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Just to be pedantic:
In the US, at least, copyright is automatic upon a work being created.
The issue is of proving that one indeed holds ownership. That is where registering your copyright comes in. It is rather difficult to argue with an official government document, the falsification of which potentially carries a charge of perjury.
There are other services that claim to do this but none have yet been tried in court to my knowledge. Neither has the purported "poor man's copyright" of mailing a copy to yourself. True, copyright is automatic. The thing is, this doesn't seem to mean anything, besides offering one the opportunity to show ones friends and/or family (or public) that they indeed wrote the song first. Other than that, it doesn't provide any legal protection or right to damages or anything (from what I understand). Actually you can be prevented from using your own work if someone else copyrights it with the LOC before you do, even if it was already published (again, from what I understand. But I've heard of situations like this, so it seems to be the case). Bottom line: registering one's works doesn't seem to hurt, and can provide much benefit. The thing I'm trying to figure out now, is the correct way to go about it. So far it seems like this is the correct(?) route:1. Register a group of unregistered works (up to 10 songs). Melody + Lyrics (sheet music) + MP3 sound recording of each demo. 2. Work with producers on songs, shop them around to publishers, show them around to industry people, etc etc. 3. Once the song is ready, (if you as the artist end up recording it), individually register each Sound Recording (Master). In the Sound Recording (Form SR) copyright registration, you can also include the Composition (Performing Arts = Form PA = lyrics and melody) together, and just pay for the 1 registration. The questions I still have are:1. Should I register a group of unregistered works individually, to maximize benefits in case a song is infringed? Or would that only really matter once the Sound Recording (Master) is registered as a copyright. 2. Should the final master (Sound Recording) be registered separately from the Composition (form PA), to maximize benefits in case of infringement, and make it easier to administer your catalog? (eg. if you wanted to sell the publishing rights to your Composition, but not give up rights to the master?) 3. Do any short-term timelines (or deadlines) play into this? I remember reading something along the lines of "you have 3 months to publish the songs you copyrighted as unregistered works, otherwise you lose the right to litigate on them, if someone infringes them". I've heard conflicting things on this subject. Disclaimer: I know my songs probably suck and no one will ever want to even hear them (and certainly not use them). However I've already lost a ton of money (and years of time) from a separate IP issue, and just don't want to take the risk, in case there is a tiny percent chance my songs could go somewhere. And given that my dream is to one day have a song go somewhere, I just want to do this right from the start, in case that ever happens. I know it probably won't and I'm 99.99999% delusional! But I just want to set things up properly, just in case).
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Just to be pedantic:
In the US, at least, copyright is automatic upon a work being created.
The issue is of proving that one indeed holds ownership. That is where registering your copyright comes in. It is rather difficult to argue with an official government document, the falsification of which potentially carries a charge of perjury.
