|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475 |
<...snip...>
Also remember that "money" is relative. $1000 means something very different to a millionaire than it doe to a guy living in a refrigerator box on the street. <...> Truer words have never been spoken. In the late 1960s I was making $400/week doing two 45 minute sets on two days as an opening act for the majors. That was a lot of money back them (4 times as much as a plumber). To me that was riches. I talked to the leader of the Association backstage and he was making $2,000 per show. We never got there. In my experiment in being "normal" I was a Field Engineer for a Cable TV manufacturer. It paid well, I basically worked 3 days a week (Monday and Friday were travel days but I could take the red-eye out on Monday and the red-eye back on Thursday so I could still gig on the weekends). If I stayed there I would have made a lot more money than I made as a full-time musician which I've done for most of my life so far. But they did me a favor when they laid off everybody who had less than 15 years and I had almost 5. I realized 2 things (1) being normal is over-rated (2) I'm happier making less money but enjoying my life a lot more by gigging for a living. I'm not rich and don't buy as many possessions as many other people do, but I find I prefer experiences to possessions. So it works for me. I've traveled the world, bought new cars but drove them a few hundred miles until the became undependable, don't wear jewelry, but feel I am one of the luckiest people I know. I get up in the morning, and if it's a gig day, it's the brightest day of the week and I can't wait to get to work. And we have plenty of gig days. Tonight is the fourth one this week. People on the gigs ask me if I have a CD for sale. Since my home is not acoustically great for recording, I would have to rent time at a commercial studio. That would cost me a lot of money. And how many will I sell? My fans are a limited market, and once they have the CD, there is no need to buy another. So I doubt I would cover my expenses. Live music is gone immediately, and then they need another dose. I've was a 'sax for hire' at a local studio for a long time. It's no longer there thanks to home recording gig. But when I was doing it, I played on self-produced CDs in the smooth jazz, country and pop genres. None of them have gone viral and none of them are stars. The competition is fierce and getting noticed is very difficult. In the few months of Summer when the gigging is slow, I make new BiaB aftermarket products in my spare time. I sell multiple copies of them because my 'audience' is global. And the work with BiaB helps me make better backing tracks for my duo (I don't buy them, but do my own). http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.html -- I play drums, sax, guitar, bass, wind synth, flute, and keyboard synth, took arranging in school, and both BiaB and my backing tracks help me improve my arranging chops. But for me the biggest demand is playing live, and that's great because playing live in front of an audience is the most fun I can have with my clothes on. Of course YMMV. And although I am of retirement age now, I have no plans of retiring. As long as I can fog a mirror and get gigs, I'll be gigging. And I have an early gig today, so I better quit 'yakking' here. Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Notes, if you chose to, couldn't you travel regionally and fill those summer months?
The busiest band I was ever in played a house gig on Tuesday, rehearsed Wednesday, played a house gig Thursday night, played regular local bar gigs on Friday and Saturday, and a Sunday night house gig.
In summer though, when it was nice enough to play outside, it got crazy. Thursday night, Friday happy hour outside, then a bar gig after that, Saturday afternoon outside, a bar gig after that, Sunday afternoon outside, then the Sunday night house gig. 7 shows in 4 days. Every weekend.
Monday we stayed in bed all day! And nobody was allowed to call each other so we did not have to speak. The throat is not meant to sing that much.
We got to the point where some of those doubleheaders were so far apart that we would have a rental PA dropped off, send our PA system to the night gig, have crew guys set it up, then come back to the first gig to pick up the rental PA, take it to the rehearsal hall, and come back to the night gig for load out at 2am. We moved and set up our own stage gear.
