Guide
How to make a concert memory book
By the AfterShows team ·
In short
To make a concert memory book, gather your photos, ticket and setlist right after the show, pick a format (a paper journal or an app like AfterShows), then build one page per concert with images, memorable quotes and how it felt. One book per show is far easier to find and share than a camera roll.
What is a concert memory book?
A concert memory book is a journal that tells the story of a show: where and when it happened, who you went with, how it felt, and the physical traces of the night (photos, ticket, setlist, wristband).
It can be on paper, scrapbook style, or digital. A digital version keeps the same layout freedom, but fits in your pocket, never gets damaged and can be shared in one tap.
Why keep a record of every concert
- Live memories fade fast: the song order, the opening act, the line the artist shouted.
- Hundreds of photos in your camera roll tell no story if they aren't sorted by show.
- Looking back at past concerts makes you want to book the next ones, and to compare tours by the same artist.
- A good book is shareable: it's the best way to show friends what you lived.
What to put in a concert memory book
- Your ticket or QR code (a screenshot works for a digital ticket).
- The setlist: write it down that night or find it on a community site like setlist.fm.
- 3 to 10 hand-picked photos, not the whole roll: the stage, the crowd, you and your friends, a detail of the venue.
- The date, venue and city, plus the time if you want to remember it.
- Who you went with, and how you got there.
- One or two memorable moments: what the artist said, when the whole crowd sang.
- Your rating: the vibe, the sound, the setlist, the show overall.
- For a festival: the lineup and one page per day.
How to make a concert memory book with AfterShows, step by step
- Add the concert. Enter the artist or event, the venue, the date and, if you like, the time. Mark it as past, upcoming or missed.
- Pick a cover. Use a photo from the show or any image: it's what appears in your collection.
- Build your pages. Add photos, texts and music stickers. Move, resize, rotate and recolor every item, across as many pages as you want.
- Rate the show. Give the show, the vibe, the sound and the setlist a score out of 5, so you can compare your concerts later.
- Share it. Export the cover as a 9:16 Instagram story, or send a public link to the book.
Paper, camera roll or app: which should you choose?
| Option | Free-form layout | Always with you | Story sharing | Organized by concert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper scrapbook | Yes | No | No (needs a photo) | Yes |
| Phone camera roll | No | Yes | Photo by photo | No |
| Instagram story highlights | Limited | Yes | Yes | If you sort them |
| AfterShows | Yes | Yes | Yes, 9:16 format | Yes, one book per show |
You can combine them: a paper journal for physical tickets, a digital book for photos and sharing.
Special case: the festival journal
- A festival lasts several days with dozens of artists: make one page per day instead of a single collage.
- Start with the lineup you actually saw, then your two or three best moments of the day.
- Keep a page for the campsite, the trip or the people you met: it's often what you remember best.
Before the concert: the countdown
The memory starts before the show. In AfterShows, an upcoming concert shows a day countdown you can share as a story to build the hype with friends. On the day, you start your book right from that screen.
Tips for better concert photos
- Photograph your ticket and the venue entrance when you arrive, before your battery drops.
- Take a few shots at the start and during your favorite songs, then put your phone away and enjoy.
- A 10-second video of the whole crowd singing the chorus beats three blurry minutes.
- Turn off the flash: it doesn't light up the stage and it bothers the people around you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a concert memory book?
It's a paper or digital journal that keeps a record of a show: photos, ticket, setlist, memorable moments and how it felt. People usually make one per concert or festival, so they're easy to find and share.
What is the best app to make a concert scrapbook?
AfterShows is built exactly for this: one book per concert or festival, as a free-form collage of photos, texts and stickers, with a countdown before the show, ratings after it, and Instagram story export. It's free and works on iPhone, Android and desktop.
How do I find the setlist of a concert?
Write it down the same night if you can. Otherwise, community sites like setlist.fm list the setlists of most tours, often the day after the concert.
How many photos should go in a concert memory book?
Three to ten per concert is usually enough: the stage, the crowd, you and your friends, and a detail of the venue. A tight selection tells the night better than an entire camera roll.
Can I make a memory book for a missed or cancelled concert?
Yes. In AfterShows, a show can be marked as missed (you couldn't go) or cancelled (the date was called off), and it still keeps its book, filed separately in your collection.
How do I share concert memories on Instagram?
The easiest way is a 9:16 story image. AfterShows exports your book cover in that format in one tap, with a discreet aftershows.app mention, and can create a public link to the full book.