There are other services that claim to do this but none have yet been tried in court to my knowledge. Neither has the purported "poor man's copyright" of mailing a copy to yourself. True, copyright is automatic. The thing is, this doesn't seem to mean anything, besides offering one the opportunity to show ones friends and/or family (or public) that they indeed wrote the song first. Other than that, it doesn't provide any legal protection or right to damages or anything (from what I understand). Actually you can be prevented from using your own work if someone else copyrights it with the LOC before you do, even if it was already published (again, from what I understand. But I've heard of situations like this, so it seems to be the case). Bottom line: registering one's works doesn't seem to hurt, and can provide much benefit. The thing I'm trying to figure out now, is the correct way to go about it. So far it seems like this is the correct(?) route:1. Register a group of unregistered works (up to 10 songs). Melody + Lyrics (sheet music) + MP3 sound recording of each demo. 2. Work with producers on songs, shop them around to publishers, show them around to industry people, etc etc. 3. Once the song is ready, (if you as the artist end up recording it), individually register each Sound Recording (Master). In the Sound Recording (Form SR) copyright registration, you can also include the Composition (Performing Arts = Form PA = lyrics and melody) together, and just pay for the 1 registration. The questions I still have are:1. Should I register a group of unregistered works individually, to maximize benefits in case a song is infringed? Or would that only really matter once the Sound Recording (Master) is registered as a copyright. 2. Should the final master (Sound Recording) be registered separately from the Composition (form PA), to maximize benefits in case of infringement, and make it easier to administer your catalog? (eg. if you wanted to sell the publishing rights to your Composition, but not give up rights to the master?) 3. Do any short-term timelines (or deadlines) play into this? I remember reading something along the lines of "you have 3 months to publish the songs you copyrighted as unregistered works, otherwise you lose the right to litigate on them, if someone infringes them". I've heard conflicting things on this subject. Disclaimer: I know my songs probably suck and no one will ever want to even hear them (and certainly not use them). However I've already lost a ton of money (and years of time) from a separate IP issue, and just don't want to take the risk, in case there is a tiny percent chance my songs could go somewhere. And given that my dream is to one day have a song go somewhere, I just want to do this right from the start, in case that ever happens. I know it probably won't and I'm 99.99999% delusional! But I just want to set things up properly, just in case). Didn't all your questions get answered in the previous posts? Just write your songs and if it helps you sleep better, register them in collections. If and when you have interest in a song, your publisher will give you the information you need to proceed. Any legitimate publisher has dealt with that situation before and is more than willing to walk you through the process. For now, just write and work on honing your writing skills.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Copyright law is complex. If it wasn't, lawyers would not be making money from it.
Copyright cases are even more complex because there might be three or more opinions in the same courtroom as to what infringement really is and whether or not it has happened.
Consult a licensed attorney who practices IP (Intellectual Property) law. Many attorneys offer free initial consultations, but even if the one you choose does not, a couple hundred dollars spent today could save or make you tens of thousands in the future.
Everyone has talent. Talent is useless unless developed into skill.
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True, copyright is automatic. The thing is, this doesn't seem to mean anything, besides offering one the opportunity to show ones friends and/or family (or public) that they indeed wrote the song first. Other than that, it doesn't provide any legal protection or right to damages or anything (from what I understand). Actually you can be prevented from using your own work if someone else copyrights it with the LOC before you do, even if it was already published (again, from what I understand. But I've heard of situations like this, so it seems to be the case).
Bottom line: registering one's works doesn't seem to hurt, and can provide much benefit.
Didn't I just say that?
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
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So far it seems like this is the correct(?) route:
1. Register a group of unregistered works (up to 10 songs). Melody + Lyrics (sheet music) + MP3 sound recording of each demo.
2. Work with producers on songs, shop them around to publishers, show them around to industry people, etc etc.
3. Once the song is ready, (if you as the artist end up recording it), individually register each Sound Recording (Master). In the Sound Recording (Form SR) copyright registration, you can also include the Composition (Performing Arts = Form PA = lyrics and melody) together, and just pay for the 1 registration.
The questions I still have are:
1. Should I register a group of unregistered works individually, to maximize benefits in case a song is infringed? Or would that only really matter once the Sound Recording (Master) is registered as a copyright.
2. Should the final master (Sound Recording) be registered separately from the Composition (form PA), to maximize benefits in case of infringement, and make it easier to administer your catalog?
(eg. if you wanted to sell the publishing rights to your Composition, but not give up rights to the master?)
3. Do any short-term timelines (or deadlines) play into this? I remember reading something along the lines of "you have 3 months to publish the songs you copyrighted as unregistered works, otherwise you lose the right to litigate on them, if someone infringes them". I've heard conflicting things on this subject.
@Mike Halloran, would it be possible to get your insight on this? I think what I'm beginning to gather is (legally) it is best to register everything separately (Form PA and Form SR, once you have the master and final song finished). This is to make managing one's catalog in the best way (ie. in case you want to sell rights to your master, but not your songwriting. If you registered them together, it will be difficult (or impossible?) to sell/license one without having to sell the other. The more reasonable way for the everyday artist is to do group registrations of 10 songs at a time... and if they really have faith in a particular song, they can register the master individually, with the form PA (songwriting) attached within the same Form SR registration (while only paying for 1 SR registration). Are those correct assumptions? Or is there a better approach to it would you say? Thank you in advance for any insight.