Not about sales at all, but expanding on Notes comment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,475 |
Notes, if you chose to, couldn't you travel regionally and fill those summer months?<...snip...>
Regionally, no. The tourist season in South Florida dies at Easter and gets buried on Mother's Day. Like everybody else in the hospitality industry, we make more than 3/4 of our yearly income between Halloween and Easter. When we first started, we did Cruise Ships from the beginning of April to the beginning of December, 3 years in a row. That was nice, but after 3 years it was enough, Too much time on the ship, and not enough time in the ports. By our 4th year out we had enough local reputation to work all summer, so I declined to renew the Cruise Ship contract. I happen to really like Summer in South Florida, so if I traveled to Georgia or Jacksonville (South Georgia to a Floridian) I'd have to pack up and leave the home and live in a motel. I'd rather stay here and enjoy the rainy season. So I choose to stay and work perhaps 4-6 gigs a month instead of 4-6 gigs a week. And by having slow summer gigging seasons, it gives me a chance to work on new Band-in-a-Box aftermarket products. I like making styles for BiaB because it gives me a chance to play drums, bass, and other instruments. I record parts live into a MIDI sequencer, and then take snippets of what I play and import them into the StyleMaker. I have to figure ways to work around the limitations of BiaB and when it's all done I have something I can listen to and be proud of. Sometime late in the slow season I'll block out a few weeks to take a vacation. I like to travel, and I've been to 49 US States, much of Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico and down to Costa Rica in this hemisphere. I've also been to over a half dozen European countries and a few in Asia and Africa. I planned to go to Madagascar last summer, but they are having an epidemic of the Bubonic Plague so we drove to Idaho to see the eclipse instead and hit a few parks on the way back. As much as I like traveling, being on the road with a lot of gear to schlep myself isn't appealing to me. Get off the gig, haul it all into the motel room, put it back in the van in the morning, set up, gig, tear down, and do it all over again. I'm very happy with my life. I get to make a living doing music and nothing but music. Most of my money comes from gigging, and the Band-in-a-Box moonlighting gig is satisfying and makes a few bucks while I am having fun. I wrote my first styles for myself. Being a guy who played drums, bass, guitar, keys, sax, and flute in working bands, I wanted styles that sounded more like what working bands did. I figured it would be a short-cut to making backing tracks. I had no intention of making a business out of it. I gave away my styles to my musician friends who were into BiaB, and they all told me they liked them better than the PG Music styles (Aren't friends great!). A guitarist I know who used to teach jazz guitar at the University of Miami told me I should sell them. The idea mulled around in my head for a while, and I put a set up for sale via classified ads in EM and Keyboard magazines. In a few months I found myself with a second business. I learned to be a mail order businessman, then when the Internet arrived here I embraced it, learned how to write web sites, and now it is decades later and the challenge is to come with new products that are both useful, and not similar to ones I've already released. The gigging season is almost over, Easter comes early this year, and I'm actually looking forward to making new styles from the short ideas I've recorded during the busy season. If I like what I do this summer, and feel proud enough to put my name on it, I'll release new products next winter. Plus I'm also selling products made by other BiaB creators, David Bailey, Roy Hawkesford, Sherry Mayrent, and Jim Wedd. I send them a check 4 times a year and make them smile. I do all of this instead of watching TV. I disconnected the cable in the late 1980s, never bothered to put up an antenna, and never got a digital converter. I'd rather live my life vicariously by doing things instead of living my life by watching actors pretend to do things. That's just me, and fortunately Leilani is the same way. Perhaps being weird together is one of the things that keeps us close.  And on every gig day I'll say to myself how lucky I am to be able to do this for a living. I could have been a printer like my dad or an insurance salesman or a 9-5 at a desk. Instead I get to pick up my sax, flute, wind synth, and guitar and play them to a live, appreciative audience over my self-created backing tracks, stick my face on the mic and sing, and tell bad jokes on the mic, and get paid for it. What could be better than that? Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
Never having relied upon being paid for music in any fashion, what is happening in Music incomes for artists appears to be a squashing of the hill on the left end of the Pareto chart and pushing it out to the right.
For me, it has never seemed more positive at all of the opportunities to make a little bit of money making music, with tools that yield higher quality than I ever thought possible for next to no money invested.
That said, I have yet to step over that line to make a serious attempt to make money making music.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,382
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,382 |
I haven't lost all of my marbles but there is a small hole in the bag someplace!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
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®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,864
Posts797,067
Members39,974
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are no members with birthdays on this day. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean