closed and will auto reload if closed for over an hour.
29th December 2021
Version 2.1 is released:
Includes support for multiple simultaneous leaders. All leaders need to log in with the same Leader ID and password, and their
devices will update with any changes made by any other leader provided they aren't using the Live Button method and are
already viewing another song.
28th December 2021
Version 2.0 of Our Music Box is released!
© Our Music Book 2025