I have a weird problem: I try to render a song to wav and after a few seconds it starts to play the file and says "Rendering failed". I've rendered plenty of songs without a problem; this is a new one. BIAB 2018 (520)
There are different ways to render a file such as using menu commands and using the DAW Drop. Which method are you using? Where are you saving the WAV file to? How is your storage drive maintenance?
My first suggestion is to try an alternate command. Second is to load another file, a demo file or a project you completed earlier perhaps and try rendering a different project to a WAV file. Third is to perform storage drive maintenance. Check how much free storage space is left. Hard drives like at least 10 to 15 percent while SSD drives prefer at least 20 percent. Either defragment your hard drive or trim your solid state drive.
Quite right, some testing is required. I openend an older file which I rendered succesfully before and it showed the same problem. So, something has changed somewhere. Tried saving it to the partition of my hard drive with more space, but no go (shouldn't be a problem anyway, on both more than 100 Gb available). I render by going on the right side to wav -> Export song as audio file. I also tried it through the menu Audio -> Export song as audio file. Then the rendering seems to take longer, but in the end again the song starts playing and I get the message "Rendering failed". And no audio files are saved.
@Noel96: Thank you for your suggestions. I've never had a softsynth set up, as I never use it. When I have a song with midi-only exporting is no problem. The problem is exporting the Real tracks. So I thought Audio Settings might have something to do with it (#6 in your screenshot). I have 3 options there: MME, ASIO and WAS. But no matter which one I set up, the problem is the same. What bugs me most is that I hadn't changed anything in the setup; I'd just not used BIAB for a couple of months. So it seems logical something changed on my PC but what?
One of BIAB's quirks is that it has to have a soft synth set up for the program to render wav files. This has always been the case and applies to MIDI tracks as well as Realtracks.
What I suggest you do is...
1. under "Options" save your current setup -- this will allow you to retrieve it and to reload it into BIAB if you need to return to your original settings
2. now follow the instructions I set out in my previous post and set the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 exactly as I have them on the image
3. exit back to BIAB, generate a song
4. try rendering that song
If my suggestion doesn't help in any way, it's then possible to reload you saved settings back into BIAB.
I'm not sure how you've rendered in the past without setting up a soft synth. I suspect that it was automatically set when you installed BIAB.
Now that BIAB is working correctly for you, use the setting under "Options" to save you present settings. Then if something misbehaves in the future, you'll be able to load these settings back in again and it should solve the problem.
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.
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.
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