Song Cage Desktop is the same writing canvas this manual describes, packaged as a native app for macOS and Windows. It installs locally, works fully offline, and syncs to your cloud library the moment you sign in. This chapter covers installing it, the trial and license, and the few places where it behaves differently from the browser.
What you'll learn
- What the desktop app is, and how it differs from using Song Cage in a browser
- System requirements and where to download
- How to install on a Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel)
- How to install on Windows, including the SmartScreen prompt you may see
- How the 14-day trial and the one-time license work
- What works offline, and what sign-in adds
- How auto-updates work
Everything in the previous eighteen chapters applies to the desktop app unchanged. The chord palette, the modulation panel, the word tools, playback, export: it is the same canvas. What the desktop app changes is where Song Cage lives (your dock or taskbar instead of a browser tab) and what it needs to run (nothing, not even a network connection).
19.1 What the desktop app is
Song Cage Desktop is a native application for macOS and Windows. Compared to running Song Cage in a browser, the differences are at the operating-system level:
- It lives in your dock or taskbar. One click opens it, no browser session or tab hunting involved.
- It works fully offline. Songs are stored locally on your machine. The word tools (rhymes, slant rhymes, synonyms, associations) ship inside the app, so even a rhyme lookup needs no network call.
- It has a native menu bar. File, Edit, and View menus with standard keyboard shortcuts for things like creating a song and exporting MIDI or PDF (see Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips).
- It remembers its window. Size and position persist across launches.
- It is small. About 60 MB installed.
If you only ever write at a desk with good Wi-Fi, the web app at app.songcage.com gives you the identical experience. The desktop app earns its place when you write on planes, in rehearsal spaces, or anywhere you want Song Cage to open instantly next to your DAW.
19.2 System requirements and downloads
| Build | Requirement |
|---|---|
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | macOS 12 or later, M1 or newer |
| macOS (Intel) | macOS 12 or later, Intel x86_64 |
| Windows | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit |
All three installers are on the desktop page. Download the build that matches your machine; on a Mac, that means choosing between the Apple Silicon and Intel installers.
19.3 Installing on a Mac
- Download the
.dmgfor your chip (Apple Silicon or Intel) from the desktop page. - Open the
.dmgand drag Song Cage into your Applications folder. - Launch it from Applications (or Spotlight). The app is signed and notarized, so macOS opens it without security warnings.
19.4 Installing on Windows
- Download the Windows installer from the desktop page.
- Run the setup
.exeand follow the prompts.
The "Windows protected your PC" prompt
On a newly released version, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" screen. This appears for any recently published app until enough people have installed it to build a reputation with Microsoft; it is not a verdict on the software. The installer is code-signed by Digital Candy LLC, the company behind Song Cage.
To continue: click More info, confirm the publisher reads Digital Candy LLC, then click Run anyway. The prompt disappears on its own as more people install each version.
19.5 The trial and the license
The desktop app starts with a 14-day free trial: the full app, no card required. After that, there are two ways to keep using it:
- A one-time license, $79. No subscription. One license covers both macOS and Windows, on all desktop computers you personally use. It includes free updates for the v1.x line, and it will cover the Song Cage plugin under the same entitlement when the plugin ships.
- A Pro or Band subscription. If you already subscribe (see Account & Subscription), the desktop app is included at no extra cost. Sign in inside the app and the license activates from your subscription.
The one-time license unlocks the app itself; it does not include cloud sync. Syncing your songs across desktop, web, and mobile comes with a Pro or Band subscription, exactly as described in the Collaboration and Account & Subscription chapters.
19.6 Working offline
Offline is the desktop app's natural state, not a degraded mode. With no network connection you can:
- Create and edit songs (they save to a local database on your machine)
- Use every chord, melody, and modulation tool
- Look up rhymes, slant rhymes, synonyms, and associations (the word data ships inside the app)
- Record audio and use melody detection
- Play back and arrange
No account is required for any of this. If you never sign in, your songs simply stay local to that machine.
If you activated through a subscription, the app caches your entitlement locally so it keeps working offline for extended stretches between check-ins; you don't need to be online every time you launch.
19.7 Signing in and cloud sync
Signing in connects the desktop app to your Song Cage cloud library. With a Pro or Band plan, edits sync in the background: a song you change on the desktop shows up on the web and mobile within seconds, and offline edits sync when you reconnect.
Sign-in happens in your default browser, not inside the app: the app opens a Song Cage page where you sign in as usual, and the browser hands the session back to the app. You never type your password into the desktop app itself.
Signing out doesn't lock anything. The app keeps working offline with your local songs.
19.8 Updates
When a new version is available, a small banner appears in the app. One click downloads the update, verifies its signature, and restarts on the new version. If you'd rather update on your own schedule, you can disable auto-update and check manually from the menu.