Transfer GigPlanner data to your own digital calendars with iCal

What is iCal / ics?

An ics file provides you with a link which you can use to export data from one digital calendar to other digital calendars. While one member of your group might use an iPhone and Google Calendar, another member might prefer using his Android phone and Outlook. That is why the creators of all these calendar systems agreed to using a universal format. That way, data can be transferred between all kinds of digital calendars.

GigPlanner and iCal

In GigPlanner we provide our users with an ics file. We refer to this file as the calendar feed. You can adjust which types of activities (options, bookings, rehearsals, blocked dates) you want to transfer to your other digital calendars. When you are active in multiple groups, you can also select which groups you want to include in the transfer.

Set up the calendar feed

Click on your name and in the submenu, select calendar feed. You can activate the feed with the button and by copying the URL containing .ics . By clicking on ‘filter’ you can select which kinds of activities you want to transfer. If you are performing with multiple groups, you can also check which groups you want to transfer. After selecting your preferences, don’t forget to save your selected filters.

The ics URL you just copied can be imported into the digital calendar on your phone or computer. To do this, locate this option in the menu of your preferred calendar or check the ‘help’ section within this calendar to learn how to import this ics URL. Most of the times, an option along the lines of ‘add external calendar’ will be provided, making the rest of this process self-explanatory. When importing the data, you can often select a different color for these activities. That way you can easily distinguish between your private calendar activities and your gigs calendar.

Synchronisation

The calendar feed contains real-time data, however slight delays are possible before all data will be visible in your personal calendar. This strongly depends on how often the application of your choice will synchronise your activities. Within some applications you can specify how often data must be synchronised, while some applications might offer you the option to manually refresh all data.

Manage gigs and options online, organise your band, tour or agency with GigPlanner.com