Catmon Mission

Shepherd Christian Baptist Church

Author: chiedev

  • SongBookPro with VerseCAST

    SongBookPro is a digital songbook application designed for musicians to store, organize, and display lyrics, chords, and sheet music on tablets, phones, and laptops. It replaces physical binders, featuring tools like song transposition, metronome, annotation, and automatic scrolling for live performances.

    To import lyrics from SongBookPro into VerseCAST for display, use the “Share” function within your setlist in SongBookPro to export .sbp file, then open this file directly with the VerseCAST app to automatically populate your set. 

    Step-by-Step Import Process

    1. Open SongBookPro: Go to your song setlist that you want to display.
    2. Share Setlist: Tap the three dots (“…”) menu in the top right corner and select Share > SongBookPro to create a .sbp file.
    3. Export/Send: Select your email client or a file-sharing app to send the file.
    4. Import to VerseCAST: Open the shared file using the VerseCAST app, or send the email to the device running VerseCAST and open the attachment with it.
    5. Display: The songs will automatically be added to the current set in VerseCAST for presentation.

    Key Tips

    • Supported Format: VerseCAST directly supports SongBookPro (.sbp) files.
    • Method: This allows you to import entire sets for worship, rather than importing songs individually.
    • Alternatives: You can also share using generic ChordPro formats (.cho, .pro) if needed.

  • What is VerseCAST?

    VerseCAST is a mobile-first church presentation app for iOS and Android that allows you to display Bible verses, song lyrics, and media on a smart TV, projector, or via livestream (OBS/vMix) without a computer. It works by connecting your phone to a display over WiFi, often utilizing 

    YouVersion for scripture integration.

    Core Setup & Usage

    1. Install & Connect: Install the VerseCAST app and ensure your phone and display (Smart TV/Chromecast) are on the same WiFi network.
    2. Connect to Display: Open the app and follow the instructions to connect to your screen via the app’s internal browser.
    3. Display Bible Verses:
      • Select ‘Scripture’ and tap the ‘+’ button to open the YouVersion Bible app.
      • Find the verse, select it, and choose “Share” to send it to VerseCAST.
      • The app generates a slide automatically.
    4. Display Songs: Import lyrics from OnSong or SongBookPRO, or use the built-in editor to create lyrics.
    5. Control the Service: Use the app to select, preview, and send songs, verses, or media to the screen, with options for color-coded song sections and, for example, transitioning to a blank background.

    Key Features

    • No Computer Needed: Operates entirely from a smartphone.
    • YouVersion Integration: Access thousands of Bible versions.
    • Live Stream Integration: Works with OBS and vMix for, for example, adding lower-third, for example, scriptures.
    • 4K Support: Produces high-resolution, animated slides.
    • Remote Control: A speaker can manage, for example, slides from a tablet on stage.

    For detailed setup instructions, visit the VerseCAST website. 

  • Steps to Edit the Hosts File

    Windows PC

    1. Open Search: Press the Windows key and type Notepad.
    2. Run as Admin: Right-click Notepad in the search results and select Run as administrator.
    3. Open File: In Notepad, go to File > Open.
    4. Navigate: Paste the following path into the address bar and press Enter: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.
      • Note: If you don’t see the file, change the file type dropdown from “Text Documents (.txt)” to “All Files (.)”*.
    5. Edit and Save: Make your changes, then press Ctrl + S or click File > Save.

    macOS

    To edit the macOS hosts file as an administrator, use the Terminal to open the file with sudo privileges. Run sudo nano /etc/hosts, enter your password, make changes using the arrow keys, and save with Control+O, Enter, and Control+X.

    1. Open Terminal: Press Command + Space, type “Terminal”, and hit Enter.
    2. Open File with Sudo: Type the following command and press Enter:
      sudo nano /etc/hosts
    3. Authenticate: Enter your Mac user password (it will not appear on the screen) and press Enter.
    4. Edit: Use the arrow keys to move to the bottom of the file. Add your new mappings (e.g., 127.0.0.1 example.com).
    5. Save and Exit:
      • Press Control + O and Enter to save the changes.
      • Press Control + X to exit nano.
    6. Flush DNS Cache (Optional): To make changes take effect immediately, run:
      sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder