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Great responses all round. Some here clearly have thick skin and don't seem to need it but I think life would be so much better if there were more thought and encouragement towards others along their journey especially when creativity is involved. My personal take...don't mean to sound condescending...just going to honest. Well....sure it would, but were all adults here. I wouldn't want anyone to give me pats on the back with disingenuous patronizing of my material just to massage my ego or appeal to a sense of perceived frail emotions. To me....that is worse that no comments or encouragement at all. If one doesn't garner countless unsolicited compliments then maybe one should figure how to promote themselves differently and/or rethink their song writing goals and strive to write better. Maybe most think one's songs are too simplistic, song subject in uninteresting, lyrics are a plethora of worn out cliches and/or it's poorly sung/arranged/recorded. Personal genre subjectivity also dictates our preferences. I know...song writing is a very personal process and emotions can be affected but just because we spend agonizing amounts of time to write a song to completion does not mean it has any musical merit or appeal to the masses. That's it. I listened to a few of your songs because of your thread here. They all seem to be in the religious praise songs genre (if I'm correct) but I don't have a religious atom in my being and don't care for preachy, message songs so I would have no comments to offer. It just occurred to me, are there some praise song forums to involve yourself with? You've been provided some good opinions in previous posts so hope they help you come to terms with the realities us poor song writers must continually face.  "Thick skin" (which I've mentioned in other threads) is essential so one can just continue on with their own personal joy of song writing. Just toughen up....keep writing....surround yourself with those of like mind/music and song writing interests. If it helps....my fan base is non-existent also. Respectfully....just calling it as I see it.
Last edited by chulaivet1966; 07/22/17 02:07 PM.
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I realized that, but it's the song your post made me think of and I think the sentiment is valid in this context.
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My earlier post was somewhat facetious, but the truth is that I had NO encouragement. When I was very young and started lessons, both parents were all like "Look at my boy only 5 years old and already playing the accordion so well." When the Beatles came to town and I decided that I wanted to play guitar, their support waned, if not vanished completely. Fast forward to the point in life when I decided to play music full time, and they both detested it, because in their minds, based on the fact that the only time they saw live music was at weddings, being a musician was not a real job.
Other people in the business understood, and many of them were supportive, but so many musicians I have known are jerks. They put other players down when that other player is better than them. Rather than elevate their own game to catch that person, the try to bring that person down to stroke their own ego. I have never seen such egomania than I have in musicians who all think they are just the best thing since pop tops on beer cans while playing that whole list of awful songs at every show. I know writers who refuse to acknowledge that anyone else on the planet writes music, yet they are afraid to play their originals at shows. I am actually pretty glad to be done with performing. Now I can write when I choose to, and not write when I choose to. Nobody hears it but me anyway (well, the dog...), so what's the point? Why bother? April of this year made 61 years I have been at music. Enough already. Time to move on to something new.
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Great responses all round. Some here clearly have thick skin and don't seem to need it but I think life would be so much better if there were more thought and encouragement towards others along their journey especially when creativity is involved. My personal take...don't mean to sound condescending...just going to honest. Well....sure it would, but were all adults here. I wouldn't want anyone to give me pats on the back with disingenuous patronizing of my material just to massage my ego or appeal to a sense of perceived frail emotions. To me....that is worse that no comments or encouragement at all. If one doesn't garner countless unsolicited compliments then maybe one should figure how to promote themselves differently and/or rethink their song writing goals and strive to write better. Maybe most think one's songs are too simplistic, song subject in uninteresting, lyrics are a plethora of worn out cliches and/or it's poorly sung/arranged/recorded. Personal genre subjectivity also dictates our preferences. I know...song writing is a very personal process and emotions can be affected but just because we spend agonizing amounts of time to write a song to completion does not mean it has any musical merit or appeal to the masses. That's it. I listened to a few of your songs because of your thread here. They all seem to be in the religious praise songs genre (if I'm correct) but I don't have a religious atom in my being and don't care for preachy, message songs so I would have no comments to offer. It just occurred to me, are there some praise song forums to involve yourself with? You've been provided some good opinions in previous posts so hope they help you come to terms with the realities us poor song writers must continually face. "Thick skin" (which I've mentioned in other threads) is essential so one can just continue on with their own personal joy of song writing. Just toughen up....keep writing....surround yourself with those of like mind/music and song writing interests. If it helps....my fan base is non-existent also. Respectfully....just calling it as I see it. Hey chulaivet1966, thanks for your valued input. Some good things you mentioned.
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[quote=chulaivet1966][quote=Paul Haynes]
Hey chulaivet1966, thanks for your valued input. Some good things you mentioned. Hey Paul.... I'm very glad you took my post as I intended. Addressing adults, not as a lecture....just a reality check for us creative types who also put our creative efforts out for the world to see, comment on or judge. Did I mention I don't have a fan base either? Carry on....
