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After reading about John's problems with his new gig, I wonder how long it will be before it becomes uneconomical to play music anywhere. Here in the UK we have the Performers Rights Society which collects money from anywhere that plays live or recorded music, including places like the hairdresser who has the radio on. No one wants to see songwriters ripped-off, but whatever happened to common sense? Now we also need an entertainment license to perform anything, anywhere. This means, for example, that a group of people singing Christmas Carols outside a house need a license. If they move to another house, they need another license because it's a different location. Now look at the penalties for breach of this law - Quote:
LIST OF OFFENCES UNDER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) (NI) ORDER
1985
OFFENCE PENALTY
WHERE THERE HAS BEEN NO ENTERTAINMENT LICENCE ISSUED
Provision of dancing, singing or music or any
entertainment of a like kind held indoors
Fine of up to £20,000 and/ or a maximum
of 6 months imprisonment
Provision of public musical entertainment held
wholly or mainly in the open air on private land
Fine of up to £20,000 and/ or a maximum
of 6 months imprisonment.
So, if our singers visit ten houses, they could get a fine of up to £200,000 ($300,000) or five years imprisonment.
How long before they just ban music altogether?
ROG.
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The home concert scene is alive and well in the USA - I don't believe there are such laws against performance in the home, (or in churches for that matter). Does that wording cover the whole of the law? What is the cost to obtain the so-called 'entertainment license'?
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ROG,
That reads like something from the Middle Ages. Isn't it great to know how much progress we've made in the last 500 years? This side of the pond we had a revolution over things like that. Unfortunately, we Yanks seem to be in lockstep with you and headed down the same road.
There is a forum member from the British Isles whom we all know who is a world-class musician. I asked him once why he didn't profit from his art, since he so obviously could. His answer was that the provisions of his housing didn't allow him to operate a business, and he couldn't afford to lose his home.
I got a cartoon on Facebook today from another forum member showing "Our [Americans'] Rules for the Government." It was a single page, our Bill of Rights. Next to it was a hardbound book with thousands of pages labeled "Laws and Regulations" and subtitled as "Government's Rules for Us." It's too true to be funny.
It's too flip to simply say the the lunatics are running the asylum; it is becoming criminal. It's almost as if government intend to crush the human spirit. Or am I just overreacting to a case of unintended consequences? Surely your law is not meant to be interpreted so harshly.
Hello?
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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The home concert "scene" caused me to get into a very heated debate with someone who was a very good friend at the time. Because of that debate we no longer speak. My question was this:
Are you SO desperate to just play ANYWHERE that you stoop so low to perform in someone's breezeway for 25 drunken people who are just a bunch of the host's friends that not only don't really know good from bad and but are also so rude that they sit in groups and chat the whole time you are playing?
In a time where we "pretty up" simple language in an attempt to make words sound like something far more "acceptable" than they are, is a "Home Concert" anything more than playing at someone's party? Like a "previously titled automobile" is nothing more than a used car, and a "home equity loan" is nothing more than a second mortgage or a "landscape contractor" is a guy who mows lawns for people like we did when we were kids?
Now, of course the other side of the sword is that this IS the music BUSINESS and if they are going to pay you 200 bucks to play that "home concert", more power to you. I can only speak for me, and "me" isn't doing this to pay my bills anymore, so $200 for a garage concert may be a great gig to those who do this full time. I just couldn't look my best friend in the eye and say "I played in a garage in a northeast Ohio suburb Saturday night. House of Blues and Hard Rock Cafe were both booked, so I took the garage gig."
(PS, my best friend is me.)
It's all moot though. It will never come up. It's just my opinion on it.
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Quote:
After reading about John's problems with his new gig, I wonder how long it will be before it becomes uneconomical to play music anywhere.
It already is, for the most part. Bars that used to look forward to having bands in now see a band as a necessary nuisance and an expense they would rather not have. Every week the stories make the rounds of how the band that was supposed to get $500 for their work was told "Here's $300. Take it or leave it. We have a slow night."
Yet that same band, so desperate to play, will go back there again and again and again.
