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Joined: Mar 2017
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Hi All, I am new to BIAB.
I saw it around in the 90's but never tried it out (how wrong I was), what a great tool for songwriting and arranging. My friend owns the 2016 PC version and my School (I am a music teacher) own the 2016 mac version.
I would like to buy a site licence to add it to our mac school systems for the next academic year, but I am not sure which version is best. We run both OSX and Windows 10 on our macs.
One big difference I find is that my friend can export full musicxml files from the PC version but the mac version only exports a maximum of 32 bars of music into musicxml (maybe I am doing it wrong). This is one of the biggest things my students would need so they could bring their BiaB creations into Logic 10.3 and Sibelius.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Given a music school situation, it might be that Realband will also be useful. This is included at no extra charge with the Windows version of the program. The Mac version does not have this.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Good information above.
The latest features in the Windows version usually precede the subsequent release of the Mac Version by about 6 months.
Windows = Band In A Box + Real Band.
Mac = Band In A Box only.
Real Band has a lot of great additional flexible features that use the same tracks that Band In A Box creates, essentially providing an additional dimension to song creation flexibility.
The choice is of course yours.
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.
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Apr 2009
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Hi All, I am new to BIAB.
I saw it around in the 90's but never tried it out (how wrong I was), what a great tool for songwriting and arranging. My friend owns the 2016 PC version and my School (I am a music teacher) own the 2016 mac version.
I would like to buy a site licence to add it to our mac school systems for the next academic year, but I am not sure which version is best. We run both OSX and Windows 10 on our macs.
One big difference I find is that my friend can export full musicxml files from the PC version but the mac version only exports a maximum of 32 bars of music into musicxml (maybe I am doing it wrong). This is one of the biggest things my students would need so they could bring their BiaB creations into Logic 10.3 and Sibelius.
Welcome Adebisi. For a school setting I would suggest highly that you contact PG staff and discuss this issue with them. I don't know but it is possible they may have educational licensing available where you either get a discount on the price or you get to use this on a group of computers under an educational license.... Like I said, they can tell you what, if any, perks you get in an educational setting. Regarding the 32 bar thing in the Mac version..... yeah, you're doing it wrong. You should always be able to export the entire song. Regarding the version....PC vs Mac. The PC version comes with Real Band which is a DAW (similar to Logic X) that opens up a whole world of using real tracks and editing the audio so much easier. RB lets you generate the real tracks that sound like live musicians that you hear in many of the songs here. Even if you have Mac computers.... if I understand correctly, there is a Windows OS that can be installed to run on those machines if you do not have PC's in the music classroom. That would allow you to use the PG music PC version and export the files to Logic X. Call the support line and talk to the people in the office. They can answer the questions you have accurately. BTW: I think it's really cool that you are using BB with kids in school.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7 |
Hi All, I am new to BIAB.
I saw it around in the 90's but never tried it out (how wrong I was), what a great tool for songwriting and arranging. My friend owns the 2016 PC version and my School (I am a music teacher) own the 2016 mac version.
I would like to buy a site licence to add it to our mac school systems for the next academic year, but I am not sure which version is best. We run both OSX and Windows 10 on our macs.
One big difference I find is that my friend can export full musicxml files from the PC version but the mac version only exports a maximum of 32 bars of music into musicxml (maybe I am doing it wrong). This is one of the biggest things my students would need so they could bring their BiaB creations into Logic 10.3 and Sibelius.
Welcome Adebisi. For a school setting I would suggest highly that you contact PG staff and discuss this issue with them. I don't know but it is possible they may have educational licensing available where you either get a discount on the price or you get to use this on a group of computers under an educational license.... Like I said, they can tell you what, if any, perks you get in an educational setting. Regarding the 32 bar thing in the Mac version..... yeah, you're doing it wrong. You should always be able to export the entire song. Regarding the version....PC vs Mac. The PC version comes with Real Band which is a DAW (similar to Logic X) that opens up a whole world of using real tracks and editing the audio so much easier. RB lets you generate the real tracks that sound like live musicians that you hear in many of the songs here. Even if you have Mac computers.... if I understand correctly, there is a Windows OS that can be installed to run on those machines if you do not have PC's in the music classroom. That would allow you to use the PG music PC version and export the files to Logic X. Call the support line and talk to the people in the office. They can answer the questions you have accurately. BTW: I think it's really cool that you are using BB with kids in school. I would like to keep it mac but that 32 bar thing is really confusing me!
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,857
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I'm not aware of any 32 bar limitation on either PC or Mac versions.
If you want to take advantage of the benefits of RealBand also, get the PC version and run under Windows 10 on your macs.
As advised by others, definitely contact PG Music Support and get them to clarify for you.
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.
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7
Newbie
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OP
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7 |
I'm not aware of any 32 bar limitation on either PC or Mac versions.
If you want to take advantage of the benefits of RealBand also, get the PC version and run under Windows 10 on your macs.
As advised by others, definitely contact PG Music Support and get them to clarify for you.
It's only with exporting to musicxml - the note information stops at 32 bars and then only shows the chord info. The PC version does the full song correctly into musicxml format. Shame I really wanted to use the mac version so there would be no need to switch OS while they were working.
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Do you have the latest update for Mac installed? To double-check, it can be found at the below link. http://www.pgmusic.com/support_macintoshupdates.htm
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Just did the update but it still does it? Seems strange, i've looked all over for the settings in the program.
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What is the structure of the song that you're trying to save as XML?
Is it multiple choruses (i.e. the default 3x through)?
How many bars long?
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2025
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Could you email the song to PG Music support and ask them to verify in their mac environment?
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.
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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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Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 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 10 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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 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 Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 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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