Last edited by QuestionAsker; 02/21/23 09:03 AM.
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A very odd position and question for a BIAB forum.
Clearly using BIAB would, in all likelihood, take your voice & guitar demos up a level that wouldn't require "production" nous per se.
Establishing copyright at the earliest instance is common sense. Agreed, odd for a BIAB forum. More on Sound on Sound: https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85515
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True, copyright is automatic. The thing is, this doesn't seem to mean anything, besides offering one the opportunity to show ones friends and/or family (or public) that they indeed wrote the song first. Other than that, it doesn't provide any legal protection or right to damages or anything (from what I understand). Actually you can be prevented from using your own work if someone else copyrights it with the LOC before you do, even if it was already published (again, from what I understand. But I've heard of situations like this, so it seems to be the case). You understand wrong. See my earlier post and try to understand it.
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Agreed, odd for a BIAB forum. I get the impression that people sometimes subscribe and ask on this forum and the Recording, Mixing etc. forum, without realising they they apply to PGM/BiaB. The forum names are generic.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
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silly question SOOO dont 'YAP' at me.
i always understood the poor mans copyright ie mailing to oneself PLUS remember all daw multitrack files in a original song are 'dated' by the OS was sufficient.
if this problem of protecting oneself carries on i feel it will inhibit song creation. cos of the hassles n' the cost of protecting oneself ?
cos even if one goes the LOC route big money can always come along and knock down the little guy who often cant afford a battle in the courts ?
all... have a great 2023.
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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This is not a strange question for a BIAB forum since this place is crawling with songwriters and producers, some of them famous, who occasionally pop up but otherwise stay in the background bemused I assume.
There are legitimate, award-winning, multi-hit songwriters using BIAB for their demos now and they have admitted it, even though they live in Nashville.
One key marketing target for the product is SONGWRITERS.
So why does it not make sense to ask questions about song copyright here?
There are entire forum threads dedicated to random youtubes that make about as much sense sometimes as "look at my cat video."
Intellectual property law and copyright should be among the most important things on any songwriter's mind.
No question is too stupid. Ask away.
As for responders, and so-called "experts": try to be polite. Please. And don't talk down to people if you have NO visible track record of ever having done anything or written anything yourself.
That is to say, some of the posturing and hostility and boasting on this thread (no names, but three wild guesses) is absurd.
If you have a doctorate from Julliard, fine, boast away, but if not, you may want to back off the condescending, bragging, swaggering, attacking, mocking and hostility trip.
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i always understood the poor mans copyright ie mailing to oneself PLUS remember all daw multitrack files in a original song are 'dated' by the OS was sufficient. You understand wrong. Yea, they do it sometimes in movies and TV—even Perry Mason—but it doesn't mean a thing and never has. You have a self-interest in the outcome and nothing stops you from opening and re-sealing an envelope. Disinterested 3rd party registration services for Unpublished Works only are readily available and cheap. They don't look at your content. In the old days, they dealt with sealed envelopes only but this is the internet. Again, not required but it establishes date of creation and authorship. In the US, the only compelling reason I know to use a Form SR/PA Unpublished is if you are in the habit of revising your works or creating derivative works. The Published forms give you places to refer to earlier LOC Registrations. Still, you don't have to if those registrations were Unpublished (you must if they were Published). I don't care what anyone does in this regard and whether I do it or not and whom I might use is nobody's business but mine and my partners.
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So why does it not make sense to ask questions about song copyright here? Agreed. Ask away. I've been involved with this since 1976 and have written extensively. The decade and a half that I was with ASCAP is an exception since any public pronouncement from me could be seen as an official statement—let's just say they have others for that. I will only give answers that can be looked up which means that the inner workings of PROs are off limits to me and may be covered by any number of NDAs. I can tell you that, if you want a glimpse into how the PROs handle Copyright suits, look up Broadcast Music, Inc. at Justia or ASCAP press releases. It's actually the publishers who sue, not the PROs but BMI includes themselves in the initial filings which makes them easy to search while you have to know the publisher names to find ASCAP's.