Here in northeast Ohio, we have mostly singles and duos, because they are cheap entertainment for the owners. There are really no more "music clubs" like 25-30 years ago. Now it's all restaurants with a little stage that will only hold that single or duo, or they move the pool table to put the 4 piece in there, most of which are really a trio with a girl singer, and she is only there because none of the guys can sing. All the players around here play in 3-4 bands so they can play more often and not have to get conventional jobs. However, that also means they never rehearse, and 60% of the "bands" are not really bands, and on Thursday they are calling around to find someone to play bass Saturday night. As a result, all of these pickup bands play the easiest 40 songs they can bluff their way through. That leads to 75% of the set lists being the same 40 easy songs that require no arrangement no matter where you go and who you hear. And the boring ten minute 12-bar-blues jams where the players are pointing at each other for who solos next. I think that looks totally bush league, but they are playing for $200 and beer. I don't drink, so what does that do for me?
Totally dead scene here.
And get me started on "jam night" where all the basement studio heroes who don't really play in a band go out and give club owners music for free. And then complain that there's no place that pays. Why would they pay when these idiots are giving them music for free?
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Roger,
I don’t know if what I’ve read is true, but it stated that a street performer in England could be arrested for standing on the corner with his guitar case open for tips and playing cover tunes.
That seems to fit what you said in your OP.
Is that true?
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I think there’s a way around the BMI extortion that’s going on in the USA, but unfortunately it won’t be to the liking of most musicians, audiences or venues.
That is to simply to play ALL original music. The obvious problem is that most musicians aren’t songwriters and most of the ones who do write their own stuff aren’t even half way decent at it because all they know is memorizing something someone else wrote.
Add to that the fact that audiences want to hear something they know and venue owners want the same.
Maybe when the law was enacted, the intensions were good, but there were no doubt people behind the scenes supporting the law that had no other intension than to profit from it.
I have no problem with cracking down on people selling bootleg copies of music, but it gets ridiculous if a performer isn’t allowed to pick up an instrument and play “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay” for anyone who wants to listen. There’s far more damage done by music pirates than by someone playing covers at the bowling alley.
Common sense be d*mned. That is the American way in our legal system.
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@eddie and Bob,
The home concert scene is something far different than being hired to play someone else's music.
It's almost always all originals and the point is not to be entertained by music you already know and will hear played marginally well by an o.k. local band. I've never understood that particular bent of folks to hear familiar songs played by unfamiliar people.
They are usually quiet, acoustic guitar/piano. Songwriters. They will make about the same from the entrance fees as they will from what they will selling their self-made CDs at the event. They might make a couple hundred bucks that night if they are lucky. They will not have beer spilled on them or their gear. They won't get their gear stolen at the venue. The room will be hushed as they play/perform. The people there will not talk loudly through the songs or clank silverware on plates. They will see someone be moved by their art and receive joy as a result. They people sitting in the chairs and on the couches are likely friends or friends of friends. Nobody will boo or hiss. They will probably crash on a couch at the home. They'll work on a new song and maybe record some scratch tracks in Garageband during the week. They will look quite bohemian, some from a false sense of what is fashionable, some from pure necessity. etc.
I much prefer it. I only have to know MY songs as a performer. Not saying that learning other's music is not worthwhile, but this is the aspect of the home concert that you are missing. If you are not a songwriter, it would be very hard to understand. As hard as it is for me to understand to have a 100+ song repertoire memorized, in each genre for which I might be hired to play. I'm pretty sure I couldn't cut it in that scene. Skillful performance is not my forte.
-Scott
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Same thing in Germany, although the street singing thing is not specifically forbidden (yet) . GEMA is out to rule the world, blocking youtube if there is a sniff of none GEMA music involved. We can thank Sony and BMG for all this, together with a corrupt political system. If the rewards were distributed to all artist correctly it would make some sense, but the way it works only the biggies get the money, and the performing rights societies of course. That is the way all things are heading, back to the dark ages. 
Chris
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Quote:
I don’t know if what I’ve read is true, but it stated that a street performer in England could be arrested for standing on the corner with his guitar case open for tips and playing cover tunes.
That seems to fit what you said in your OP.
Is that true?
Unfortunately, Bob, that's exactly right.
