I've been experimenting with 'repeats' but seem now to be stuck with a repeat I don't want. When I go into the repeats dialogue box it tells me there are no repeats (I 'deleted all' earlier) but the first 32 bars are repeating 3 times? Also the next (last) 6 bars are marked as the end but I didn't consciously do that?
By default, a new song will have a chorus of bars 1-32, repeated 3 times. This is perfectly normal, and you can change the number of choruses to 1 if you prefer. There's a box for this on the toolbar.
When you have a minute, I'd highly recommend clicking on the Help menu, going to Help Topics, then Tutorials, and reading #3: Inputting New Songs, it explains all the basics like setting the length and number of choruses.
Hi Kent - thanks. I've upgraded to 2018 and it is a little more intuitive ... I think .... but I am still stuck with an end marker at bar 23?
I have unchecked 'generate 2 bar ending' in the song settings and also the 'allow any endings' in the song arrangement window but my end marker is still there.
There are spaces on that toolbar for setting the first bar of your chorus, and last bar of your chorus, and 32 is still selected for the last bar. This isn't a big deal, just look for a 32 and click on it. It'll be to the right of the song and style names.
Regarding the automatic endings in Song Settings, I'd highly recommend leaving them activated, or the ending of the song will be very abrupt and will sound awful.
Ok. I've never known of an instance in the forums where the File Manager option for posting graphics has not been visible to select. I wonder if it's a restriction that's placed on new members for a short period of time?
Another way to post an image is to use an image hosting site on the web and then to post the image's link using the 'IMG' command. To do this, have a look at the graphic below...
...The URL for the image needs to be sandwiched using square brackets, forward slash and img exactly as shown in red below.
Hi Noel - here is the song ... ehhh .... I don't have the option to open file manager and upload a local file ??
P.
What type of local file? You can upload a screenshot (image file) on the forums, but uploading an actual BiaB file may be problematic. The File Manager option on the forums is restricted (both in size and type).
I *think* to share an actual BiaB file, it may need to be uploaded to Dropbox or some other file sharing option instead. And then linked to there. But a screenshot (image) of the issue would be allowed .. as long as it is not too large of a file.
Just mentioning in case either of these could be the issue.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Hi Kent - I don't understand this reply. The end mark is on bar 23?
Hi Patrick,
Sorry, I misread your comment. There'll be a 23 in that box on the toolbar then. Depending on which toolbar style you're using, it'll be in one of the locations shown in these screenshots:
or
These numbers represent the first bar of your chorus, last bar of your chorus, and how many time you want the chorus to play. I'm guessing yours is set to 1 - 23 x 1.
I watched your video and your issue is with the numbers Kent with PGMusic staff has posted a photo of above.
You may be having an issue with BIAB terminology as well.
A 'Chorus' is what Biab calls the first two numbers Kent marked. For example with Proud Mary - set the third number in that sequence Kent marked to 1. In his example, that third number is currently set to 3. Change the third number to 1.
The first two numbers in the sequence Kent marked above should be equal to the number of measures you have entered the chords onto the chord sheet for your song project, start to finish. For instance, assume you have entered chords into a total of 78 blocks (bars/measures); Set the first two numbers in the sequence as first number - 1 and the second number- 78
Once you have done this, all of the chords will be one color and none greyed out.
In Song Settings - be sure the generate 2 bar ending box is checked. This will place the 'End' marker at Bar 79 and Biab will generate an ending for your song.
----
Alternately, a very easy way to create accompaniment backing tracks for commercially released songs such as "Proud Mary", is to google the title of the song you wish to make a cover for as a free midi file. Example: Proud Mary free midi file
download and open the midi file - F7 opens midi files.
This will populate the chord chart, set the key signature, tempo as well as the style type.
The entire midi file will have imported onto the Melody Track in the mixer.
Mute the Melody Track and be certain the style in the Style Box is enabled. (if the Style is preceded by X -the style is disabled. Rt click and uncheck the style enabled selection)
Open the Style Picker and set the search parameters to the same as are displayed on the Chord Chart. Example: Proud Mary settings could be Key: C Tempo 110 4/4 ev8 and 78 measures have chords. or you can do a search for Proud Mary and Biab will locate styles that fit the correct settings for the song Proud Mary.
Select a Style you like from the list.
Hit play and the selected style will play Proud Mary
This is much easier than it reads... It narrows down to import midi file, select a style, mute the midi track (Melody) and hit play. You do not actually have to mute the midi file, you can use all or parts from the midi file to enhance the Biab performance but that is a bit more detailed than I'll cover in this post.
I also recommend you google as search for your commercial song title choice and include Band in a Box in the search. This may yield a Biab file for your song that someone has already completed.
Hi Charlie, ok so in BIAB terms, the chorus is the song ... is that right? So if your song happens to be 240 bars long, your chorus should be 1 to 240 times 1, i.e. no repeat.
So the notion of chorus is really only relevant to the notion of creating repetitive backing track chord sequences - is that correct?
In a real song, the chorus can be repeated several times throughout the song but maybe that is more of a printed presentation issue when printing the structure of the song ... is that the terminology difference that I am struggling with?
Yes. It's terminology based in jazz to my understanding.
In its default start up state, Biab will be 1-32-3 in the box Kent with PG staff posted earlier in the thread.
You will note in bar one there is a straight line with two vertical dots on the left side.
At bar 32, there is a straight line with two vertical dots on the right side and a small 3x.
This is musical notation that tells us our complete band in a box song will play bars 1-32 and then repeat two more times for a total of 96 bars. As you see, rather than show 96 bars, 32 bars can fit on our computer screen.
It is simpler to input the chords in a linear fashion of 1-96 bars and scroll down to the higher numbered measures. This also provides the additional benefit that bars 33-96 can contain different chords than the default setting where bars 1-32 repeat the same chords for bars 33-96.
Inputting in a linear manner allows us to separate the song format into more familiar sections such as intro, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus and outro.
Biab provides the blue, green and assorted other colors for use to designate the song format.
All you have to do to change between the repeating chorus format and the linear format is to change that third number to 1 and the second (middle) number to the total numbers of bars the length of your song ultimately totals. So your song project may appear 1-78-1 where the song (chorus) begins at bar 1, plays through to bar 78 where an end measure occurs to make a Biab generated two bar ending that has two additional bars for a fade.
Bar one always has a bar marker.
An example of a 4 bar intro into a verse would be to place your second part marker at bar 5. So your intro would begin at bar 1 and play for 3 more bars and then your verse chords would begin at bar 5.
If the first verse ended after playing a total of 8 bars, place your next part marker at bar 13. Noel96 posted a similar pictorial example layout earlier in this thread.
The terminology is indeed based on jazz. When we jazz players say, "take a chorus" we mean to solo once over the entire song. Chorus as used here is different from the songwriter's verse/chorus.
BIAB was originally designed to be able to play chords from jazz fakebooks.
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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
For Chorus you could also say "Repeated section". The first and second numbers specify the first and last bar of a section to be repeated. So you could have say, a 16 bar verse/intro then a 32 bar repeated "Chorus" and another 16 bar ending. To do this you would set the first and second numbers to 17 & 48 and the third to the number of repeats. Then enter the chords for all 64 bars (16 in, 32 repeated, 16 out). Then in the song settings menu specify a tag that starts at bar 49 and ends at bar 64 to get the 16 bars at the end.
There are ways to do even more complicated things, but you should get familiar with this first. Then come back and ask more questions (or read the manual :^)
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.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
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.
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