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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312
PG Music Staff
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OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312 |
Did you know that Band-in-a-Box® is more than 30 years old? I stumbled across this 1990 magazine article explaining the relatively new program, and think it's an enjoyable read for any Band-in-a-Box user - it really shows that we are always listening to user feedback when developing our program! Read the article: Boxing Clever: Band-In-A-Box SoftwareA few of my favorite statements: "The intention of PG Music's Band-In-A-Box package is to couple that speed and convenience with the improved flexibility of the personal computer. Versions are available for the Atari ST, Mac, and PC compatibles. Have the programmers succeeded? And can they rid themselves of the stigma of the auto-accompaniment section? Given the above state of affairs, the first hurdle that the program has to overcome is one of acceptance and, frankly, a name like 'Band-In-A-Box' is a bad start." ( I think our name was a great start!) "The final results are, to say the least, impressive. Band-In-A-Box achieves something that most hardwired auto-accompaniment sections have never been able to do - inject a degree of feel into the music. It really does sound more human than so many of the computer generated pieces I've heard." "...I'm quite convinced that PG Music will have a winner on their hands. This is one piece of software that you can get more out of than you put in."
Callie
Marketing Representative
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,595
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,595 |
I’ve been using it almost 30 years. It’s fun to look back.
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; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,838
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,838 |
Biab Audiophile 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786 |
Wow, have you come a looong way or what!  No seriously, this time you've really topped yourself, that's an absolutely brilliant find  p.s. If anyone could dig up a sample of what the program actually sounded like back then, with its 3-track limits and all, I'd be most interested to hear it 
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
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BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 734 |
I think I bought it in 1991 or 1992, I can't remember, I used to have the diskettes. Remember those! Threw them out quite a while back when my wife said I had to clean/straighten my music room!
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 41
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 41 |
I well remember using BIAB on an Atari 1040ST. It certainly has advanced in all respects. Imagine how many diskettes you would need to use for the current version!
BIAB 2025 Ultrapak, Mixcraft Pro 10.5
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,656
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 3,656 |
going thru the attic i recently found an atari st sequencer 1 diskette and some games...ah those were the days.lol.
the st had good midi timing if i remember.
om
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs(90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 2,340
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 2,340 |
30 years ago, BIAB had found the right direction.
Chord, style, generation
After 30 years of accumulation, a revolution in music production will be set off in 2021.
Many people may not realize it.
WIN10 20H2, AMD R4800H ,16G , 2T ,FOCUSRITE 2i4 MKII，Studio One,FL STUDIO
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,517
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,517 |
Congrats! But there is no way anyone will ever, ever, ever compete with this EPIC demo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdpWc0hT5OQ
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,689 |
I think our name was a great start! I recall being aware of the existence of BIAB back in the early 90s, but I never tried it out until a few months ago. Why not? Well, partly because of that name, which always had cheesy associations for me.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312
PG Music Staff
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OP
PG Music Staff
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,312 |
Great video flashback - thanks for the share!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,170
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,170 |
Great video, we need Peters brother in law to join the forum.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,422
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,422 |
I think our name was a great start! I recall being aware of the existence of BIAB back in the early 90s, but I never tried it out until a few months ago. Why not? Well, partly because of that name, which always had cheesy associations for me. I loved the name Band-In-A-Box way back in the midi only, floppy days... now, I think the name is "cheesy"... but I do love the program & PGM... and especially this outstanding forum.
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
Cakewalk Sonar; Melodyne-5; Scaler 3; NI Komplete:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,595
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,595 |
“The computer will add a few colorful things that will add some zip to the song.”
And there it is.
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; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,422
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,422 |
Great video, we need Peters brother in law to join the forum. I totally agree... I love this guy...
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
Cakewalk Sonar; Melodyne-5; Scaler 3; NI Komplete:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,422
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,422 |
“The computer will add a few colorful things that will add some zip to the song.”
And there it is. Ha, this is great
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
Cakewalk Sonar; Melodyne-5; Scaler 3; NI Komplete:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2,766 |
I well remember using BIAB on an Atari 1040ST. It certainly has advanced in all respects. Imagine how many diskettes you would need to use for the current version! Doing some rough math, if you were using 360k floppy disks it would take nearly 73,000 floppies to fit the Pro version of BIAB 2021, which is the smallest one available. For the Audiophile edition it would take nearly 4.5 million! The stack of floppies for the Pro would be almost 80 feet high, and for the Audiophile would be nearly a mile! Hah, great find David!
I work here
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,786 |
Doing some rough math, if you were using 360k floppy disks it would take nearly 73,000 floppies to fit the Pro version of BIAB 2021, which is the smallest one available. For the Audiophile edition it would take nearly 4.5 million! The stack of floppies for the Pro would be almost 80 feet high, and for the Audiophile would be nearly a mile! Oh wow, if there was an award issued for the "Geekiest post of a thread", then this one takes the crown for sure! 
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
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BBox 2022 Audiophile, Mac Pro Intel, OSX 10.6.8, 800x600 (TV VGA)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,673
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,673 |
Doing some rough math, if you were using 360k floppy disks it would take nearly 73,000 floppies to fit the Pro version of BIAB 2021, which is the smallest one available. For the Audiophile edition it would take nearly 4.5 million! The stack of floppies for the Pro would be almost 80 feet high, and for the Audiophile would be nearly a mile!
Right, so if I were to install Pro at, say, 2 minutes per disc at 8 hours per day, I could be installed in just a little over 10 months. I suspect many of us would be dead before we'd installed that audiophile edition. It's easy sometimes to forget just how far things have moved on. My first hands-on computer, around 1973, was a Data General Nova 3 with twin 8" 160k floppies, a "massive" 128kB magnetic memory and a "top-loader washing machine" for 5MB Winchester + 5MB removable drive, the latter taking a couple or so hours to spin up or down. My present actual washing machine almost certainly has more compute power, though it may still be lower on storage. Now I casually consider whether to go to 1 or 2TB on my next SSD drive. Hmm, I wonder, though not much(!), just how many tons of paper tape even that Pro edition would need.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 63
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 63 |
Eli/ken Mondragon
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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.
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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®!
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!
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