For years we had entertainment licenses which covered traditional venues. This was generally a good thing, because it meant that things like not overcrowding and fire regulations were adhered to and the system worked well. A few years ago, the politicians decided to extend the legislation to individuals and to anywhere a performance might be heard (or overheard} by the public. This now covers everything from street performers to sitting on the front porch playing guitar with a few friends.
In addition, the penalties seem to be completely disproportionate to the offence when compared to say, common assault or burglary. It would appear that it's cheaper to be a violent criminal than break the law as a musician!
ROG.
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Of course back 35 40 years ago Those music clubs were packed with 18, 19, 20 and 21 year olds. And there were lots of good bands all playing current music. Selling high profit beer to that demographic who really wants to hear current music was very lucrative. Things change. Sure it sucks but gosh we can't be Dana Carvey he's grumpy old man. And even had there been no changes at all in the drinking age I don't suppose the local rock club is going to sell out with 60 old guys on stage playing Train and black eyed peas songs. Like Apollo Creed said to Rocky Balboa, " It's a shame we gotta get old."  WSS
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Quote:
The home concert "scene" caused me to get into a very heated debate with someone who was a very good friend at the time. Because of that debate we no longer speak. ...
I think you have a 100% incorrect view of the "home concert" scene. I think it is closer to Scott's description (even if his is a little utopian!). The house concert scene seems to fall under the 5,000 fan rule. If you can acquire 5,000 true fans that will buy a CD, T-Shirt, see you play at least once or so a year -- then you can make an OK living as a performing singer/songwriter musician. Sounds easy -- but it is not. The house concert approach is another tool to help getting a few more dedicated fans.
If you diss a practice that someone believes in strongly, I can see how easy it would be to lose friends.
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This tends to confirm that all musicians are felons, but we already knew that. LOL.
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When someone is all excited to tell me "I made XX dollars!!", they play music for the wrong reason anyway. That is one baby step away from totally selling out.
I don't play any more for several reasons. The primary one is that I am not good enough. I am slightly less than an average player anymore after 15 years away from it. I used to sing well but those muscles weren't used in those 15 years and I lost it. I am still a very good, very accurate harmony singer, because you don't lose "ear". You lose physical skills, like singing, from lack of use. I don't play well enough to do a solo act to the point where I have done a couple of songwriter showcase nights but took "Band in a Phone" with me. People who can pull off solo night with their guitar or piano have my utmost respect. Honestly they do. But to play in a garage for a bunch of people who are only there because they decided to not go bowling that night.....
The point is to ask "WTF happened????" Have we all lowered expectations to the level where conformity is king and we play those awful Jimmy Buffet cliche songs just to get ANY gig?
I want SO BADLY to find one group of guys who want to give it one last try and write 12 solid songs, record them in a professional studio, get promo packets made, put on suits and go door to door to the major venues in a 3-4 state area (to start with) and try to hook some gigs that get real exposure. As long as there concerts, there will be a need for an opening act, a slot usually filled by a little known act trying to sell some CDs at the venue and maybe a t-shirt or two. However, when I try to recruit, money is always the first thing mentioned. Doesn't anybody understand the difference between the words "spending" and "investing"? You don't "spend" money on studio time to make a proper CD, you "invest" it. I know for me (once again - FOR ME - not forcing my opinion on you) I don't want to record in somebody's attic or basement. I want to record in a recording studio. With a producer and a professional engineer. I want the experience of isolation rooms and high end headphones. I have never done that and it's on my bucket list.
The clubs also need to learn the difference between "spend" and "invest". You don't SPEND money on entertainment. You INVEST money on entertainment that will draw people in to spend money in your bar instead of the one down the street. These cheap club owners have taken bands from the asset column and put them in the liability column.
What a sad place music is in now where 60 year old musicians, with so many years of experience and seasoning, are still in a place where they worry about a gig paying enough to cover the gas to get there and back.
I was in exactly 2 bands that had any kind of a following. The Motown band I was in had a core of 80-90 people who followed us religiously, and on any given night we'd see 50-60 of that group, including once when 60 of them rented a bus with a driver and surprised us in Erie PA, 80 miles from home. We started at 9, and at 9:10 they all filed in. They had rented motel rooms and everything to stay the weekend. Point is, they came to see US, not whoever happened to be playing. That's what is missing. Bands who offer something unique and good enough to follow. I can hear Brown Eyed Girl from EVERY band playing EVERY night. Why would I drive 50 miles to hear what I can hear on my corner?
