Multi Styles are very powerful and very versatile. There are a lot of Multi Styles that have been made by PG staff and that's the best place to start. You will learn they are quite easy to make and use and the only limitation you'll run into will be your own imagination...
PG staff modify existing styles to change out soloists and melodists and control them using Part Markers. Any song can have up to 24 Part Marker combinations and each Part Marker will have an A and B section. Plus adding these Part Markers can also increase the total of different drum variations. Part Markers can be placed on any bar in a song so a user can structure a very complex and versatile arrangement with many different instruments, genres, styles, combining even feel with swing feel, 8th and 16ths performances of the same artist and instrument.
Multi Styles can be midi or RealTracks or both -- My version of BIAB has more than 900 PG created Multi Styles. The majority are midi but that may be due to Multi Styles have been included in BIAB for many years.
Any style can be modified into a Multi Style and it's quite easy to do. You can also design a style from scratch and then modify it into a Multi Style. The easiest way is to select an existing Multi Style from the Style Picker and change some of the instruments into different instruments you prefer.
I've attached a screen shot of a PG staff created Multi Style made from a modified existing Style. As you can see, PG staff created 4 additional styles each slightly different from the other and will mix/match these styles interchanging them with Part Markers placed on the bar they want an instrument to change out with another. PG identifies a Multi Style with the + mark at the end of the style. In the screen shot, the PG Multi Style will use the 4 similar styles they modified controlled in the demo by where they create and assign a new Part Marker C/D, E/F, and so on. As I stated earlier, there are 24 additional Part Markers, each with an A and B section a user can apply to a song.
You don't have to 'create or modify' a style to initiate a Part Marker change of a style or sub-style. A user can select any existing style from the StylePicker and the style can be very similar or can be extremely different. The StylePicker has a search filter to search and populate a list of similar styles and is a quick and easy way to make as many Multi Style combinations as desired for your song.
I've also attached a link to a PG Music Tutorial video about using Part Markers to control Multi Styles and more.
The steps to create the new modified style to use in your own custom Multi Style isn't difficult.
. Choose a style and change, add or subtract instruments for your choice of initial instruments. . Open File| StyleMaker|Save Current Song (except for muted instruments) . Follow the prompts to save and name the new style. . Repeat to create as many sub-styles as you want.
Note the new style has be be saved in the default Styles Folder.
.Rebuild the StylePicker so it will display the new styles.
That's it.
I recommend using the similar name saving configuration as PG staff does for ease of finding your styles and grouping them. The styles can be used individually or grouped within a Multi Style.
Using the similar naming convention also makes to find and erase the custom styles if you want. The custom styles can be used the same as any other style.
Give it a try and come here to the forum and ask any questions you may have.
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!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean