Calendar Invites & RSVPs

Setlist gives you several ways to stay on top of your band's schedule. Whether you prefer managing everything in the app, through your email, or synced to your personal calendar, there's (hopefully!) an option that fits your workflow. Prefer something else? Let me know!

In-App Calendar & RSVP

The simplest way to manage events is directly in Setlist. When a bandmate creates a gig, rehearsal, or other event, you'll receive an in-app notification on your Messages page. Open the event to see all the details and who else has responded.

To RSVP, use the Yes, No, or Maybe toggle buttons on the event detail page. Your response is visible to the rest of the band immediately, and you can change your RSVP at any time by clicking a different button.

The Calendar view shows all your band's events in month format with a list of upcoming events also displayed. Any unavailability blocks are also displayed so the band can see when you're free when planning ahead.

A full, searchable events list is also available on the Events page which shows all events, past and future - useful for adding comments and reviewing on how a Gig went!

Email Invites with Calendar Attachments

By default, you'll receive an email whenever an event is created, updated, or cancelled. These emails include a standard calendar invite (.ics file) as an attachment. Most email clients will display the invite directly in the email with Accept, Decline, and Maybe buttons (or similar). When you respond:

  • The event is automatically added to your personal calendar (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, etc.)
  • Your response is sent back to Setlist and your RSVP is updated in the app
Messages Bubble Information Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com
Your RSVP reply must come from the same email address you used to sign up for Setlist. The system matches responses by email address, so replies from a different address won't be recognised. See the FAQ entry on calendar RSVPs for more details.

If the event is later updated (e.g. the time or venue changes), you'll receive another email with an updated invite and your calendar will update automatically. If the event is cancelled, your calendar should also remove the entry.

This is the easiest way to keep your personal calendar in sync with band events as it happens automatically just by responding to the email. You can manage these preferences on your Preferences page:

  • Event Notifications (under Notification Preferences) - controls in-app messages
  • Event Invite Emails (under Emails) - controls whether you receive the email invites

Add Individual Events to Your Calendar

On any event's detail page, inside the Date & Times card, you'll find two buttons:

  • Add to Google Calendar - opens Google Calendar in a new tab with the event details pre-filled. Just click "Save" to add it.
  • Add to Other (.ics) - downloads a standard .ics file that works with Apple Calendar, Outlook and many other calendar apps that support the format. Double-click the downloaded file (or open it on mobile devices) to add it to your calendar.

These buttons are useful if you missed the email invite, or simply prefer to add events one at a time.

Subscribe to the Band Calendar

For the full picture, you can subscribe to your band's calendar feed. This adds all of your band's events to your personal calendar as a read-only view that updates automatically.

A band admin can generate the subscription link from the Calendar page using the share button. Once generated, the link is visible to all band members on the Calendar page. Copy the URL and add it to your calendar app (see below).

Apple Calendar (iPhone, iPad, Mac)

Apple devices support calendar subscriptions natively and seem to refresh frequently.

  1. Follow Apple's guide to subscribing to a calendar
  2. Paste your band's calendar URL when prompted
  3. Set the refresh interval to every hour or longer. There's usually no benefit to refreshing more frequently since band events don't change minute-to-minute.

On iPhone, you'll find this under Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Add Account > Other > Add Subscribed Calendar.

Google Calendar (Android, web)

Google Calendar supports subscriptions, but the setup must be done from the web app first, and it will then sync to your Android devices (there appears to be no way to add it directly on the phone).

  1. Open Google Calendar in your web browser
  2. Follow the "Use a link to add a public calendar" instructions
  3. Paste your band's calendar URL
Messages Bubble Warning Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com
Google Calendar appears to refresh subscribed calendars a little slowly. Sometimes it can take a good few hours, and it does not offer a way to change this or manually refresh. This means it could take up to a day for new or updated events to appear. For time-sensitive updates, rely on the email invites (which update your Google Calendar instantly) or the in-app calendar.

Other Calendar Apps

Most calendar apps support subscribing to an .ics URL. Look for an option like "Subscribe to calendar", "Add calendar from URL", or "Add internet calendar" or something like that in your app's settings.

Which Method Should I Use?

You don't have to choose just one, they work together!

  • Email invites are the probably best default for most people. You get calendar entries automatically and can RSVP without leaving your inbox. It also includes a link to the in-app event details (see below).
  • The in-app calendar is great for seeing everything at a glance, and event pages include details you won't find in calendar apps - like attached setlists, venue information, and RSVP summaries.
  • "Add to Calendar" buttons are useful for one-off additions or catching up on events you missed.
  • The subscription feed is ideal if you want a persistent, always-up-to-date view of band events alongside your personal calendars.

As with the rest of the site, if this doesn't quite work for your use-case, let me know and I'll see what I can do!