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I realized that, but it's the song your post made me think of and I think the sentiment is valid in this context. Mornin' John.... I may be daft but I'm missing somenhting in what you state above. I could be caffeine deficient at the moment also. Carry on....
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I may be daft but I'm missing something in what you state above. Chulaivet1966 - Jim Fogle originally posted: There's a song that I don't remember the name of or the specific lyrics but the story was about a woman that always sang songs. The problem was she always sang out of tune. Everyone continually complained about her singing. One day because of the complaints she quit singing. Then everyone realized the singing was part of her and they missed it. She started singing again and everyone was happy. And then I responded: "What would you say if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me? Lend me your ear and I'll sing you a song and I'll try not to sing out of key. Ooo, I get by with a little help from my friends." And then Jim responded back: Nope John, that isn't the song I'm thinking about. And then I responded back: I realized that, but it's the song your post made me think of and I think the sentiment is valid in this context. Some of them got lost in the thread of other postings, hence the confusion. Hopefully it's now clear.
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[quote]Some of them got lost in the thread of other postings, hence the confusion. Hopefully it's now clear. Yes....got it now. Thanks for clarifying. Back to it.....
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Jim. Maybe you are referring to the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins? I saw the movie with Meryl Streep in the lead. The best line was at the end when she was dying she said something like "they may say that I couldn't sing but they will never say that I didn't sing".
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Been gone a few weeks. I'm pointing back to the book 88 Song Writing Wrongs... If you are hoping to get encouragement from others who hear your songs perhaps re-arrange them or make a few changes so they are more appealing to those you hope to gain encouragement from.
Also, you might offer to allow someone to collaborate on them. Which would mean you'd have to accept some changes offered by someone else's opinion. Being open to changes can be very encouraging. If you don't like the changes someone else makes to your song go back to the original or use their changes for ideas.
You might also ask someone else to sing them for you. I do this and I also sing other writers songs for them. Some times that's for demo purpose but some times they keep all or part of my vocal tracks. Other times that have a different singer replace mine or their vocal tracks. The idea is to find the vocalist that best expresses the song.
Question; Have you become more encouraged over the time period since you created this thread?
Why? Why not? What was it that made you feel better? Worse? Have you applied any of the suggestions mentally, on paper, on instrument, on voice?
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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BTW, I listened to your 3 original songs on SoundCloud and I like all 3. I think if you brightened up your lead vocal with EQ and Compression or something that would get your voice to sound crisp and stand out a bit they would be great. I think those three songs are written as good or better than most of the local song writers I hear.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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I, too, have had very little encouragement from family with my songwriting. Both of my kids play guitar, bass, but neither is all that interested in what I write. No wife or girlfriend ever provided me with much encouragement or enthusiasm with maybe one exception. And still, I struggle onward.
Writing is a lonely endeavor to be sure. And although I know a lot of good songwriters I just never have been able to co-write successfully. I seem to need to "surround" a song idea before I can write. Now, given a good song idea I can usually run with it: Joanne Cooper came up with the story for "Heather and Juniper" (see the User Showcase for more info) and I wrote the lyrics in about 30 minutes. But generally the actual writing process has always been a solitary endeavor for me. Oh, I can co-produce with others once the songwriting is done easily enough. But that beginning process is never easy. I always remember a James Taylor quote regarding his own songwriting challenges: "It doesn't come often, and it doesn't come easy." I found that statement encouraging in a defiant sort of way. So I struggle onward.
Songwriting motivation can come from some unusual places. Several years ago I produced an audiobook for Audible (now owned by Amazon.com) for a client, my first introduction to the literary writing world. Later I produced (it's called editing in the book world) two printed books for the same client. As with most NEW endeavors I became interested enough to want to try writing. I wrote and published one book ("The Songsmith"...imagine that) and an audiobook, and am well on the way in a second book. The point is literary writing really gave me some new insights to apply to songwriting. Particularly, I started writing a short, very short, story about whatever song I wanted to write. The process made me really focus on the foundation of my songwriting and actually made the process of starting a song a lot easier. If the short story sucks...I don't honor it with hours of lyric writing, and hours of studio work. I look for another idea. Songwriting is the "instant gratification" endeavor of the creative world in my experience. A novel takes months to write, mine took three, and a daily commitment to writing for an hour or more. While, on a good day, I've come up with a song idea in the morning and had a fairly good finished demo by day's end. By the way, only BIAB will let you do something like that. Another subject altogether.
