Song Cage, on your desktop.
A real native app for your dock. Works offline. Cmd‑Tab to it. Syncs your songs to the cloud the moment you sign in.
Download. Write. Sync when you want.
Here's how it'll work once it ships. The same Song Cage canvas you already use on the web, in a native app that lives in your dock and survives a closed laptop on an airplane.
Download & install
Signed installer for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) or Windows 10+. Lives in your Applications folder or Start menu. Cmd‑Tab and Alt‑Tab put it next to your DAW and your browser.
Write offline
Open the app on a plane, in a hotel, at a coffee shop with bad Wi‑Fi. Chord palette, lyric editor, word panel, melody timeline, voice memos — all of it works with no network at all.
Sign in to sync
Sign in once and your songs sync to the cloud library you already have on web and mobile. Edit on the train, pick up where you left off at home. Sync is included with Pro and Band; offline use is free forever.
The full canvas, in a native app.
- Chord palette In‑key, borrowed, and secondary dominant chords for whatever key you're in. Suggestions rank against melody and surrounding chords.
- Lyric editor with syllable splits Each syllable carries its own pitch. Drag dividers and the melody re‑snaps to the grid.
- Offline word panel Rhymes, slant rhymes, synonyms, and word associations. No network call. Works on stage with no Wi‑Fi.
- Melody from audio Hum or sing into your laptop mic, the app extracts the melody, snaps it to your key, and drops it on the timeline. Auto Chords harmonizes it.
- Native menus and shortcuts Cmd‑N for a new song, Cmd‑Shift‑M for Export MIDI, Cmd‑Shift‑P for Export PDF. Window position and size remembered across launches.
- Optional cloud sync Sign in with Pro or Band and the same song shows up on web, mobile, and inside the plugin within seconds. Sign out and the app keeps working offline.
Runs natively on the Mac and PC you already own.
Will ship signed and notarized for macOS, and signed with an EV certificate for Windows SmartScreen. Linux is on the v1.2 roadmap if customers ask.
One price. No subscription.
$79 one-time after the trial
Free at launch from your existing subscription
Common questions.
How is the desktop app different from the web app?
It's the same Song Cage canvas. The differences are at the OS level: it lives in your dock, it opens with one click instead of a browser tab, it remembers its window size and position, it has a native menu bar with keyboard shortcuts, and it works fully offline. The songwriting experience is identical to app.songcage.com.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Songs are stored locally in the app. You can write on a plane, in a hotel, anywhere with no Wi-Fi. When you reconnect, your edits sync to the cloud library automatically (if you're signed in with Pro or Band). If you're not signed in, the app still works — you just keep your songs local.
Do I need a Song Cage account?
No. You can use the desktop app fully offline with no account. Sign in only if you want your songs to sync to app.songcage.com, the mobile app, or the AU/VST3 plugin.
I already pay for Song Cage Pro. Do I pay again?
No. Current Pro and Band subscribers get the desktop app at no extra cost. When it launches, sign in inside the desktop app and the license activates from your subscription. The same entitlement also unlocks the Song Cage plugin.
What about Apple Silicon and Intel Macs?
The installer ships a universal binary that runs natively on both Apple Silicon (M1 and later) and Intel Macs. Cold start is under three seconds on a 2020+ machine.
How big is the install?
About 60 MB installed. The native shell is Tauri (not Electron), which keeps the footprint roughly one-tenth the size of comparable Electron apps. Memory usage idles around 250 MB.
Will it auto-update?
Yes. A small banner appears in the app when a new version is available. One click downloads, verifies the signature, and restarts the app on the new version. You can also disable auto-update and check manually from the menu.
What about Linux?
Not in v1. Tauri 2 supports Linux and we'll add it in v1.2 if customers ask. If you want to be notified, email support@songcage.com with "Linux" in the subject.
Does it use AI?
No. Chord suggestions come from music theory rules: voice leading, melody-chord-tone scoring, and progression patterns. Rhymes and synonyms come from dictionary lookups that ship inside the app. Auto Chords is a deterministic rule-based scorer. Same melody and key produce the same progression every time.
Coming soon to your desktop
The native macOS and Windows app is on the way. Start writing in the web app today, and we’ll email you the moment the desktop app ships.