How Pick5 Works
The ultimate jam band setlist prediction game — pick songs, earn points, climb the leaderboard.
How to Play
Find a Show
Browse upcoming shows for your favorite jam bands. Shows are synced automatically so you always have the latest schedule.
Pick 5 Songs
Search the band's catalog and select 5 songs you think will be played. Optionally predict which song will be the opener, closer, or encore.
Earn Points
When the show happens, your picks are scored in real-time. Rare songs earn more points, and correct position predictions earn bonus multipliers.
How Scoring Works
Every song in a band's catalog has a point value based on how rarely it's played. The rarer the song, the more points it's worth — from 25 to 200 points.
Point Tiers
Songs fall into four rarity tiers based on how often a band plays them
Position Predictions
When making your picks, you can optionally predict where in the setlist a song will appear. Positions are for the entire show (not per set), and each song can only have one position prediction. Correct predictions multiply your points — wrong predictions have no penalty.
💡 No penalty for wrong guesses! If you predict a song as the opener but it's played mid-set, you still earn the full base points.
Scoring Examples
See how scoring works with real scenarios
Example 1: Basic Pick (no position predictions)
| Song | Rank | Points | Played? | Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tweezer | #15 | 31 | ✓ | 31 |
| Ghost | #28 | 34 | ✓ | 34 |
| Divided Sky | #45 | 38 | ✗ | — |
| Fluffhead | #89 | 48 | ✓ | 48 |
| Harpua | #412 | 157 | ✗ | — |
| Total: | 113 pts | |||
Example 2: With Position Predictions (multipliers active)
| Song | Points | Predicted | Actual | Multiplier | Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tweezer | 31 | Opener | ✓ Opener | ×2.0 | 62 |
| Ghost | 34 | Any | Mid-set | ×1.0 | 34 |
| Fee | 43 | Encore | ✓ Encore | ×1.5 | 65 |
| Fluffhead | 48 | Closer | Mid-set | ×1.0 | 48 |
| Harpua | 157 | Any | Not played | — | — |
| Total: | 209 pts | ||||
Notice: Fluffhead was predicted as Closer but played mid-set — still earns full 48 base points, no penalty!
How Song Ranks Work
Every song's point value is determined by its rank within the band's catalog
📊 Rank Calculation
Songs are ranked by how often a band plays them, using a blend of recent shows and all-time history. This means a song trending upward in recent setlists will have a lower rank (more common) than one that hasn't been played in a while.
🎯 Why It Matters
Rank #1 is the most commonly played song (fewest points). The highest-ranked song is the rarest (most points). Picking songs you think will be played but that the band rarely plays — that's where the big points come from.
Live Scoring
Your picks are scored in real-time as the show happens
Real-Time Updates
We poll multiple sources every few minutes during live shows to detect songs as they're played.
Instant Scoring
As each song is detected, scores update automatically. Watch your points climb during the show!
Final Score
After the show ends, scores are finalized with the complete, verified setlist. Points are locked in.
Maximum Theoretical Score
If all 5 of your picks are ultra-rare songs that get played, with correct opener (×2), closer (×2), and encore (×1.5) predictions. Extremely unlikely — but not impossible!
Quick Reference
✅ You Score Points When...
- • A song you picked is played at the show
- • Rarer songs earn more points than common ones
- • A correct position prediction multiplies your points
❌ You Don't Lose Points When...
- • A song you picked isn't played (0 points, no penalty)
- • Your position prediction is wrong (you still get base points)
- • You don't make any position predictions at all