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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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My first post. I've never used Band In a Box, but it looks interesting from the videos I've seen. I already have a Roland BK-7m backing module and also use Sonar X3 for custom backing sounds.
East Coast Music has BIAB 2013 Audiophile Edition marked down from $669 to $459.99. I assume this is due to the pending release of the 2014 version.
Questions:
Should I wait for the 2014 version or buy the 2013 and pay an upgrade when 2014 is released?
What is the typical upgrade cost for the Audiophile Edition?
Appreciate any helpful comments.
Wally G
Yamaha Montage 6 Roland J80, D50, Integra 7, BK-7m, FR-8X, 1967 Fender Jaguar, Fender Strat, Fender 1965 Twin Reverb reissue, Selmer Trumpet, Akai EWI, Studio One 4 My WEB Site: www.gontowski.com/music
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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First, there's no indication whatsoever that there will be a 2014 version. We were all expecting a mid year 2013.5 version but it didn't happen even though there've been mid year releases for the last 5 or 6 years.
The history has been a new release every Xmas for basically every year since day one so you would think it's a good bet there will be one shortly but still, no announcement of any kind.
If there is one it should be announced around the last week of November. They like to have it available about 30 days before Xmas.
Normally what happens is if a new customer buys the old version within 30 days of a new version being announced then the upgrade is free. That's just the upgrade for the program itself, not for any brand new Real Tracks/Drums. That should mean you can buy the 2013 version now and be protected if they announce 2014 in a couple of weeks.
If you're serious then call Sales and they'll tell you how that should work and if somebody tells you there's a new version coming, please come back here and tell the rest of us...
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Bob has good advice, but may I offer one clarification: there have been a few years where the program was not released until well into the first week of December.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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First, there's no indication whatsoever that there will be a 2014 version. We were all expecting a mid year 2013.5 version but it didn't happen even though there've been mid year releases for the last 5 or 6 years.
The history has been a new release every Xmas for basically every year since day one so you would think it's a good bet there will be one shortly but still, no announcement of any kind.
If there is one it should be announced around the last week of November. They like to have it available about 30 days before Xmas.
Normally what happens is if a new customer buys the old version within 30 days of a new version being announced then the upgrade is free. That's just the upgrade for the program itself, not for any brand new Real Tracks/Drums. That should mean you can buy the 2013 version now and be protected if they announce 2014 in a couple of weeks.
If you're serious then call Sales and they'll tell you how that should work and if somebody tells you there's a new version coming, please come back here and tell the rest of us...
Bob Thanks Bob, I did as you suggested and called Sales. Here's the skinny: Yes historically they come out with a new "yearly" version around December. No announcement date yet. She suggested I (as Jazzmandan stated) "wait". I could order the 2013 version and when the 2014 version came out I could upgrade, but I would have to ship the 2013 BIAB on a hard drive back to them, and the shipping costs, upgrade cost, my time etc. would not be worth it. I guess the bottom line is: There will be a 2014 release, otherwise she would have told me to get the 2013 product so they wouldn't lose a sale... Thanks for the help. Wally G
Yamaha Montage 6 Roland J80, D50, Integra 7, BK-7m, FR-8X, 1967 Fender Jaguar, Fender Strat, Fender 1965 Twin Reverb reissue, Selmer Trumpet, Akai EWI, Studio One 4 My WEB Site: www.gontowski.com/music
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks Wallyg....
I am also a "newbie" (wanting to get into BIAB) as you are and am trying to calculate what way to go; buy and older 2013 or wait for the newer 2014.
After contacting BIAB sales they basically told me the same thing..... Wait.
Thanks for confirming ....
Last edited by Del3535; 11/06/13 12:58 PM.
Del
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I get one right every once in a while.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I guess the bottom line is: There will be a 2014 release, otherwise she would have told me to get the 2013 product so they wouldn't lose a sale...
Take a second and think about how many other sales outfits you know that would make that statement. The PGMusic way is exemplary. --Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I guess the bottom line is: There will be a 2014 release, otherwise she would have told me to get the 2013 product so they wouldn't lose a sale...