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Basically, many, many moons ago my dad wrote an instrumental he called "Guitar Man." He played it for a guy who played it for another guy, who liked it, called it his own and sold it as his. This happened when I was either very young or before I was even born, so I don't remember the details of the story. It may or may not have been Duane Eddy that recorded it, but it was in that general time era (the person who recorded it was not the person that claimed to have written it). Dad never tried to get reimbursed. He wrote songs very occasionally, and as is typical of many instrumentalists, he was very dispassionate about it. He was more happy just playing his guitar. He once wrote a song and took it to Buck Owens who was publishing for a gal named Susan Rae (sp?). She'd just come off her hit "LA International Airport." Owens wanted the song for her, but wanted some changes to the melody. Dad never did it. He was more interested in learning the newest Chet Atkins/Jerry Reed song and building his first pedal steel guitar. I would have loved a chance like that, oh but such is life. My brother's much the same way. Sorry for the late reply, just saw your comment. I try to understand, but I'm much like David Snyder said, my eyes start to glaze over pretty quickly when it comes to this copywrite stuff. If possible, I'd find a reliable friend or some other trusted person who's been through this stuff and let them walk you through it. Until then, enjoy your music!
Brad
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1. Register a group of unregistered works (up to 10 songs). Melody + Lyrics (sheet music) + MP3 sound recording of each demo. Form SR, check the box for PA, do not check Published. Sound recordings only. You are establishing date and authorship only. You are protecting from others claiming your work as their own plus protecting your right to the first recording. 3rd party registration services are faster, easier and less expensive. None of this counts for anything unless you have been ripped off. 2. Work with producers on songs, shop them around to publishers, show them around to industry people, etc etc. Don't post them publicly anywhere. Your private Soundcloud site is ok—in fact, that's where many want you to list them. The site must be accessible by those with the correct link only; it cannot be searchable. 3. Once the song is ready, (if you as the artist end up recording it), individually register each Sound Recording (Master). In the Sound Recording (Form SR) copyright registration, you can also include the Composition (Performing Arts = Form PA = lyrics and melody) together, and just pay for the 1 registration. That is your publisher's job. If self-publishing, see my earlier post about a way to register up to 20 items on a single certificate if released at the same time on, say, a CD. The questions I still have are:
…
(eg. if you wanted to sell the publishing rights to your Composition, but not give up rights to the master?) It depends. Multiple registrations, each covering different aspects of a recording, are quite common but nothing to worry about now. Should you get to that stage, your attorney should be involved—and yes, you will need one. Should you be so lucky, it could easily be a complex negotiation involving multiple attorneys. If dealing with a major label and you are not an established artist, keeping your Masters will not be an option. What you do not do is the old "cheat the LOC" trick of registering multiple works as one—reassigning 'one part only' without including everything can be a mess requiring an expensive legal bill to untangle. Now that it is possible to register multiple works, no one should ever do that again. 3. Do any short-term timelines (or deadlines) play into this? I remember reading something along the lines of "you have 3 months to publish the songs you copyrighted as unregistered works, otherwise you lose the right to litigate on them, if someone infringes them". I've heard conflicting things on this subject. I hope I've cleared up your confusion on Unpublished Works. The Feds (US Federal Court System) has long held that no Work is entitled to $$$ till Registered correctly as Published. Period. SCOTUS has ruled that date is the Registered date on the certificate, not the date of creation, postmark or time stamp when received by the LOC. Neither is it when the recording was first released nor when someone covered it. The UK and the EU are the same—we know this because of some well known cases where plaintiffs hoped that they were different. There are instances where the Feds have held that someone waited way too long to file suit but that has nothing to do with the above. If you know of a violation and decide to wait till more money piles up, you'll be dismissed ( I feel Like I'm Fixing to Die Rag/Muskrat Ramble). Likewise, the courts don't like to hear of anything over three years old but that's a rule of thumb and it depends on the circumstances ( Feelings was released in 1974 but Albert Morris wasn't sued till 1986 over Pour Toi).