I think all songwriting methods are valid if they work for you. But keeping yourself up and in the game requires a least a bit of dedication to the art/science of songwriting. READ about songwriting, build a little library of how-to books, listen to a lot of music, especially singer-songwriter stuff. Go listen to some live music. Luckily we have tons of that around Denver and Boulder, and a famous songwriting school in Lyons in the summer. Find what really motivates you and hit that button till you wear it out. And finally, THINK about what you want to write. Don't just throw junk at the wall to see what sticks. Be incisive and thoughtful about your songwriting. If you don't love the song idea you come up with, at least in my experience, you won't find the motivation to give it your best efforts. Done right, songwiting is hard work. It's a lonely experience mostly. "It doesn't come often, and it doesn't come easy."
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I know a few songwriters who are disappointed that their friends and family do not support and encourage them but you have to remember that this is YOUR hobby and NOT THEIRS! They may be really interested when you show up with your first song but when you bring unreleased album number 5 out and expect them to be as excited about it as you are...well, you are almost certain to be disappointed!
With that said I have found online communities where everyone supports each other...I listen to yours and you listen to mine (not unlike this site's showcase!) But, of course, in those scenarios you are not the "star", rather, you are one of many and the responses you get will be reflective of your level of participation. Actually I have found that even friends and family will be more supportive if you also take time to show support for their hobbies and passions!
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this is YOUR hobby and NOT THEIRS That phrase is where this starts to split into 2 divergent concepts. Hobby? Who needs encouragement for their hobby? Stamp collecting, making scrapbooks, gardening, sewing..... those are hobbies. You just do a hobby because you have spare time and not a care in the world about how it turns out. It is a very different situation when you are paying for a house, feeding a family, keeping a car running.... on money made from music. A lot of people here did that for some portion of their life. Some, like Notes for example, still do. I needed encouragement THEN, when music was how I earned my living, and I had none. I had DIScouragment from people who didn't understand that playing music WAS a job.Now, I write for me and I don't care what anybody thinks. So level of involvement has a lot to do with this topic. In a way, that lack of encouragement made me better at what I did. The defiant streak in me, and I have that in abundance, drove me to show them they were all wrong. And when I quit playing full time, and soon after I quit completely, it wasn't because I was discouraged by it. I was just bored with it. They did not win. I stopped "racing". When I did the CD 2 years ago, I had 100 pressed and sold 45. But, that was more a labor of love and a bucket list thing. I didn't expect an Album of the Year Grammy for a self produced album. (Good thing, too! LOL!) So in my case, I have to amend the thread title from Source of ENCOURAGEMENT to Source of Motivation. NOBODY is going to tell me I can't do something.
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this is YOUR hobby and NOT THEIRS That phrase is where this starts to split into 2 divergent concepts. Hobby? Who needs encouragement for their hobby? Stamp collecting, making scrapbooks, gardening, sewing..... those are hobbies. You just do a hobby because you have spare time and not a care in the world about how it turns out. It is a very different situation when you are paying for a house, feeding a family, keeping a car running.... on money made from music. A lot of people here did that for some portion of their life. Some, like Notes for example, still do. I needed encouragement THEN, when music was how I earned my living, and I had none. I had DIScouragment from people who didn't understand that playing music WAS a job.Now, I write for me and I don't care what anybody thinks. So level of involvement has a lot to do with this topic. In a way, that lack of encouragement made me better at what I did. The defiant streak in me, and I have that in abundance, drove me to show them they were all wrong. And when I quit playing full time, and soon after I quit completely, it wasn't because I was discouraged by it. I was just bored with it. They did not win. I stopped "racing". When I did the CD 2 years ago, I had 100 pressed and sold 45. But, that was more a labor of love and a bucket list thing. I didn't expect an Album of the Year Grammy for a self produced album. (Good thing, too! LOL!) So in my case, I have to amend the thread title from Source of ENCOURAGEMENT to Source of Motivation. NOBODY is going to tell me I can't do something. Dunno why you view those who did not encourage you as your opponents or enemies! "I don't care what anybody thinks." "They did not win." And regardless of whether it is your hobby or your job I don't understand why you would feel entitled to encouragement from others. I don't know your story of course but personally I don't expect others to support or encourage my hobbies or my career! If they do that is a nice bonus and I will definitely return the favor to them.
Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 08/16/17 02:42 PM.
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J3, I wasn't "not encouraged". I was DIScouraged. My own family members continued to try and tell me why I needed a job from 9-5 and then somehow find time to practice alone, rehearse with a band, and gig 5 nights a week. All because THEY grew up in a world with a timecard and a lunch bucket. Constantly harping. Calling me during the day to find a way to get around to the subject, telling me about jobs they found in the paper for me. I replied every time "I have a job. I am a musician.", and hung up the phone. Finally I quit talking to them. Both parents are now long since gone but the one sister I have, who hated that I found some level of success in music and she went nowhere in life (having been groomed in the 50s and 60s school of thought where the females were supposed to somehow finish high school, find a man, have babies, and stay home - EXACTLY what she did) I have not spoken to in 16 years. I am so glad that societal paradigm changed, or a lot of intelligent, talented women would have never had the opportunity to bloom.
