ShowBuddy Alternative

A ShowBuddy alternative that costs less and does more

ShowBuddy Setlist is a solid backing track app. But to get full show control — DMX lighting, OSC, video — you also need Show Buddy Active, a separate license. The two together cost $318 minimum. Velvet Show does everything in one app for $79.

Price comparison

Feature comparison

Feature	Velvet Show	SB Setlist	SB Active
Backing tracks & setlists	✓	✓	—
Lyrics on timeline	✓	✓	—
MIDI cues on timeline	✓	✓	✓
OSC output (native)	✓	—	receives only
MaestroDMX direct integration	✓	—	—
Import MaestroDMX cue list	✓	—	—
iPhone/iPad remote (native App)	✓ Free	—	TouchOSC required
iPad lyrics prompter	✓	—	—
Stage screen output	✓	—	—
Apple Silicon native	✓	Rosetta (DMXIS)	✓
macOS / Windows	macOS	Both	Both
Number of apps needed	1	2	2
Price	$79	$119	$199–$499

The key differences

• One app vs two. ShowBuddy Setlist handles your tracks and lyrics. Show Buddy Active handles your lights. You need both — that's $318 minimum, two separate windows to manage live.
• OSC output. Velvet Show sends OSC natively to MaestroDMX and any network-connected system. ShowBuddy Active can receive OSC (via TouchOSC) but doesn't send it.
• MaestroDMX integration. Velvet Show connects directly to MaestroDMX — import your cue list, trigger scenes via MIDI or OSC, control Master Brightness. No equivalent in ShowBuddy.
• iPhone remote. Velvet Remote is a free native iOS app that connects to Velvet Show over your local WiFi. ShowBuddy Active requires a third-party app like TouchOSC for wireless control.
• Price. Velvet Show is $79 for everything. ShowBuddy Setlist + Active starts at $318.

What ShowBuddy does better

To be fair: Show Buddy Active has more advanced DMX capabilities — multiple universes, video output, a full fixture editor and a 2D visualizer. If you have a complex professional lighting rig and need deep DMX programming, Show Buddy Active is more powerful on the lighting side.

Velvet Show is the better choice if you want everything — backing tracks, lyrics, MIDI, OSC, lighting automation and iPhone remote — in one $79 app, without managing two separate pieces of software on stage.

Migration from ShowBuddy

Your audio files are your audio files. Import them into Velvet Show directly. Rebuild your setlists in a few minutes. No lock-in, no subscription, no data export needed.