But yes, time did change from the way it was in the 70s and 80s and we can't change it back, so it is what it is. A lot of bad bands out there getting work because they work cheap, and good ones are sitting at home.
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Quote:
I think you have a 100% incorrect view of the "home concert" scene.
No, I have a 100% correct view of the home concert scene HERE. I don't know where you are, but the only one I know of here is a guy who holds "concerts" in his breezeway once a month with little known country and folk artists. I went twice to check it out. It was the same 30 people there both times, all totally hammered by 9pm, with a covered dish food spread in the garage. It was a nice party atmosphere, but hardly a concert. As the night went on and people became more intoxicated, the little conversation groups started to where I couldn't even hear the artist over the low rumble of conversation with people talking about how good the dip was, asking who needed another beer..... that is not a concert by any remote definition of the word.
A "concert" is where the artist is on a stage a few feet above the rest of the room, and people actually pay attention because they have paid money to buy tickets to see THIS performer, not just whoever Bob found to play this month.
This is closely related to how fading artists who can't fill the Mega Mondo Enormodome anymore play 200 seat rooms and rationalize it by spewing the over the hill artist party line of that "I wanted to do a tour of more 'intimate' rooms so I could be closer to my fans" nonsense. Why not just admit that your fame has faded and you don't have enough fans to fill a 20,000 seat hall anymore and move ahead with your life?
A place very near my home, just this year, has The Rippingtons, Eddie Money, The Tubes, and whatever remnants there are of Blue Oyster Cult playing there. I saw all of those bands (The Tubes 3 times) play a venue (since torn down) that held 20,000 and they all sold it out. When you reach a place where you are straining to sell 350 tickets, maybe it's time to learn how to weld, sit back, and pray for royalties while you patch motorcycle frames with your welder.
I saw John Elefante, one of the AMAZING vocalists in the alumni roster of Kansas, ran a Kickstarter project to raise $35,000 to put out a new album. A guy with that kind of pedigree needed to beg the public to give him money to make a CD? Marshall Crenshaw, someone who I think is a GREAT writer, also ran a Kickstarter to raise $32,000. This is a guy who wrote songs that Bette Midler covered and was the John Lennon player in Beatlemania and he has to beg the public for money? There isn't a label out there who will front him $32,000 to produce a series of 6 small EPs?
If those 2 guys needed to beg for funding, what chance does a nobody level guy (like me for example) have?
I'll answer. None.
Steve had it right in the other post. It's a shame we gotta get old. When Todd Rundgren, my all time ultimate musical hero, is playing rib burnoffs......
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eddie1261, you sound like a very bitter person, and really I don't blame ya!
But the bottom line is that too many folks sat on there duffs when all of this legal garbage was being passed, and just like always, now that it has hit folks at home, the cry goes out "NOT FAIR!"
I was one of those folks that you hate, I played in 5 pickup bands & 2 "solid" original bands for over 20 years in the tri-state area (Ohio-PA-WV), mostly in the animal clubs & wedding...... it is how I made my living that last couple decades of my career. We were FAR from being clones of each other, one was country, one was classic rock (what DOES that mean?), and the rest were variety, covering everything from jazz to bluegrass, from rock to latin...
And I have no problem with that, it is called a business for a reason, and that is how I handled it, paperwork and all. Bottom line, it was my job.
Selling out? Not even close, we "pro's" that do it / did it for a living call it working.....
I had the 2 original bands that played music we wrote & loved, and that was in NO WAY a compromise to the music of the times. Has anyone heard of us? No, only a loyal following that bought our CD's & came to see us when we gigged, but it was on out terms, and we loved it, no regrets at all mainly because it was good for the soul.
"When you reach a place where you are straining to sell 350 tickets, maybe it's time to learn how to weld, sit back, and pray for royalties."
What utter nonsense.......
It seems like your view of being a pro & making it is totally different than today's reality. I applaud the bands that are still out there doing there best, even if their torch is barely burning anymore, just like the fans that pay the high prices in gas, food, & cd's that go to see them.