In my world, college was for the rich kids. I had to go into the Army to get the GI Bill to attend college. I ALMOST fell into the trap where your environment dictates your future, like the inner city teaches now. Kids that see nothing but poverty and unemployment can easily assume that there is no other option, that it never gets any better. As far as your assertion that I felt like I was entitled to encouragement, that is ridiculous. Nobody is entitled to anything. Never were. That is a 2000s word and I came up in the 50s and 60s. However, in the same breath, is not the duty of parents to try and help their kids become all they can be? To give them the space to choose their own path and urge them to excel? I had none of that. Had I bought into their program I would have worked in a dead end job for 45 years and then retired in the lower middle class.
So to boil that all down, as I said before, you can say that in a very real way, my source of encouragement was discouragement, though motivation is a better word.
Last edited by eddie1261; 08/16/17 04:23 PM.
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This is a very interesting thread indeed. My sister is the only one amongst my family who gives me any sort of encouragement... I used to take it personally (as in "my music is no good") but I am over that now and soldier on anyway (as so eloquently mentioned by Bob) because I love it. Everyone has to find their own path in life and you can't rely on other people to bring you happiness.
Edited to add: my daughter does come to the National Arts Festival with me and gives me support there, for which I am very grateful.
Last edited by JoanneCooper; 08/16/17 08:50 PM.
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Everyone has to find their own path in life and you can't rely on other people to bring you happiness. Exactly!
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"J3, I wasn't "not encouraged". I was DIScouraged. My own family members continued to try and tell me why I needed a job from 9-5 and then somehow find time to practice alone, rehearse with a band, and gig 5 nights a week. All because THEY grew up in a world with a timecard and a lunch bucket. Constantly harping. Calling me during the day to find a way to get around to the subject, telling me about jobs they found in the paper for me. I replied every time "I have a job. I am a musician.", and hung up the phone. Finally I quit talking to them. Both parents are now long since gone but the one sister I have, who hated that I found some level of success in music and she went nowhere in life (having been groomed in the 50s and 60s school of thought where the females were supposed to somehow finish high school, find a man, have babies, and stay home - EXACTLY what she did) I have not spoken to in 16 years. I am so glad that societal paradigm changed, or a lot of intelligent, talented women would have never had the opportunity to bloom. In my world, college was for the rich kids. I had to go into the Army to get the GI Bill to attend college. I ALMOST fell into the trap where your environment dictates your future, like the inner city teaches now. Kids that see nothing but poverty and unemployment can easily assume that there is no other option, that it never gets any better. As far as your assertion that I felt like I was entitled to encouragement, that is ridiculous. Nobody is entitled to anything. Never were. That is a 2000s word and I came up in the 50s and 60s. However, in the same breath, is not the duty of parents to try and help their kids become all they can be? To give them the space to choose their own path and urge them to excel? I had none of that. Had I bought into their program I would have worked in a dead end job for 45 years and then retired in the lower middle class. So to boil that all down, as I said before, you can say that in a very real way, my source of encouragement was discouragement, though motivation is a better word" ------------------------------------------ And all of that puts you in good company, didn't John Lennons aunt Minnie discourage him as well and tell him to get a proper job. With a few exceptions I feel there is little money to be made from music, for most of us it is a hobby. From reading the forum down through the years I can only think of a few people who have made a good living out of music and that partly comes from being good with money, and cutting back on other things in life (their choice of course) This link makes interesting reading. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/musicians-charity-raises-600000-to-help-struggling-artists-across-the-country-35973833.htmlMusiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 08/19/17 12:52 AM.
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With a few exceptions I feel there is little money to be made from music, for most of us it is a hobby. Yep....I've felt that way for a couple decades and have had no desire to meet the protocols necessary to embark upon that demanding, unpredictable path. One would have to write in the genre that's popular, pay some dues with rejection/disappointment/perseverance and get connected to the industry in other ways. I do get encouragement from about (4) long time musician friends that actually like my songs but I never get song writing encouragement/commentary or interest from my wife....never have. If she were asked she'd say she likes my efforts but I'm sure she's just being polite. She's just uninterested. As stated above song writing (along with many other creative interests) is a lonely sport. The way see it no one owes me any comments, encouragement or validation. But....if someone does generously give a listen and comment....I'm damn grateful and would thank them graciously. What we do as writers/composers is not for frail egos if we decide to promote ourselves and offer them up for comments/scrutiny on the internet. We just have to be comfortable with what we do. So...I would just 'encrourage' all of us to keep writing and strive to improve according to our personal expectations. A good weekend to all.....
Last edited by chulaivet1966; 08/19/17 03:07 AM.
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Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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