# Follow overview

Understand what Follow needs, what it shows, and how to keep control when live tracking is uncertain.

> Type: Overview · Status: Beta · Platforms: iPadOS 17+ · Last reviewed: 2026-07-18

## What Follow does

`Follow` tracks a live performance against the open score and can turn pages while you keep playing. You remain in control: manual page turns and the on-score anchor stay available during a session.

![The iPad reader showing a blue tracking band and note dot beside the live Lab signals.](/assets/demo/studio-tracker-poster.jpg)

*A live tracking view. Lab is diagnostic; the score and manual controls remain available.*

## What Follow needs

- A score that has been prepared in `Trainer`.
- Microphone permission and a usable input signal.
- A network connection to the live alignment service.
- A Smart Score or a calibrated PDF layout that gives the tracker a reliable score map.

Start with [Prepare a piece for Follow](/docs/follow/prepare). A greyed `Follow` control opens `Trainer` because one or more preparation steps are still missing.

## What you see

Open the Follow preset to choose `Follow me live` and an on-screen mode:

- `No tracker`: page turns without a tracking overlay.
- `Blue band`: marks the current system.
- `Band + note dot`: adds note-level position where the score supports it.
- `System pointer`: one coarse rectangle marks the current line. It toggles on top of the band rather than replacing it.

While a tracker is on, the `RECTANGLE` picker sets how wide the band is: `By measure` frames the whole bar; `By beat` sweeps one beat at a time.

With `Band + note dot`, the `DOTS` picker chooses which notes carry a dot. `Auto-detect` follows the note the tracker lands on. `Soprano`, `Alto`, `Tenor`, and `Bass` combine freely — one dot per selected voice, each in its own colour. `Right hand` and `Left hand` instead pin a single dot to the upper or lower staff.

The preset also exposes page-turn timing and confidence controls. Test those settings on the device and score you will use; they affect when the app holds or advances.

The main transport reads `Follow` for live microphone input and can read `Play` when `Replay a take` is selected. `Play` replays a saved recording; it does not start a live microphone session.

During live use, Page Turner sends short microphone-audio segments to its service so the performance can be aligned in real time. This processing is separate from optional storage for model training. `Share follow audio for model training` is off by default. See [Data and audio](/docs/privacy/data-and-audio).

> **Beta** Follow can lose position when the input is quiet, noisy, very different from the prepared reference, or structurally ambiguous. It should not be the only page-turn method for a critical performance. Keep a manual control or [Bluetooth page pedal](/docs/accessibility/hands-free) ready.

Next: [Run a live Follow session](/docs/follow/live-session) or [improve reliability](/docs/follow/reliability).