Every year I seem to run into the same issue, so what is the best option to upgrade my 2023 UltraPAK or UltrPAK+ Mac version (not even sure how to tell which I am licensed for... 🤷). Should I get the PlusPAK or the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ upgrade? All I want is to get the new app features and Realtracks, without spending too much in these tough times. Also, has the option to pay in instalments been discontinued?
The purpose of the PlusPAK is to give you the new version plus all of the new content that we have available for Band-in-a-Box since the previous year. If you had a 2023 UltraPAK OR have otherwise kept yourself up-to-date installing the new content / PlusPAK each year, and you then installed the 2024 PlusPAK over top, you would have the equivalent of a 2024 UltraPAK. You can check your 'My Products' page to confirm what you've done in the past. The UltraPAK gives you a full fresh install of the entire 2024 UltraPAK and includes the option of a shipped hard drive. The only difference between the UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ is that the latter includes the Songs and Lessons PAK. Regarding the Instalment plan - no, it is not currently available.
The purpose of the PlusPAK is to give you the new version plus all of the new content that we have available for Band-in-a-Box since the previous year. If you had a 2023 UltraPAK OR have otherwise kept yourself up-to-date installing the new content / PlusPAK each year, and you then installed the 2024 PlusPAK over top, you would have the equivalent of a 2024 UltraPAK. You can check your 'My Products' page to confirm what you've done in the past. The UltraPAK gives you a full fresh install of the entire 2024 UltraPAK and includes the option of a shipped hard drive. The only difference between the UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ is that the latter includes the Songs and Lessons PAK. Regarding the Instalment plan - no, it is not currently available.
Thanks for the feedback Andrew.
So when would somebody buy either the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ updates from 2023/2024 as seen in the following upgrade table?
The only difference between the UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ is that the latter includes the Songs and Lessons PAK.
The upgrade is currently $149 for the UltraPAK and $179 for the UltraPAK+ If a user previously had purchased the 2023 UltraPAK+ they would already have the Songs and Lessons PAK So presumably there are new/additional Songs and Lessons in the UltraPAK+ for 2024.
Could it be clarified that the purchaser would receive new/additional Songs and Lessons material in the 2024 UltraPAK+ upgrade that they had not already received if they purchased the 2023 UltraPAK+ ?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I also found it confusing and I'm relatively new to Mac BIAB.
I bought BIAB pro 2023 at $99 which included a "free" pack of content I guess and then there's also a "free" pack of content for BIAB 2024, if you buy the BIAB 2023 at $129. This is where the word free really gets questionable. Because the $49 upgrade does NOT include the BIAB 2024 content but if you do some simple math you can see that if I had not bought this program last year, I'd have spent $129 today to get everything in 2024 pro level for new buyers. I find this a really odd thing.
So then I have the option to move up to Ultra and Mega and Giga and Peta, and so on. Just kidding, not all of those SKUs or levels exist. :-)
I am having huge fun and I'm not against going up to the ultra level, but each year it does seem a bit confusing. I kind of wish that if I was logged in that I could just pick from options that apply to me, instead of seeing the whole big table of confusing options.
BIAB pricing is quite good, and I think I get a lot for what I spend, and I've had so much fun with BIAB 2023 that I'm sure I'll get some level of 2024 content and the program upgrade, it's just ... confusing.
Thankfully there's the chat feature on the main pgmusic.com website which I think is great. I can ask whatever and get instant help finding what I should buy.
UPDATE: Well I bought Ultra 2024. Now I just have to wait for a few hundred gigabytes of data to download. GRINS.
Warren
Last edited by Warren P; 07/04/2403:03 PM. Reason: edition typo
BIAB Mac 2025 Mac Studio 2022, M1 Max, MacOS 26.3 (Tahoe)
So when would somebody buy either the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ updates from 2023/2024 as seen in the following upgrade table?
