PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows Is Band in a Box Too Old for Young People?

Interesting topic, especially because it relates to the future development of Biab.
I think I am a bit ambivalent on this one.

On the one hand, I feel that Biab can be seen as a vehicle to promote and "defend" traditional styles of music that are clearly losing out, among the younger generations, to the new electronic/loop-based/no-melody kinds of music (I dont even know how to define these "genres", I'm too old I guess, but I hope you know what I mean). Nothing against these, the world evolves and I'm fine with that, actually. But I do worry that when new things come out, older things are too quickly forgotten or dismissed by the younger. So, in this view, I welcome the idea that BIAB still stubbornly sticks with jazz, folk, country, rock etc. Love it. And, even more so, I absolutely love BIAB as something that represents and spreads the idea that music is ACTUALLY played by real people (with Real Tracks), human beings with musical skills and taste, and it's not just the assembly of loops made on a laptop by someone in a bedroom with no music knowledge or taste whatsoever. So, there's that. Long live BIAB in its current form, for these reasons. On the other hand ...

... on the other hand, though, I do see the limitations. I'd certainly love to see BIAB grow significantly beyond its niche, and acquire more customers, and more musical diversity, and attract younger people. And that's because growth means more resources, more and better capabilities, better software, more inspiration, more possibilities to innovate through cross-fertilization of very different genres etc etc etc. And, in order to do that, I guess BIAB should try to incorporate features that are attractive to the younger generations, but without "losing its soul", so to speak. And by "features" I'm not just talking about more modern genres for its styles and tracks, but also (maybe) better integration with loop-based music production styles and philosophy, more modern interface etc etc. Easier said than done, I know.

As I said, I'm ambivalent. I don't know what to wish. I'm sure that at PG Music they have a clear strategic vision about this issue. Personally, I like BIAB because every year it gives me more of the same kind of musical stuff that I truly love. I'm the perfect target customer, I guess. But "more of the same" is a very risky strategy in the long term.

Long live BIAB, regardless.