Two tools that sound like competitors but actually sit at opposite ends of the same workflow. BTM preps your KaraokeVersion library on a Mac. audioCue plays your finished set live with a lyrics prompter. Here's the honest comparison — and why most gigging musicians use both.
If you're asking "BTM or audioCue?" you're probably asking the wrong question. They don't overlap much.
BTM is a free Mac app that manages your KaraokeVersion library — browse the 93K+ catalog, download stems, shift key before download, auto-fetch lyrics and chords, wishlist songs with price alerts, export WAV. It's a prep-and-practice tool.
audioCue is a cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS) live player with an auto-scrolling lyrics prompter and setlist management. It's a perform-on-stage tool.
The most common workflow is to use both: BTM on your Mac for the library, audioCue on your laptop / phone / tablet for the gig. The handoff between them is a WAV or MP3 file.
Free Mac app for KaraokeVersion users. Library manager first, practice tool second.
"Backing Tracks Player & Lyrics Prompter for Live Performance." Built by Barry in Dundee, UK.
Most of these rows aren't "wins" or "losses" — they're a snapshot of what each tool is designed to do. Both are good at their job.
| Feature | BTM | audioCue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Library management & practice prep | Live performance & lyrics prompter | Different jobs. Complementary, not competitive. |
| KaraokeVersion catalog browser (93K+ songs) | In-app, full search + previews | No — plays files you supply | BTM is KV-native. audioCue is source-agnostic. |
| KV purchase-history sync | Imports full history | No | BTM knows what you own; audioCue plays whatever you load. |
| One-click stem downloads | 4 parallel connections | No | BTM's purpose. audioCue isn't a downloader. |
| Key shifting ±6 semitones before download | Yes | No | BTM shifts at the KV download step. |
| Auto-scrolling lyrics prompter (live) | No | Yes — core feature | audioCue's signature feature. |
| Lyrics-to-track timestamping | Auto-fetch static lyrics (Genius) | Tap-to-time as the track plays | BTM displays lyrics for practice; audioCue syncs them to the song for scrolling. |
| Auto chord fetch | Cifra Club + Ultimate Guitar | No | BTM grabs chord charts automatically. |
| Setlist / playlist management for gigs | Library organization, not true setlists | Full setlist builder | audioCue is purpose-built for setlist play-through. |
| Built-in drum machine | No | Yes | audioCue's drum machine is for live practice and solo gigs. |
| Web Audio mixer (solo / mute / pan stems) | Yes | Plays pre-mixed tracks | BTM mixes stems for practice. audioCue plays the final file. |
| Wishlist with KV price-drop alerts | Yes | No | Unique to BTM. |
| MIDI chord generation for DAW | Yes | No | Unique to BTM. |
| WAV conversion (24-bit, 44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz) | Yes | No | BTM exports WAVs for your DAW or for audioCue. |
| Song update notifications (KV re-records) | Yes | No | BTM watches KV and alerts you. |
| Multi-folder scan + "Fix & Organize" | Yes | No | BTM cleans up years of messy download folders. |
| Platform — Mac | Universal (Apple Silicon + Intel) | Supported | Both run on Mac. |
| Platform — Windows | Planned | Supported | audioCue works today on Windows; BTM Windows is on the roadmap. |
| Platform — iOS / Android | No | Both | audioCue is device-portable for the stage. |
| Price | Free forever | Free download; paid tiers available | Both are affordable. Check audioCue's Prices page for tier details. |
| Active development | v3.2 (March 2026) | v3.0.47 | Both are actively maintained. |
If you use BTM and audioCue together, the prep-to-stage flow looks like this:
Ideally, use both. BTM handles the prep work so that when you open audioCue at the gig, every track is already in the right key with lyrics ready.
Not really. BTM manages your KaraokeVersion library on a Mac — browsing the catalog, downloading stems, shifting keys, organizing folders, fetching lyrics and chords. audioCue plays your finished backing tracks live with an auto-scrolling lyrics prompter and setlist management. The two tools sit at opposite ends of the workflow: BTM preps the library, audioCue performs from it. Most gigging musicians use both.
audioCue is free to download on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, with paid tiers available on their Prices/Buy Now page. The core live-performance features are available in the free version.
Not natively. audioCue is a generic backing-tracks player — it works with any MP3 or multi-format audio file you load. It doesn't browse the KaraokeVersion catalog, sync your KV purchase history, shift key before download, or track KV price drops. That's BTM's specialty.
Yes, and that's the most common setup. Use BTM on your Mac to browse KV, download the stems you want, shift key, mix a custom practice track, fetch lyrics and chords, and export WAV or MP3. Then load the exported file into audioCue on your laptop, phone, or tablet for the live show.
audioCue is purpose-built for solo singers and duos performing live — auto-scrolling lyrics prompter, setlist management, built-in drum machine. BTM complements it by giving solo acts a fast way to browse, buy, and organize the actual backing tracks before the gig.
No. BTM displays lyrics and chords in the library for practice and reference, but it does not have an auto-scrolling lyrics prompter for live use. If you want on-stage lyrics scrolling, pair BTM with audioCue (or another live player).
Use BTM to browse, download, and organize your KaraokeVersion library. Pair it with whatever live player you already love — audioCue, Stage Traxx, ShowOne, or a plain media player on a laptop.
Download BTM v3.2 Free See all BTM featuresFree forever · macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon + Intel