Alternatives
Spreadsheet, Notes app, or an audition tracker that syncs?
Most actors start tracking auditions in whatever is already open: a spreadsheet, the Notes app, or a paper journal, and plenty stay there for years without a problem. It works fine until the manual updates start slipping, which is usually the moment an actor looks for a tool that fills itself in instead.
| Spreadsheet / Notes app | Layne | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $19 one time for a career history report |
| Setup | Create the columns yourself | Connect Gmail and your casting accounts |
| Keeping it current | You type in every submission | Fills in automatically as notices arrive |
| Past history | Only what you remember to add | Built from your Gmail and agent emails going back further than today |
Is a spreadsheet good enough for tracking auditions?
For an actor who submits occasionally and does not mind a few minutes of typing after every audition, yes, a spreadsheet is free and fully under your control. It is only as accurate and current as the last time you sat down and updated it, so the log is only as good as your own discipline.
What about the Notes app, a paper journal, or a template you build yourself?
These work the same way a spreadsheet does: fine for a small number of active auditions, and dependent entirely on you remembering to write each one down the day it happens. A template you build yourself can add structure, tags, statuses, and dates, but it still needs the same manual entry every time.
What does a syncing tool like Layne do that a spreadsheet can't?
Layne fills the log automatically from your inbox and connected casting accounts, so it does not fall behind when you are busy or on set. It also goes back through your past history rather than starting only from the day you set it up, which a spreadsheet cannot do unless you type in everything you remember by hand.
Should I switch from my spreadsheet to an app?
Not necessarily. If your spreadsheet is current and you like keeping it, there is no reason to switch. If you have noticed gaps, a callback you forgot to log, or auditions from earlier in your career you would like on record, that is the gap Layne is built to fill.
Start with your history
Layne goes back through your inbox and your casting accounts and builds your career history report. $19, one time, with 30 days of full Layne included.