First, these upgrade any package (e.g. Pro) to the current UltraPAK. The PlusPAK does not. Also, the PlusPAK is not available pre-installed on a hard drive. The SLPAK has not changed recently, other than it has the Instrumental Studies added to it. If you missed a few upgrades than the SLPAK would be worthwhile for the additional instrumental studies. Aside from that, if you had the SLPAK from a previous year, you can still install and use it.
I've been a BIAB user since the 90's and I agree 100% with what Robert Wood's concern. Selecting the best value upgrade path is hugely confusing. You answered his question, but couldn't you take another step toward making it just REALLY easy for all your upgrading customers to know exactly what they will get when they choose an upgrade package?
I suggest that you give us the following information in a concise clear way:
If a customer has Pak "X" from the previous year, and chooses an upgrade to Pak "Y", they will get the following new or upgraded content (provide a detailed list and make it clear that everything else is the same as the previous year).
You know this information, why make it difficult for us to understand it? It's not really necessary to do this for older Paks from multiple prior years - just provide the info for the previous year to the current year and it will remove a lot of the confusion.
Rocky, Based on the criteria you provided, last package purchase more than two updates ago and moving from ProPAK to UltraPAK you should purchase the package highlighted in red block. +++ HERE +++ is a link to the webpage I copied in my screen shot.
Just to clarify (because I seem to understand it even less now) - you drew the red box under the UltraPak+ column - but I'm interested in upgrading from Pro to the UltraPak (no plus).. Are you saying that the extra price bump from UtraPak to UltraPak+ would be necessary even if I want to end up with the non-plus version?
Hi Rocky, You mentioned earlier that you currently have the 2023 Ultra or Ultra+ Pak:
Originally Posted by Rocky 58
Every year I seem to run into the same issue, so what is the best option to upgrade my 2023 UltraPAK or UltrPAK+ Mac version (not even sure how to tell which I am licensed for... 🤷). Should I get the PlusPAK or the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ upgrade? All I want is to get the new app features and Realtracks, without spending too much in these tough times.
Then your latest post indicates that you currently have the Pro Pak, but not which year.
Originally Posted by Rocky 58
Just to clarify (because I seem to understand it even less now) - you drew the red box under the UltraPak+ column - but I'm interested in upgrading from Pro to the UltraPak (no plus).. Are you saying that the extra price bump from UtraPak to UltraPak+ would be necessary even if I want to end up with the non-plus version?
So putting this together, if you have the 2023 Pro Pak now, and wish to upgrade to the 2024 Ultra Pak, then I believe that this is the option you should look for:
I hope this lessens the confusion you're currently experiencing
(And yes, these upgrade options always seem to be somewhat confusing. You are not alone...)
Last edited by AudioTrack; 07/07/2410:38 PM.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Hi Audiotrack, a big thank you - I really appreciate you responding.
However, I just need to clear something up... Your first quote (attributed to me) was actually from the original poster who created this thread, Robert Wood.
I have Band in a Box Pro2021 for Mac.
Right now I am guessing I need to order the $169 option. i.e. the line below the one you thoughtfully marked for me. My lack of clarity was really about my plan to upgrade both for year 2021 -> 2024 . . . and also for Version Pro -> Ultra. The chart doesn't make it clear whether there is an extra upcharge for upgrading both the year and (Pak) version.
Again, thanks for your help, and sorry for the misunderstanding.
Hi Audiotrack, a big thank you - I really appreciate you responding.
However, I just need to clear something up... Your first quote (attributed to me) was actually from the original poster who created this thread, Robert Wood.
I have Band in a Box Pro2021 for Mac.
Right now I am guessing I need to order the $169 option. i.e. the line below the one you thoughtfully marked for me. My lack of clarity was really about my plan to upgrade both for year 2021 -> 2024 . . . and also for Version Pro -> Ultra. The chart doesn't make it clear whether there is an extra upcharge for upgrading both the year and (Pak) version.
Again, thanks for your help, and sorry for the misunderstanding.
Cheers, Rocky.
Hi Rocky, whoooops, my bad . Thanks for the clarification.
Yes, if you have 2021 Pro and you are looking for the 2024 Ultra upgrade, then this is the option:
(Apologies again for my mix up.)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
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