The Best Free Sound Playback and Cue Apps for Pantomimes
- The Panto Jukebox
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
Where do I start with controlling show audio?
So you’ve started gathering your music and sound effects to being your next panto to life. Now you need a reliable a way of playing your music back at exactly the right moment, at the right volume, and minimising the risk of playing the wrong thing by accident!
Whether you’re running a show using a computer, tablet or phone, you can avoid some of the stress of getting this right with some simple, completely free software.
Generally, Audio playback applications fall into three categories:
Cue Apps are built for structured playback of audio or visuals for theatre and entertainment settings. They play back a sequential list of tracks (cues) but offer precise control over fade-outs, track volumes and layering sounds together. The take a bit of time to program, but are often the best way of managing a full show soundtrack.
Sound boards lay out your sounds in a grid of buttons, triggered just by tapping the right one or pressing a hotkey. You’re not locked into a set order, so these apps are very useful for ad-libbed comedy routines, audience interactions and quick fire sound effects. These apps are suited to touch screens such as tablets and phones, although perfectly usable on a computer.
Media Players such as iTunes, Windows Media Player or Spotify are fine for general listening, but automatically roll into the next song in the playlist, so are highly risky for live theatre.
CD Players - the low tech option?
Ever noticed that when you press ‘Play’ on a CD player nothing happens for a few seconds? That lag can completely ruin the timing of a performance, particularly stings and sound effects which need to hit a line of dialogue precisely.
Standard music player apps also automatically move to the following track the moment the current one finishes. If you aren't aggressively jabbing the pause button, you risk having a high-energy pop track blaring over the top of the Villain’s dramatic monologue.
Constructing playlists in consumer apps can be a minefield too, there’s often a lag whilst the next track loads. These apps usually require you to import show files into your personal music library where they can easily get lost. Dedicated show software solves this by ensuring that when you hit play, exactly one cue fires instantly—and then the system waits patiently for your next command.
Best Free Theatre Sound Software for Windows
If you’re using a Windows computer there are some simple and easy-to-use apps that will soon find their way onto your machine for hassle-free show audio control in minutes:
VLC (Best for Simple Playback)
VLC is a free, no-nonsense media player with a clean, simple interface. You may have heard of it before or even used it to play music or videos, but did you know that by tweaking a few settings VLC can be an ideal choice to control simple show audio?
You can create and save standalone playlists in VLC without needing to import anything into a central library, and even playback video as well as audio.
You can tell VLC to stop playing once a track has finished, by tweaking a simple setting. Here’s a handy Youtube video which explains where to find this setting on both Macs and Windows machines: https://youtu.be/u0use9urx5g?si=fajv_6283MCBYA4B&t=113
VLC is available for Macs too, with the same functionality.
Pros
A useful step up from a standard media player
Quick to set up and use
Cons
One track at a time
No per-track controls such as volume or fading.
VLC is available to download from https://www.videolan.org/
MultiPlay (Best for Linear Cues)
For more intricate audio designs, MultiPlay is a dedicated Windows cue app. It allows you to organise tracks in a strict sequence, play multiple files simultaneously (like looping ambient rain under a crack of thunder), trim track lengths, and program custom fade-ins or fade-outs.
MultiPlay has a great many useful features, and is easily capable of running small to medium scale production audio. Best of all it’s completely freeware so you get all the functionality straightaway, rather than being locked behind a paywall. As with most software of this type the initial setup of your cues takes a little time, but once you’re over that hurdle it’s very simple to edit and refine your list into a polished production.
MultiPlay can be a little fiddly to download, but once it’s on your computer there’s a great deal of control that is invaluable when running sound for pantomimes and shows of all kinds. The interface is a little dated but is actively maintained by the developers.
Pros
Ability to play multiple tracks at once
Can set volume levels per track, fade in and out and much more
Cons
Fiddly to download via the developer forum
Tracks must be imported individually
MultiPlay is available at: https://da-share.com/forum/index.php?topic=583.0
Sound Show (Best Flexibility)
Sound Show is a sound board app that’s useful for sound effects as well as lists of cues. It’s also available on Mac and Android - the full rundown is below.
Top Free Theatre Audio Apps for Mac
If you have access to a Mac then you’re in luck - there are some powerful tools available to help with show control, all for free!
QLab (The Industry Standard)
QLab is a professional theatre control app for Macs that has become the professional standard for theatrical playback. Don’t let that put you off though, the interface is very intuitive, and the ‘base’ version is completely free to download. QLab offers a powerful selection of audio cue control features out fo the box, such as random cue lists, timed fade-outs and playing multiple cues. It’s intuitive to use and it doesn’t take long to get up and running, and can even control simple video.
QLab prides itself on being a free app with premium add-ons, there are various Pro licenses available for those wanting extra control.
QLab is built specifically for controlling media cues in theatrical productions, so you don’t need to worry about music starting halfway through, or jabbing the Pause button at the right time. QLab takes care of everything.
Pros
The ultimate level of control
Clean, simple interface
Cons
Only for Mac
More involved than just building your playlist and pressing GO
VLC (Useful for Simple Playback)
If QLab looks a little daunting or you don’t need lots of features, then VLC for Mac is a solid choice, with all the same features as the Windows version listed above.
Sound Show (Best Desktop Soundboard)
Sound Show stands out as a highly flexible soundboard app that allows you to organize buttons into custom categories or acts. You can drag and drop audio files directly into the grid, map tracks to keyboard hotkeys, and crossfade between cues with a single click.
