I have the latest version of BIAB for Windows (2025 PlusPak). I recently bought a MacBook and want to use BIAB on it. From what I can see I have to buy a 'crossgrade'. Does that automatically take into account my Windows products? So, I'm looking at $199 for the cross grade? Seems a harsh policy to have (cubase etc all transfer with no further purchases) but hey ho if that's my only option I'll have to seriously consider it. What about songs and styles I've purchased? 3rd party styles from Bob Norton?
Thanks for any advice. I have tried PG chat earlier but never got an answer.
I have the latest version of BIAB for Windows (2025 PlusPak). I recently bought a MacBook and want to use BIAB on it. From what I can see I have to buy a 'crossgrade'. Does that automatically take into account my Windows products? So, I'm looking at $199 for the cross grade? Seems a harsh policy to have (cubase etc all transfer with no further purchases) but hey ho if that's my only option I'll have to seriously consider it. What about songs and styles I've purchased? 3rd party styles from Bob Norton?
Thanks for any advice. I have tried PG chat earlier but never got an answer.
Hello Anthony Miller, I am not in your situation, except that I run Macs, silicon, laptops mostly, with BIAB 2024/2025, and that price seems correct, and high.
I don't know if this is daunting but you could try running Windows on the Mac (M series silicon?) using Parallels (costs) or there are free methods, link below. Having Windows on your Macbook may be useful but if it's only for BIAB, I'd be tempted to pay for the crossgrade. Best of luck with your choice.
Thank you for your reply. A heavy price to pay considering I have been with the Windows version for years and still have the original BIAB on CD! And paid for every upgrade version since, new styles and packs etc. Both Cubase and Ableton, SongMaster Pro have the ability to use the same licence on PC and Mac at no extra charge. Seems PG Music are been a bit greedy. Still, as PG Chat support didn't answer I presume they're not bothered about. Disappointing.
I was on the chat with Ember (I think that was who, apologies if the name is wrong) after waiting for the chat box to appear for a while. I was asked what my question was and I enquired about crossgrade and does it automatically take into account my current products under Windows (latest version). I waited for an answer...and waited...and waited. I then had to go so didn't find the answer. (Why ask me how they could help and then not answer?) I left another message this morning expressing my disappointment at having to pay crossgrade and secondly not receiving anything from PG to point me in the right direction. I consider myself a loyal customer having spent a fair bit of cash upgrading my Windows version over the years and disappointed to have to pay $199 to start again because I want to transfer to Mac. Nevertheless I am keeping my Windows system so I'll be exporting stems to the Mac and playing the backing tracks from there. Long-winded but cheaper. I will not be ugrading or buying any further packs etc in the future. My thoughts are in the long term that with AI becoming integrated more into Logic etc in the future BIAB will struggle to compete, especially for my use which is backing tracks to practise trumpet to.
Just to put closure on this I received a message from Ember saying he would forward my message to marketing. Thanks Ember! Looks like I'll have to stump up the cash if I want to take BIAB to my Mac. "Dear wife, love of my life........you know we discussed not spending any more money on music...well...BLAME PG MUSIC my love...." Cheers
Since Mac and Windows are developed differently they are not interchangeable like some other products. As far as styles and such they are. If you load all your styles on a thumb drive you can move them over.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
moving styles from win to mac can only be done if you have all the used Realtracks on both machines, right? I'm on the same situation, had to buy all Realtracks twice to switch from PC to Mac. I don't think it's greed, I think it's like two different programs, one for pc and one for mac. To have one version for both platforms would be a huge advantage, like Reaper or other Cubase.
.... moving styles from win to mac can only be done if you have all the used Realtracks on both machines, right? .... I think it's like two different programs, one for pc and one for mac.
Yah, you have the right idea! While .STY files will work on both Mac and Windows, when it comes to the RealTracks that those Styles call up, those are in formats that are exclusive to Windows or Mac depending on the OS you purchased your copy of Band-in-a-Box for. If the only thing you don't have to run a Style is the RealTracks it calls up by default, there's what I like to a call a "mock mixer" that appears in the bottom left of the StylePicker or Styles section of the MultiPicker. You could leave the defaults as is and load the style as intended, sure, that's always a great option. But you could also customize the style before loading it in via the little "mock mixer". You'll see options for customization, saving that customization as your own .STY for future use, and little buttons on each track to make your sub-ins and do other things as well. It's more experimental, but maybe by playing around with the RealTracks you do have available you'll make something you like even more than the original Style!
Last edited by Ember - PG Music; 08/21/2506:35 PM.
Just to put closure on this I received a message from Ember saying he would forward my message to marketing. Thanks Ember! Looks like I'll have to stump up the cash if I want to take BIAB to my Mac. "Dear wife, love of my life........you know we discussed not spending any more money on music...well...BLAME PG MUSIC my love...." Cheers
Always happy to offer clarification! And apologies for any delays via the chat the other day—response times can be a little longer whenever we run sales on upgrades or add-ons but that's absolutely not typical to our usual mode of operation. If you need further clarification on anything feel free to shoot us an email to our sales@pgmusic.com or support@pgmusic.com e-mail with your phone number for a callback and we can chat over the phone to get any lingering questions answered ASAP for you! Our phones will open again at 6am PST on Monday as we are closed on the weekends.
Last edited by Ember - PG Music; 08/21/2506:43 PM.
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!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
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.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
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