Thanks for your helpful information Bob (and Charlie).
I must admit that my skills in using BIAB Realtracks is pretty basic.
I don't use Realband and don't want to spend time learning how to master it, as I'm quite happy and at home using my Zoom R16 for recording, and Audacity for mixing, arranging and editing.
In past decades I used the combination of a 4-track Tascam Portastudio and Steinberg's Pro 24 sequencer running on an Atari ST micro-computer for recording, mixing and editing, and I managed to get pretty good results with that. My first EP was recorded using that equipment and it's success helped to pay towards my studio upgrade.

To be perfectly honest, I only started using BIAB a couple of years ago and it was initially just as a songwriting tool, and has proven to be a very useful one too.
As a musician (multi-instrumentalist) with many musical instruments and over 40 years experience of writing, performing and recording in my own studio, I think that it would be more preferable, and a lot easier for me to go back to providing all of the instrumentation myself, than it would having to learn how to make Realtracks sound more natural and non-detectable in my music, although I do have the utmost respect for those who are skilful in working with and manipulating sampled sounds for use in their music.

From listening to the showcase here, I know that BIAB Realtracks are extremely useful for many songwriters in making their music, and particularly for those who only play a single instrument (or none at all), but as you say, there is no substitute for good musicianship.

I've never had any of my music marked 'ineligible for monetization' before, and it only occurred due to the fact that I used LANDR to release those eight songs which used basic Realtracks accompaniment, so in my particular case the easiest solution to the problem would undoubtedly be to perform all the backing instrumentation myself if I ever feel the need to use my music in a YouTube video that I want to monetize, even if it means stripping the song back to just a handful of 'live' instruments. I must admit that I'm tempted to over-produce my tracks and add unnecessary Realtracks when using BIAB to compose songs and instrumentals.

The main thing is that my music (Realtracks included) has been getting lots of song plays on Spotify, Reverbnation, Soundcloud, etc, and my latest instrumental track 'Running in Circles' was played on BBC Radio (BBC Introducing) on Saturday and it's available on catchup for 30 days, so I should get lots more hits and paid downloads on my social media accounts from that.

https://andyshearer.wixsite.com/music
https://www.reverbnation.com/andyshearer
https://www.reverbnation.com/andyshearerinstrumentals





Last edited by Andyman; 07/11/19 12:56 PM.