Bottom line, the music world will never be as open, free, and chance taking as it was back in the 60's - 80's, it is a fact that we have to deal with....as for us, we will pay to see good artist no matter where they play, be it a coffee house, living room, rib burn-off, or a real-honest-to-goodness concert venue...and enjoy & appreciate every one of them!
Does my response sound harsh? Sorry if it does, but no more than your boo-hoo'ing about it instead of doing something about it.....
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Not harsh at all. No more harsh than my original sounded. Opinions vary and people of a certain age understand the concept of being able to agree to disagree.
The comment about learning to weld just meant that there comes a time when it's over and like an athlete that plays 5 years past their prime and stinks the place out, a musician has to know when they don't have the juice anymore and not milk "one more tour" out of it with the brother-in-law of the cousin of the hair stylist's boyfriend as the "one remaining member". Is Styx really Styx without Dennis DeYoung? Is REO Speedwagon really REO Speedwagon without Gary Richrath? Is Journey really Journey without Steve Perry? Or The Tubes without Fee Waybill, Vince Welnick, or Prarie Prince? How dare these "ghosts of lineups past" tour and charge full price when the key members are no longer performing?
Many years back I opened for a nostalgia tour of Three Dog Night. Chuck Negrone was not with them due to some intense problems in his personal life. Danny Hutton and Cory Wells sounded great, but they were considerably less than amused when I asked them if they shouldn't call the band Two Dog Night without Chuck. I also opened for Alvin Lee, and though he WAS 10 Years After, he did not bill himself that way to sell tickets. And I opened for The Vogues several times playing that rib burnoff circuit and not one of the players or singers had ANY ties closer than second generation to The Vogues. One of them replaced someone who had replaced someone and then bought the name so legally he could keep it alive, and I supposed as long as it was legal it was okay, but still... If I go to see Jay & The Americans, I want to see Jay Black, not the guy who replaced the guy who replaced him. Of course at our age, a lot of them are dead or too old to perform. Some, like Frankie Valli, still touring at 78, still can.
Yes, the business has changed. There are very few "music clubs" in our area (and we are in the same place) and the places that DO have music don't treat bands well anymore, short paying, not keeping promises on booking, etc.... sad to see.
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Quote:
I think there’s a way around the BMI extortion that’s going on in the USA, but unfortunately it won’t be to the liking of most musicians, audiences or venues.
That is to simply to play ALL original music. The obvious problem is that most musicians aren’t songwriters and most of the ones who do write their own stuff aren’t even half way decent at it because all they know is memorizing something someone else wrote.
Add to that the fact that audiences want to hear something they know and venue owners want the same.
Maybe when the law was enacted, the intensions were good, but there were no doubt people behind the scenes supporting the law that had no other intension than to profit from it.
I have no problem with cracking down on people selling bootleg copies of music, but it gets ridiculous if a performer isn’t allowed to pick up an instrument and play “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay” for anyone who wants to listen. There’s far more damage done by music pirates than by someone playing covers at the bowling alley.
Common sense be d*mned. That is the American way in our legal system.
Not really Bob but it depends. I'll give you 2 examples. The nice lady at the Cafe was given the riot act about,"well how do YOU know that it's original? " etc. etc. and she caved and gave up the idea.
I have a friend that is a Director at the local, very prestigious, Folk School in my area. They were approached many years ago by BMI & ASCAP.He and the President and others basically told them to go do what Clint Eastwood said couldn't be done.That they have all traditional, non copy-written music & music in the public domain. If they didn't believe that they could just set up camp at the Campus and try and prove a violation. Never been bothered since.This is still another matter.Harrassing a local Cafe etc because some old guy is going to play some cover tunes to raise money for charity is just wrong. I feel it's totally against the "spirit" of the laws in place.
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John, "spirit of the law" is what I'm wondering. Dare we sing covers in the shower if our neighbor can hear us? Some of my fondest memories are "family sing-alongs" on the front porch on hot summer evenings. Can the copyright cops arrest me for that? If a law is unenforceable, it's worthless. The "Prohibition Days" all over again.
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Except we're dealing with someone mightier then old Al. We're deal with the might of the Federal Gov.
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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