January Update: Chat, Projects and the New Desktop App

January 2026 was an exceptionally productive month for Chorilo. With over 300 changes, we have expanded the platform with numerous new features and improved existing ones. In this article, we present the most important innovations that will make your choir routine even easier and more efficient.

Quick Communication with the New Chat

The biggest innovation in January is probably the integrated chat function. Previously, choirs had to resort to external messengers like WhatsApp or Signal for quick arrangements. That is now a thing of the past. Directly in Chorilo, you can now chat with other members without having to leave the platform.

The chat supports both individual conversations and group chats. You can share files and images, links are automatically recognized and made clickable. Particularly practical: Chat messages are synchronized in real-time, so you immediately see when someone responds. In the mobile app, you are notified of new messages via push notification.

For moderation, we have integrated automatic review, which detects inappropriate content. This keeps the chat a safe place for all members. Administrators can also manage group settings and remove members from chats if necessary.

Projects for Time-Limited Endeavors

Not every activity of a choir is permanent. Sometimes there are special projects like a concert tour, a musical project, or preparation for a competition. For such time-limited endeavors, we have developed the new projects feature.

A project works like a mini-ensemble within your choir. You can assign members, create your own events, and upload project-specific sheet music. Once the project is completed, you can archive it. The data is retained, but the project no longer appears in the active overview.

Each ensemble can manage up to three active projects simultaneously. This limitation ensures that clarity is maintained. Completed projects do not count against this limit, so you can carry out any number of projects over time.

Chorilo Files: The New Desktop App

With Chorilo Files, we have released a brand new desktop application for Windows and macOS. This app automatically synchronizes organizational files between Chorilo and a local folder on your computer. Perfect for boards and working groups who want to collaborate on documents together.

The synchronization runs in the background and requires no manual interaction. A small icon in the taskbar shows the current status. You can synchronize multiple ensembles simultaneously, with each ensemble getting its own subfolder.

Chorilo Files is free for all Chorilo users and can be downloaded directly from our website. Installation is simple and requires no special technical knowledge.

Reactions to Notifications and Chat Messages

Sometimes you want to react to a message without writing a full comment. For this, we have introduced reactions. With one click, you can add an emoji to a notification or chat message to express agreement, joy, or other emotions.

The reactions are updated in real-time and are visible to all members. You can see who reacted to a message by clicking on the reaction display. This feature promotes interaction and makes communication more lively.

Tasks and Deadlines for Events

Events are more than just a date and time. Often there are tasks that need to be completed beforehand. With the new tasks feature, you can create to-do lists directly for an event and assign them to members.

Each task can have a responsible person and a deadline. The assigned members are notified and can update the status of their tasks. This way, you keep track of whether all preparations for a concert or rehearsal are completed.

Additionally, we have introduced a deadline for responses. You can specify by when members must confirm or decline. After the deadline expires, tardy members are automatically reminded. You can also now enable a decline reason as a required field, so you always know why someone cannot participate.

Custom Fields and Files for Members

Every choir has its own requirements for member management. Some need information about T-shirt sizes, others about driver's licenses for carpools. With the new custom fields, you can capture any additional information about your members.

You define once which fields you need, and these then appear for all members. The fields can have different types: text, numbers, date, or selection fields. This way, you adapt Chorilo exactly to the needs of your association.

In addition, you can now also add files to member profiles. Contracts, consent forms, or other documents can be stored directly with the respective member. This simplifies administration and ensures that important documents are not lost.

Server Migration: 10x Faster and 100% in the EU

In January, we migrated our entire infrastructure to Hetzner in Germany. The result: Chorilo is now up to ten times faster than before. Pages load faster, API requests are processed more quickly, and the entire user experience feels smoother.

At the same time, this move means that all your data is now stored 100% in the European Union. This is not only good for performance but also for data protection. You can be sure that your data is subject to strict European data protection standards.

AI Help Chatbot

Do you have a question about using Chorilo? Our new AI help chatbot is available around the clock. It knows all the features of Chorilo and can help you with most questions immediately.

The chatbot is based on state-of-the-art AI technology and has been specially trained on Chorilo. It understands natural language and can also answer more complex questions. If it cannot help, it will forward you to our human support.

Completely Redesigned Audio Player in the App

The audio player for practice files in the mobile app has been completely redesigned from the ground up. Previously, you could only play and pause audio files. The new player offers significantly more control over playback and makes practicing at home much more effective.

You can now skip forward and backward within the audio file to practice specific passages. The playback speed can be adjusted continuously, from slow for difficult sections to fast for advanced practice. An automatic repeat function plays the file in an endless loop, so you can fully concentrate on singing without constantly having to press play.

New Dashboard and Fullscreen Mode in the App

The dashboard of the mobile app has been completely redesigned. Instead of a simple list, you now see the most important information at a glance: upcoming events, current notifications, and birthdays. The new design is clearer and immediately shows you what's coming up next.

For working with sheet music, we have introduced a fullscreen mode. With one tap, the entire user interface disappears and the sheet music fills the complete screen. This is particularly practical during rehearsals when you have the sheet music on your tablet in front of you and need maximum readability. Another tap brings the controls back.

On larger screens like tablets, events and sheet music are now displayed in two columns side by side. This makes better use of the available space and allows for a faster overview of more entries at once.

Improved Event Polls

For event polls where multiple dates are available for selection, there are now two new options. Members can now select "Maybe" for individual dates if they are not yet sure. There is also the option "None of these dates work" if really no suggested date is possible.

These extensions make scheduling more realistic. Previously, members had to either commit or not respond at all. Now they can indicate their actual availability in a more differentiated way, which makes planning much easier for choir directors.

Further Improvements at a Glance

In addition to the major new features, we have made numerous other improvements. Event conflicts are now automatically detected and displayed, so you immediately see when two events overlap. The permission management has been expanded with colored markers that show at a glance what permissions a member has.

For sheet music, you can now optionally add a watermark and upload multiple audio files at once. The voices can be sorted, and sheet music can be marked as hidden so that it is only visible to certain members. Custom reminder times allow you to remind members of events at individual times.

Member approval is a new option for ensembles that want to control who joins. When enabled, new members must first be approved by an administrator before they gain access. For events, you can now select "Travel" as an event type and enable automatic attendance, so all members are registered as attending by default. Poll results can now be viewed without having to vote yourself.

In the app, you can now clear the PDF cache in your profile to free up storage space. When privacy policy changes occur, a modal automatically appears informing you about the changes. We have also added Spanish and Swedish as new languages, so Chorilo is now available in six languages.

We are continuously working to make Chorilo better. If you have ideas for new features or encounter problems, we would love to hear from you. Use the new AI chatbot, the feature request function, or send us an email.