I understand that we as users of BIAB can load the demo songs from RealTracks and they form a great starting point for creating a song. It is also clear to me that one is not supposed to use the "melody" from that song "as is" since that would not be legal. Lastly, I understand that chords and chord progressions can't be copyrighted (correct me if I'm wrong). So my question is as follows...
1) If I Regenerate the song I hear a slightly different melody from the original one that came from the demo. Is that sufficient to be different so that we can use it somehow? Not that I would do only this, but I want to understand what the actual "limit" of what the legal terms mean.
2) What actually "is" the melody? Is that always a single particular instrument like the guitar or the piano? Sometimes the melody seems to be formed by two different guitars, or a guitar and a piano working together. If I remove that identifiable melody I'm left with drums, base, and perhaps something else, but the melody is generally gone. Is that what is required so that we can use that song as a base?
3) What if I only remove the One guitar which seems like it plays the main melody and leave the second guitar and the rest of the song alone? Is that sufficient to be considered different?
I'm not trying to write commercial songs, just songs to share with my friends. But, I do want to understand what exactly constitutes what I can and can't do with this software.
I guess what I'm really asking is "What can I create using RealTracks so that I don't publish or distribute anything that PGMusic doesn't like?"
Any clarifications will be extremely helpful. [i][/i]
Last edited by huertaaj; 01/17/2205:19 PM.
Dell Laptop Core I7, 16 GB Ram, Windows 10/64, Studio One 5 Pro with Komplete 13 and lots of VST plugins, BIAB UltraPak 2022 Build 914
The Band-in-a-Box Demo Songs are under PG Music Inc. copyright. They are meant to be used as creative examples of how to use various add-ons that come with the software. So for making your own music you can load a Style or RealTrack into your song and consider it your song. But you cannot load a Demo then call it your song.
I'm not interested in using or sharing BIAB demo songs without modification. I just want to understand HOW MUCH they need to be modified and what that really means.
For example the .STY named _CMPFBHS.STY (Campfire, Hank Strummed) has only one track with no melody. If I like that set of chords and want to leave them as is, would that be illegal? Even if I press Regenerate, it sounds the same. I obviously would not want to use that style "as is" because I could easily (and would) add a melody using another instrument in my DAW. But, there are other styles that apparently have no melody, just a bunch of chords being played and it is difficult to determine which one is the actual melody (if there is one).
So my question is more about understanding the situation, more from an academic point of view, just for the sake of clarifying, not figuring out how to cheat or be lazy.
Last edited by huertaaj; 01/24/2206:17 AM.
Dell Laptop Core I7, 16 GB Ram, Windows 10/64, Studio One 5 Pro with Komplete 13 and lots of VST plugins, BIAB UltraPak 2022 Build 914
"I understand that chords and chord progressions can't be copyrighted " I think you have answered you own question. I send songs all the time using the demo chords.
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
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We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.
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Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.
Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music
Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:
Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!
Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!
Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:
Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!
Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.
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