The chord entry system is the first thing you work with, and where you spend much time. Now, if you make a mistake typing a chord in the Chordsheet, nothing happens. This can be especially puzzling because BIAB has a few cases where special syntax is required. We often see posts in the forum by new users asking, "How can I enter this chord that is in the fakebook chart I have" etc.
To enter a chord, I would like BIAB to behave more like, say, Microsoft Word and your Internet browser. It could flag a chord that is typed incorrectly or especially a chord type that is not supported, and put you into a smart edit mode, rather than have the full entry just disappear. BIAB should allow you to see and fix the chord rather than just expect you to retype it and hope you got it right. It might function like my iPhone, with artificial intelligence suggestions for chords as I type (again, this would need to be optional, like turning off autocorrect on your smartphone that some people hate).
Here are some examples of how I think this new chord editor window might work:
As I type FMa it underlines in red as incomplete syntax, and presents F, FMaj7, FMaj9, FMaj9#11 etc. for me to click on.
If I type FBaj7 and press Enter, the chord underlines in red, giving me an opportunity to edit the error. BIAB could say, "Chord type not supported" and even give me some suggestions I could click on to fix the entry. It should recognize that maybe I was intending to type FMaj7.
Or as another example, I type FMaj7#11 and press Enter. It would underline in red, say the chord is constructed correctly but is a chord type not supported by BIAB. It would not only suggest FMaj9#11, but also put up a green message about how I could consider creating a chord shortcut that would make this replacement automatic in the future. Optimally, it would offer to create that shortcut for me.
Suppose I type HMaj7. The new BIAB chord edit window flags it, recognizes the error, and presents a list of the twelve tones I might have meant, even using the key signature in place at that cell to present the proper enharmonic spelling (A# rather than Bb, say).
Again, this system should be optional. It should assist new users, but more advanced users may wish to turn it off and have the program behave as it does now, and type using only the cell in the Chordsheet.
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.
Matt Thanks for going into such tremendous detail describing a feature that once it has been mentioned, it is so obviously missing from the current product.
This is a great idea, and would save me the countless number of times I have to launch Help and then searching for what Chord spellings are available. I type in 'Chord Types' in the words to search for. I get a list of 164 options to search through. No, it's not under 'Chord Sheet', it's not under 'Typing in Chords', eventually I find it under 'Chord List', the Help ranking place is 15.
Your idea would save all of that, make the program more intuitive, help others to see possible variations in an instant and more.
Yes please. +1000
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 get a list of 164 options to search through. No, it's not under 'Chord Sheet', it's not under 'Typing in Chords', eventually I find it under 'Chord List', the Help ranking place is 15."
For years I've been so frustrated that I no longer use it, it HAS to be re-written.
For a while now I've been taking snippets of the comments here, give it a proper title/description and keep it in a special email folder -- that's my help system.
DE
Win 10, 64 bit, love my Lenovo T420, BIAB 2019 (613), RB 2019 (2)
I like your idea, Matt, but might want to avoid using Hmaj7 as an example, since in some European countries, H = B. My Norwegian mother, when teaching me piano, would tell me to play an H and I didn't know what she was talking about (because the method book I was playing from used ABCDEFG). I believe that they call B-flat a B, B-natural an H, and also call flats in general "b's".
I don't know if the German (or another European) version of BIAB supports H's or not, but just something to consider.
Last edited by jford; 04/29/1505:48 AM.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
Wow John. I've never encountered that. I surely don't want any Europeans confused. I trust the PG Music Canadians will follow my drift, and you have nicely cleared it up for Europeans in any case. I won't edit my post, because then your comment wouldn't make any sense.
Thanks. That was interesting and fun!
Just for curiosity, are you saying there are other music programs that have to adopt the convention you described when making versions for these other languages? That's a serious amount of coding change. This question, as you may have guessed, is posed by someone who has not been to Europe. And yes, I wonder about BIAB whether it supports what you are saying in those versions for other countries, or are those users forced to learn 'our' nomenclature?
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.
"I get a list of 164 options to search through. No, it's not under 'Chord Sheet', it's not under 'Typing in Chords', eventually I find it under 'Chord List', the Help ranking place is 15."
For years I've been so frustrated that I no longer use it, it HAS to be re-written.
For a while now I've been taking snippets of the comments here, give it a proper title/description and keep it in a special email folder -- that's my help system.
DE
That's great DE, but the O/P's thread creates as idea would avoid using the help. So I wonder do you support the idea? Best Trev
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.
Ya, it is funny when you start talking about this that you realize how goofy it has been for so long. After awhile you just tend to accept these things.
I notice John mentioned about H and B. I came across this in my early days of playing Bach. He wrote in H moll which translates as B minor. He also wrote in B dur which translates as Bb major. That was when I learnt that in German use, B = Bb and H = B.
Interesting how the music has developed Noel, so amazingly different from what we assume is 'standard' today.
I think the O/P's idea would be a great innovation, and at the same time creates an 'instant' learning tool for those who are not familiar with Chord structures. Learn on-the-job, so to speak.
It would be fantastic to see such an implementation.
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.
It would be great to be able to construct a chord and not be hindered by this program. Major altered chords are very limited. Also the entry window needs to be MUCH LARGER.
As a brand new user...less that two weeks... the first thing I tried to do was enter chords.
When I entered something BIAB did not understand and just displayed a blank it took me a bit of messing around to understand what the program was trying to tell me. Like hey dummy what is wrong with you???...lol It would have been helpful if a window popped up with a list of chord syntax rather than returning a blank.
Many things seem hard when one does not understand how something works. Having a program display nothing is sort of like the old C: in DOS..lol...not much information there.
The good news is that most chords were typed in just like you would write then. c c7 c7b5 c7b5#9 caug cdim c7b5/e.
I guess no one likes uncommanded action that produce results that are unexpected.
Actually I have no complaints so far...well...there is that analog to midi wish, but that has been on my wish list long before BIAB.
I guess every new feature is a balance between code cost and increased sales, and happy users.
A happy user,
Billy
PS...anything can be improved and if Matt says something should be changed that is good enough for me.
Last edited by Planobilly; 07/19/1511:02 AM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
Thanks for the great comments, everyone. I am especially pleased to read the reaction by Billy, our newcomer, who experienced some of what I could only imagine.
Oh, and Billy, about this:
Originally Posted By: Planobilly
if Matt says something should be changed that is good enough for me.
I would also like World Peace...
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.
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.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 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 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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.
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