“All joking aside and excluding subjective "art" subjects, this AI very well could cause severe disruptions to the highly educated workforce.”
ChatGPT wrote this:
“In the next five years, it is likely that AI will begin to reduce employment for college-educated workers. As the technology continues to advance, it will be able to perform tasks that were previously thought to require a high level of education and skill. This could lead to a displacement of workers in certain industries, as companies look to cut costs by automating processes. While it is difficult to predict the exact extent of this trend, it is clear that AI will have a significant impact on the job market for college-educated workers. It will be important for individuals to stay up to date on the latest developments in AI and to consider how their skills and expertise can be leveraged in a world where machines are increasingly able to perform many tasks.”
I guess me being only a semi-educated redneck will have its advantage...lol
You want beef, I have cows...lol
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
I have to wonder if the access to ChatGPT will continue in the same freely accessible way. I can no longer log on to the site. Perhaps this is just a temporary condition.
I had no idea about the vast amounts of money that has been spent to date on ChatGPT. Microsoft has invested three billion and is seriously considering investing another ten billion.
This may be a fun toy for us to experiment with writing lyrics/music, but the importance of this program has next to nothing to do with art.
I think we will soon need to get out our checkbook if we want to access ChatGPT.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
I think we will soon need to get out our checkbook if we want to access ChatGPT. Billy
I think you're right on the money there, Billy. Make it free to get massive publicity, and then recoup the investment costs. A smart business model indeed.
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.
We mustn't forget that artificial intelligence is just that ... artificial. It puts things together based upon chance and probabilities. It's quite possible that the 'novella' is a complete or near-complete version of something on which it was trained.
Lots of software-oriented people, at least in older age groups, must have written one of those "report writers" that churn our pages of apparently intelligent verbiage, using all the buzz-phrases of the day, but actually saying nothing meaningful. Much like some humans actually
ChatGPT is clearly doing a much better job of beginning, middle and end, and wrapping up the story sensibly, but its still really an enhanced version of the same thing.
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 .
How much is really truly 'Artificial Intelligence' (independently thinking and reasoning by itself and having an independent ability to form an opinion) and how much as clever pattern matching of things it has already learned simply by being exposed to massive amounts of data?
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.
I am currently investigating how ChatGPT and others can be used to make money. I have considered for a long time that I need to reinvent myself and take on the modern world. Becoming skilled at programming has always been a consideration.
ChatGPT is capable of generating code that plays into my way of thinking. "I don't have to be the expert. I only need to know how to get the experts to work for me.
There are things that can be generated with AI that can be sold.
More to come.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
How much is really truly 'Artificial Intelligence' (independently thinking and reasoning by itself and having an independent ability to form an opinion) and how much as clever pattern matching of things it has already learned simply by being exposed to massive amounts of data?
Hey Trev
If you think about the hundreds of thousands of dollars doctors spend to become doctors, there is not so much independent thinking that goes on. They go to school to be exposed and try to remember "massive amounts of data." For a human to have the ability to form an opinion and make logical, independent decisions requires large amounts of "data."
We have a minimal view of AI when looking at it from the perspective of music/art. There are some genuinely scary things going on with AI. They are being developed to make independent decisions to fire on and kill humans in military situations.
We are becoming more and more dependent on software to make decisions for us humans. No one uses manual calculations to do structural engineering any longer; everything is done on a computer program.
Ai is the logical extension of that sort of thing.
What does human intelligence actually mean? How far are we away from duplicating that? Most likely closer than we would like because of the potential dangers involved.
All this is not just something that is going on here in the USA. DeepMind, a London-based company, has expanded worldwide.
I think we are already living in the future. We are just not totally aware of where we have gotten to.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
I think we will soon need to get out our checkbook if we want to access ChatGPT.
Nah. How much does it cost to run a Google search or get a Facebook account? The new software megabusiness model doesn't depend on withholding access.
Besides, ChatGPT/OpenAI wants the interactions to learn from. When you talk to it, it also talks to you (as Nietzsche said) and for all we know subtly manipulates you to fill in areas it's interested in. Never mind typing, think of all the stuff people paste into it, gobs and gobs of text it would never see otherwise. Free users are a gold mine of freely provided data.
I believe monetization will come from things like: third-party companies embedding the GPT-3 AI engine in full-on commercial products built on top of the API. Which is already happening; see this Wikipedia article, at "Applications". That's the sort of service OpenAI will be able to charge companies huge amounts for.
