Less searching. More calling.
Modern caller software can do more than just play music. It can find loops, automate processes, and help you exactly when you need it.
Automatic loop finder via sound analysis
Bad jump markers in loops are annoying. Good loops waste time. Not anymore – thanks to the automatic loop finder in the caller's caddy.
Individual rules for behavior and display
Tired of repeating the same steps? It doesn't have to be that way. With Rules, you define what your Caller's Caddy should do and when. For example, display lyrics in large format, switch layouts, or remind you of the pattern in time.
Themes and customizable window sizes
Windows that are too small, inflexible sizes, impractical views? It doesn't have to be that way. You fit in. Window sizes, layouts and colors so they work best for you.
Those were just a few highlights of what the caller's caddy can do these days.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the first version of Callers Caddy was released back in December 2001? That was on Windows XP. It's hard to imagine what was possible even back then.
In addition to the modern features, there are of course the functions that are simply part of the package today:
- Change tempo and pitch separately,
- Remember when you played which song and where,
- Output setlists and music sequence lists and a
- Stable music output via its own sound engine – without external programs like Winamp or Pacemaker.
- and much more.
What's stopping you from testing the Callers Caddy now?
- Open Source – full transparency.
- For free – Just try it.
- No installation required – download, unzip, start.
- Moving helpers Migration aids for Callers Caddy 1 already exist. Further migration aids for, e.g., SqView and SDPlayer are already in development.
Current version – tested, stable and still being developed.
Most recent blog posts
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Stream Deck for Square Dance Callers: Music Control Made Easy
Laptops have already taken a lot of work off the hands of square dance callers. Managing music, searching for songs, adjusting the tempo, displaying lyrics, preparing playlists – many things are much easier today than before. Nevertheless, a small problem remains in live situations: mouse and touchpad aren't always the most comfortable way to control music. Especially when you're simultaneously calling, keeping an eye on the dancers,
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Dual View (ie Lyrics + Sequences)
Some features have instant visual appeal. The new Dual View is definitely one of them. With it, you can bring two widgets to the forefront simultaneously in Callers Caddy and display them side-by-side as floating windows. This is especially useful when you don't just want to keep an eye on one widget, but need to view two things at once. That's exactly what it does.
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Connecting the dots
The big leaps are here – now for the finer details. Major new features like the Loop Finder are already in Callers Caddy. These features are immediately noticeable. They visibly bring a lot of dynamism to the software. Now it's about something else. Now it's about the small, subtle details. Precisely these things.
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New Music for Callers – How to find them
Square dance callers are always looking for new music. A great song can change the mood of a tip. It can liven up the dance floor, bring fresh energy, and make the dancers smile. That's why many callers are constantly on the lookout for the next track to add to their music library. Today, it's much easier to find good square dance music.
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Caller Notes
Anyone who regularly calls for clubs, prepares a special, or teaches a class knows the problem: there are always a few things floating around in your head. These thoughts are often important – but unfortunately, they're not always there when you need them. That's precisely why Callers Caddy now offers a new feature: Notes.
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Press ANY Key
Anyone who calls from a laptop or PC quickly encounters the problem: there are more things you want to do with a single keystroke than there are conveniently available keys. Initially, the standard keys are often sufficient. In Callers Caddy, the F5 to F8 keys are already sensibly assigned – for Play, Pause/Resume, Stop, and Fadeout.
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Auto-Import Lyrics
The age-old problem: Manual linking. Anyone who regularly imports new songs into their music player knows the scenario: You have a nice MP3 file—and often a lyrics file (RTF, HTML, or TXT) alongside it. The classic workflow: For 10 songs? Doable. For 100 songs? Tedious. For 1,000 songs? Unrealistic. The solution: Lyrics co-import in Callers Caddy Ab
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Rules, ALL Triggers, Conditions, Actions and Parameters
The rules system is the heart of automation in Callers Caddy. You define when something should happen (trigger), whether a condition must be met (condition), and what happens then (action). All without scripting, all with a single click. And so you know exactly what's currently available, here's the complete list of triggers:,
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Controlled Loops for Pattern Music
A pattern can be looped cleanly and musically, yet still become too long. This is often where the real problem lies in practice. Because people's attention spans, and therefore dancers' as well, are limited. If a pattern runs for too long, the tension drops. The energy in the room becomes flat. And what just worked well a moment ago...
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Rules – Your Workflow, Your Choice
Every caller has their own way of working. Some want to configure as little as possible, preferring the software to anticipate needs and take work off their hands. Others prefer to make their own decisions, only using features they've thoroughly tested. Both approaches are perfectly fine. Callers Caddy has long reflected this. It supports various languages and features.
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Loop Finder
Anyone who adds a lot of new songs to their collection knows the problem: manually setting loop markers is time-consuming. A lot of time. This is precisely where the new Loop Finder in the Callers Caddy comes in. It's not meant to replace your ear, but it's designed to take the work off your hands, so you, as the caller, have to search much less yourself. (See article.)
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Tutorials
With version 0.35, Callers Caddy gets a new tutorial system. The idea behind it is simple: functions should be explained where they are needed. Callers Caddy, in particular, has many widgets and windows with their own tasks. This is practical in everyday use, but can also seem confusing at first. A traditional manual is only of limited help.,
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Organize your song database
Over time, every song database becomes a bit like a desk in real life. At the beginning, everything is neatly organized. But the more evenings you spend calling, the more songs you add, and the more often you spontaneously add something, the more likely it is that little things will be left unfinished. Sometimes, for example, the lyrics are missing for a singing call.
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The correct sequence for perfect loops
Anyone who works with MP3 loops knows the problem: You set the markers precisely, listen to the section, and think: That should be perfect. But then, when playing back normally, the transition still doesn't sound quite right. This is precisely where knowing the correct sequence becomes crucial. Because a good loop isn't created by simply...
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The 6 best music management programs for square dance callers
The hall is packed, the atmosphere is great, and your dancers are ready. You click once, the right music starts, your playlist is sorted, your loops are in the right place, and every MP3 file is exactly where you need it. Instead of struggling with your software, you stay focused on the dance floor, the timing.
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Beat-Snap – Automatically set loops
This was a huge advantage when we switched to digital music files and could create endless pattern loops. No more manual, clunky music resets with the remote button. However, setting the loop jump points can sometimes be tricky and time-consuming. With the new Callers Caddy, this is now 1000 times easier. 1. First, you roughly set your jump markers within the song.
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Why the new Callers Caddy is being released as open source under the GPL
1. Good caller tools shouldn't depend on a single person. Some software is more than just a program. Over time, it becomes a tool that people rely on. That's exactly how I see Callers Caddy. There was a first version many years ago. Then life got in the way for me: parental leave,
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Determine the BPM of the square dance song
Wow, that was so annoying back then! You had to manually calculate how many beats per minute the square dance song had. But modern technology can do that for you very accurately and reliably. That's why automatic BPM measurement is included in Callers Caddy (from version 0.30 onwards).
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Color change via theme
We're all familiar with this from smartphones today: the ability to customize the color and design of apps. So why not offer the same for Callers Caddy? That's why you can choose between different color schemes. Here are a few examples: As you can see, Callers Caddy may change the colors in the lyric window.
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Performance (Callers Caddy)
Every program is fast – without data and users 😉 That's why I absolutely wanted to know how fast the new Callers Caddy is before its release. And not wait until users suffer to gather feedback. So I tested the performance of my modest list of 518 songs. And then I simply loaded another 10,000 tracks into the system and