There’s a ‘Pro’ version available, but the free version is packed with all the features mentioned here, plus many more. The ’Getting Started’ videos are very useful to get up and running in minutes.
Sound Show is one of the most flexible apps on this list, as it’s available on Windows and Android as well. A word of warning - it’s not verified by Apple or Android, so if you’re using these platforms you’ll need to bypass some security protections to be able to download and use the app.
Pros
Quick setup
Lots of flexibility
Cons
Free version limits the number of categories you can create
Not possible to import music from DRM-enabled libraries such as Spotify and Apple Music
Sound Show is available to download for multiple platforms here: https://soundshow.app/downloads
Free Sound Cue Apps for iPad and iPhone
Mobile devices are very handy for controlling a simple sound setup. Sound board apps are well suited to touch screens, although there are more complex options available too.
Go Button (Best Mobile Cue App)
Created by Figure 53 (the same team behind QLab), Go Button brings professional cue-list design to iOS. Like it’s big brother, Go Button is a powerful and flexible sound cue app, allowing you to easily build playlists of music and sound effects on your iPhone or iPad and triggered by a big GO button.
With Go Button it’s possible to set the volume of tracks individually, make volume changes mid-track, and even adjust the speed and pitch of the sound. As well as a cue list, the app features a sound board interface for cuing ad-libbed music or sound effects.
The free version limits you to only having one saved show, but otherwise has a vast amount of functionality, including using Bluetooth or MIDI to trigger automations remotely, as well as supporting a wide range of audio and video formats.
Pros
The free version has all of the features, only limited by being able to have one saved show at a time
Can edit audio pitch and speed from the app
Cons
With functionality comes complexity
Does not support importing from apps such as Spotify and Apple Music
Go Button is available on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/co/app/go-button/id454017315?l=en-GB
Sports Audio DJ / SQ Theatre Sound Cues (Best for Library Integration)
Sound board app Sports Audio DJ (iOS) / SQ Theatre Sound Cues (Mac) is a simple sound board app with the ability to fade tracks at the tap of a screen, as well as organising your cues into boards for easy access.
Primarily for iPad and iPhone, SQ Theatre Sound Cues offers integration with Spotify Premium and Apple Music subscriptions so you can pull in music easily from your library. Attempting to play 2 tracks at once will make the app crossfade from one to the other rather than directly layering the sound.
Quite a bit of functionality is locked behind the Pro version, but for a simple setup this could do the trick.
Pros
Clean, simple interface
Spotify Premium and Apple Music integration
Cons
Many features limited to the Pro version
No support for layering tracks (at least in the free version)
Soundboard Studio (Best Visual Grid)
Another soundboard app for iPhones and iPads, Soundboard Studio combines a neon interface with some solid functionality. It’s easy to play multiple tracks at once as well as set volumes for individual cues, you can set fade durations per track and trim audio to the desired length.
It’s easy to stay organised by creating multiple boards and switching between them, as well as importing tracks from Apple Music. The free version is limited to 4 boards and 24 total tracks, but for small scale uses Soundboard Studio offers a lot of useful features.
Pros
Easy to import audio
Lots of functionality for fades, organising and overlaying tracks
Cons
Free version limited to 24 tracks
Track automations limited to Pro version
Soundboard Studio is available on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/soundboard-studio/id1108810082
Best Android Theatre Sound Apps
Sound Show (Best Flexible Soundboard)
Our old friend Sound Show reappears on Android. The mobile version of the desktop software brings the exact same flexible grid-based soundboard layout directly to Android tablets and phones. Excellent for running unexpected ad-lib sound effects on a touch screen. See our full review above.
Audio Cues (Best for Linear Cues)
As far as Android sound control apps go, Audio Cues is a pretty solid choice. This sound cue app includes a variety of useful features, such as setting volumes per track, fades and loops. The features list isn’t quite as long as some other cue apps we’ve mentioned, but for simple productions this app is easy to set up and manage.
You can import audio files from the file system on your phone, plus there’s integration with file sharing services like Google Drive and Dropbox. There’s no support for music services such as Spotify, however. The app supports a range of audio files, including WAV, MP3, OGG and FLAC files. There’s also an option to view your cues as a sound board, and there’s a split screen view available for landscape view on phones and tablets.
Audio Cues only supports 2 shows and 10 cues per show for free, with a Pro license removing this restriction.
Pros
Simple to get started,
Supports many audio file types
Cons
No support for music streaming services
The free version limits are quite restrictive
Choosing Your Perfect Panto Toolkit
At the end of the day, the best software for your production is the one that matches both your script's complexity and the device you have on hand. A grid-based soundboard like Sound Show or Soundboard Studio will give your operator the visual flexibility they need. On the other hand, if you are managing a structured show packed with musical numbers and complex crossfades, a dedicated linear cue app like QLab or MultiPlay is well worth the initial setup time. Whichever route you choose, the golden rule of theatre tech remains the same: download your software early, import your tracks before tech week, and run plenty of practice cues. With the right free toolkit on your desk, you can stop fighting your media player and focus on making your next production as magical as possible.
Break a leg!
Got some more ideas for free show control software? Let us know in the comments!
Disclaimer: Mention of software in this toolkit does not constitute a formal endorsement. Always thoroughly test your audio apps on your specific performance hardware during technical rehearsals before opening night!
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