As for ChatGPT itself, remember also, for all its dazzling awesomeness, the service is ultimately unreliable and comes with no guarantees of any kind — including of availability, as you're currently seeing.
A question to bear in mind when downplaying ChatGPT's abilities as something essentially other than "real" intelligence.
I mean, show me a person making probabilistic decisions based on pattern matching across a known knowledge base and I don't say, "Oh, so it isn't really intelligence." Case in point: your doctors, the presumed epitome of intelligent agents.
Lots of software-oriented people, at least in older age groups, must have written one of those "report writers" that churn our pages of apparently intelligent verbiage, using all the buzz-phrases of the day, but actually saying nothing meaningful. Much like some humans actually
In 1983 or so I wrote the COBOL program that generated this 38 page short story (beginning and ending attached.)
Hah .... He'd be eating pigeon pie for quite some time. After 38 pages there must have been a couple of hundred at least
Last edited by Gordon Scott; 01/25/2305:31 AM.
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 .
Well, I hope Mark is correct about not having to pay to use ChatGPT. I find it a fascinating and beneficial program to use.
This thread and other AI threads have caused me to explore other AI programs.
Midjourney is capable of producing beautiful artwork in many forms, for example. Free for a bit, then $10 a month after for standard. $300 a year for everything they have to offer.
As many of us here are producing visual effects/video in conjunction with the music, programs like Midjourney could be worth the price.
I think we will see many AI programs come about that will enhance our ability to create exciting music.
What if BIAB was AI-enhanced with AI?
Thanks, Mark, for starting me down the road. I will send you the bill later...lol
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
“In another example, the threat actor explains how to generate an e-book or short chapter for a specific topic (using ChatGPT) and sell this content online.”
Scammy potential there but mostly completely legal, I’d imagine. A monograph on how to treat black locust tree thorn injuries*, $1.99 for the PDF, things like that.
====
* Complete text: “To treat a black locust tree thorn injury, clean the wound with soap and water. Then, apply an antiseptic to prevent infection. If the wound is deep, or if the thorn is still in the wound, seek medical attention. If you develop signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, or pus, seek medical attention. Keep the wound elevated and covered with a sterile bandage to reduce swelling and pain.“
The issue for PG Music would be the investment cost and rate of return on the investment, plus the risk assessment.
Better products do not always produce better profits. That must be obvious from the many long-standing requests users of BIAB have made.
The "low-hanging fruit" for AI is not in art.
Well...8:00 AM tomorrow, I get the right eye surgery. The results have been excellent so far, and I am looking forward to finishing this up. The outstanding part is I get to stay home and play piano/guitar...no work for a day or two...lol
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
Another AI is called ChatSonic. I ask for lyrics to a government protest song in the style of Elton John. It is free for 25 requests, paid for more...don't know yet how much.
This is what it returned. You can talk to this AI and it can access the internet
Very different approach to lyrics from ChatGPT
Verse 1: Fighting for what's right, for a better tomorrow Standing for justice to protect our home We speak out for those whose voices have been forgotten In the name of liberty, we will not be denied ( I could use "alone" here)
Chorus: We won't accept their lies No more injustice in the skies We won't stand for this no more Tearing down the wall of tyranny, power to the people
Verse 2: Gathering up the strength and courage of our fathers Uniting in the name of peace and equality Our power lies in our voice, it's harmony together A better world we'll make, no more suffering and sorrow
Chorus: We won't accept their lies No more injustice in the skies We won't stand for this no more Tearing down the wall of tyranny, power to the people
Bridge: Gather around, hear the call to action Our strength lies in our unity, one voice, one mission Let's break free from these chains of oppression We won't let them take away our freedom
Chorus: We won't accept their lies No more injustice in the skies We won't stand for this no more Tearing down the wall of tyranny, power to the people
There seem like lots of options out there both paid and free.
These AI bots may not be super good at music yet but they are truly amazing at producing visual art. Oil paintings, posters, etc.
With the limitations, I can see the lyric writing ability to be useful in any event. I am sure we all must have struggled with some part of a song like everything is good except the bridge for example. Ask the AI for suggestions.
Cool stuff on many levels!
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
Well...8:00 AM tomorrow, I get the right eye surgery. The results have been excellent so far, and I am looking forward to finishing this up. The outstanding part is I get to stay home and play piano/guitar...no work for a day or two...lol
Good luck with the peepers tomorrow. Don't get too comfy on your day off, there's still work to be done
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.
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!
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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.
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.
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-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)
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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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