Take a second and think about how many other sales outfits you know that would make that statement. The PGMusic way is exemplary. --Mac I agree. If their product is as good as their customer support, I'm looking forward to using BIAB! Wally G
Yamaha Montage 6 Roland J80, D50, Integra 7, BK-7m, FR-8X, 1967 Fender Jaguar, Fender Strat, Fender 1965 Twin Reverb reissue, Selmer Trumpet, Akai EWI, Studio One 4 My WEB Site: www.gontowski.com/music
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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No 2013.5 release...no updates since January 2013 for the Windows version...no new anythings....
I'm guessing something big is coming - maybe the much requested new interface, or 8 beats per measure, or some other major change. I'd wait a month on 2013 and then if nothing new is released pull the trigger and go for 2013. A great program.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Oh yeah Barry, there's been rampant speculation about that some of it from me. Did you not see my somewhat tongue in cheek suggestion to create two versions, one a Classic version and the other an Awesome Cool Dude version in my post in the other thread? Gimme that ACD right now!
Good info Wally, I didn't know they would require you to send your HD back for the upgrade I thought they would just send you upgrade links that you d/l and install to the existing drive.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I like the concept of returning the hard drive for a rewrite, or at least have that be one of the purchasing choices (perhaps at a reduced price?).
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I am in the same boat as to whether or not to buy now or wait. It's trickier for me as I live in Turkey and would have to pop over to the UK to pick it up. I am going anyway this winter but was planning on going in the next couple of weeks. However with nothing booked can put it off a few weeks.
Whilst I am sure that the current version is more than sufficient for my needs, if as is surmised above the new version will have a more user friendly interface and therefore a shorter learning curve it would well be worth the disruption to my plans.
Cheers Steve
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I'm thinking that the return of hard drive thing has only to do with the much larger sized Audiophile version.
Wouldn't want to be downloading that anyway.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Good thought. I even have some older BIAB audiophile drives that were far larger, before the Elastique algorithm reduced the size of the files to about one-third previous.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Wallyg,
1st of all welcome to just maybe the best forum on the net, Now re: to wait or not to wait . . . I am thinking (and that in itself could lead to a problem)we are just a few weeks away and I am a patient guy (when it comes to music anyway) so I would most definitely wait a few weeks.
Later,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I could order the 2013 version and when the 2014 version came out I could upgrade, but I would have to ship the 2013 BIAB on a hard drive back to them, and the shipping costs, upgrade cost, my time etc. would not be worth it. I have never heard of this, OR had to do it in all the times I have updated BiaB! Do you have to do this if you UPGRADE and not just UPDATE? Like if I went from the Reg to Audiophile version? Or would this apply to just the Audiophile Version & it's large files? Surely a PGM employee can at least answer THIS question, as it seems over the top to have to incur extra expense after paying $$$ for the software in the first place...
i5 3.20GHz, 32gb RAM, 1tb SSD OS, 12tb HDD, 4gb gForce vid card, 32" monitor, Audient id44, Win10 x64, BiaB/RB 2023, Reaper 6,IK Multimedia Total Studio 3.5 MAX, Waves 10
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I'm not a PGMusic employee, but I'm 100 percent certain that you will not be required to ever return the hard drive on any non-Audiophile version of BB, even if you decide to go for switching to the Audiophile version.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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And the same has been true for audiophile hard drives. This is why I have so many of them.  Someone suggested the idea, and I would be willing to do an exchange by shipping, but it is not the way it has been done so far.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Yes, Matt, I agree.
I'm thinking tha what may have made the difference in this particular case is the idea of buying the present version so close to release and then wanting to take advantage of a free upgrade to the newest version.
Think about it, in that scenario, pgmusic would be out two of the more expensive hard drives plus twice the amount of much longer time it takes to load and prepare the Audiophile drives.
--Mac
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
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 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available 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 Mac or for Windows.
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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.
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 as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
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.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
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