Remember, the bottom line for these folks is to make money. They likely don't really give a damn about educating the people who give them money.
You may be right but my point is when they hit upon something that is needed and you are a “beneficiary” of this it is truly amazing. You have just made a video. I doubt you are an expert videographer /film maker. This would have been impossible a few years ago.
My example is Canva. I am not a graphic designer and battled with adobe etc to try and make my own cd artwork.
Now I can make really nice cd artwork pieces in about 2 minutes flat for ZERO dollars. I am still not and never will be nor do I aspire to be a graphic designer. You gotta love technology, man.
Sitting at a computer clicking on a screen is not gaining "musical experience" any more than eating carrot cake teaches about gardening and baking.
I always admire your analogies Eddie. But that one's a classic.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Exactly...Sometimes you JUST want to do something yourself and you think "surely it shouldn't be that hard...". This lekker little tool may be just that for the masses of people who just want to record their song idea... (Lekker is South African for nice, pleasant, satisfying)
Canva looks intriguing. I currently use PicMonkey as the background removal is far and away the best I’ve tried. Have you found the removal tool In Canva to be accurate especially around hair?
Thanks,
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
Canva looks intriguing. I currently use PicMonkey as the background removal is far and away the best I’ve tried. Have you found the removal tool In Canva to be accurate especially around hair?
Thanks,
Bud
Hi Bud
Background removal on canva is not free… so I haven’t tried it. I just use a free online background removal tool as and when I need it. I think it might be this one I have used in the past. https://www.remove.bg/
Edited to add. You can checkout the song artwork I have been making in about 2 minutes flat for zero dollars here https://www.mintsongs.com/u/JoanneCooper Disclaimer: I am not graphic designer. I just wanted to “do it myself”
My example is Canva. I am not a graphic designer and battled with adobe etc to try and make my own cd artwork.
Now I can make really nice cd artwork pieces in about 2 minutes flat for ZERO dollars. I am still not and never will be nor do I aspire to be a graphic designer. You gotta love technology, man.
Just looked at your CD artwork pieces and they are lovely! Brilliant example of effectively using technology without needing to become an expert!
Just in case you are a new music-maker or a new BIAB customer or prospective customer remember what you read on these forums are just the opinions of certain active forum members! As far as we know, no one here is scoring Billboard hits with their music so take everyone's opinions with a grain of salt!
My main point is, You Do You! Do it your way!
If you wish to learn music then dive in and do it!
Or, if you do not wish to learn music but prefer instead to use a tool like BIAB to create music then do that!
There is no single "right" way to make music (in spite of what you may have read here!)
And to the credit of PGM, BIAB is a tool that can help you regardless of your choice of how to make music!
This is an example of PicMonkey's background removal. I took the first picture of Janice outdoors on a park bench with foliage all around her, removed the background and placed her in this photo I shot of a 19th century church interior. The background removal was one click.
The second photo I shot of her on a paved road and placed it in the swamp photo ... again just a click for background removal.
Gotta love AI when it works for you!
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
It has come to our attention, dear BIAB shoppers, that there are some people on this forum with fake names and false identities and no way to ever find out who they are who are posting obnoxious comments even though they have never ever posted a song in their life, that we can tell, and apparently do not know how to use anything.
We are currently working with the FBI and have found a picture of one BIAB troll, however, who is popping up a lot. We don't know where to find him though.
If anyone knows where this person can be found, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
FWIW I think anyone who plays an instrument and/or is a vocalist is a winner in my book. They can use whatever means they want to make music. They are artists.
But if someone is just using loops, audio clips, samples, etc, is not a musician in my book. They can create music without any knowledge about what they are doing technically but that does not make them a musician IMHO. A sound manipulator yes, a musician no. YMMV
I agree.
This is similar to someone who uses oil paints to make a picture and a collage artist who snips already created things and pastes them together to make art.
They both make art, but aren't in the same league at all.
Some people do both.
To be a musician, you have to be able to play a musical instrument. You have to be able to create your own music, not just paste together music made by others. That makes you a musical collage maker.
To me, the classifications aren't a hierarchy, just a way of defining and differentiating.
That was actually the washboard player in the Quarrymen.
But I think this conversation got way offline and it is the unfortunate result of Internet forum anonymity where people with essentially no identity can hide behind a bush and say whatever they want to say for psychotic thrills, or whatever. And they usually know how to get people's goats. And folks take the bait.
I think what people were ORIGINALLY saying (or trying to say) is that the technology capacity behind something like ToneStone has existed for years. If you listen to the demos on ToneStone's soundcloud channel, you could have made something like that using a gazillion apps years ago.
It is clever MARKETING to say they are democratizing music and saving the world for people who have been locked out, but that's all it is--marketing. Again, with a few samples and the simplest of tools you could have made any of this stuff ten years ago, or further back.
But, back to the original topic: if you want to use ToneStone,or anything else, why not.
If it is fun, do it.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Be careful on these threads. The devil is lurking close by.
As far as I am concerned, these discussions should be among people who have DEMONSTRATED that they have produced one song in their lives and have perhaps posted it.
One is good enough.
But if I see someone who swaggers into these discussions has NEVER shown a piece of music they have produced, I try to stay far, far away.
I am beginning to see that it is a trap.
An artifact of a very imperfect Internet.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Sadly the talentless will always find their way to unregulated, open sign-up forums. This forum should have rules requiring a minimum number of creative posts. That would keep the talentless trolls away.
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.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
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