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silly question SOOO dont 'YAP' at me.
i always understood the poor mans copyright ie mailing to oneself PLUS remember all daw multitrack files in a original song are 'dated' by the OS was sufficient.
To my knowledge, that has never been tested in a courtroom so we have no way of knowing.
cos even if one goes the LOC route big money can always come along and knock down the little guy who often cant afford a battle in the courts ?
all... have a great 2023.
om
Not hardly. That official.gov document (with penalties attached for the falsification thereof) is the final word
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
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To my knowledge, that has never been tested in a courtroom so we have no way of knowing.
Of course it's been tried. The best summary I can find is this one at Justia.com. How will courts handle a poor man's Copyright? In each of these instances, the courts sidestepped the issue, finding additional reasons to deny the claim but one did address the self-interest issue directly. Also note that some of the information in the opinions is no longer correct regarding filing and the need to do so. No doubt they were correct when the opinions were written but there were many changes to this between 2020–2022. That official.gov document (with penalties attached for the falsification thereof) is the final word Exactly.
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Here are the current filing fees for most items involving songs: Registration of a claim in an original work of authorshipElectronic filing: Single author, same claimant, one work, not for hire $45 Standard Application $65 Paper Filing (Forms PA, SR, TX, VA, SE) $125 Registration of a claim in a group of unpublished works $85 (up to 10) Registration of a claim in a group of published photographs or a claim in a group of unpublished photographs $55 Registration of a claim in a group of works published on an album of music $65 (up to 20 includes photographs on an an album) Here's the rest: U.S. Copyright Office Filing Fees
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This is not a strange question for a BIAB forum since this place is crawling with songwriters and producers, some of them famous, who occasionally pop up but otherwise stay in the background bemused I assume.
There are legitimate, award-winning, multi-hit songwriters using BIAB for their demos now and they have admitted it, even though they live in Nashville.
One key marketing target for the product is SONGWRITERS.
So why does it not make sense to ask questions about song copyright here?
There are entire forum threads dedicated to random youtubes that make about as much sense sometimes as "look at my cat video."
Intellectual property law and copyright should be among the most important things on any songwriter's mind.
No question is too stupid. Ask away.
As for responders, and so-called "experts": try to be polite. Please. And don't talk down to people if you have NO visible track record of ever having done anything or written anything yourself.
That is to say, some of the posturing and hostility and boasting on this thread (no names, but three wild guesses) is absurd.
If you have a doctorate from Julliard, fine, boast away, but if not, you may want to back off the condescending, bragging, swaggering, attacking, mocking and hostility trip.
Thanks David, I appreciate your viewpoint. I also don't understand the hostility. As a little guy I'm just trying to figure out how to protect myself from the big players. What's wrong with that? It's a topic everyone can benefit from - small time artists/songwriters get screwed all the time on copyright. I've already lost $150k (my life savings), and was left with $20k debt, in a separate IP issue outside of music (not even my IP, a friends IP whom I was helping to promote, and a bad actor wanted to steal - it's a long story). I'm not 18 anymore, and I don't think I can survive another disaster like that. So just want to make sure I'm covered from an IP standpoint.
Last edited by QuestionAsker; 02/23/23 11:05 AM.
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Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39 |
Basically, many, many moons ago my dad wrote an instrumental he called "Guitar Man." He played it for a guy who played it for another guy, who liked it, called it his own and sold it as his. This happened when I was either very young or before I was even born, so I don't remember the details of the story. It may or may not have been Duane Eddy that recorded it, but it was in that general time era (the person who recorded it was not the person that claimed to have written it). Dad never tried to get reimbursed. He wrote songs very occasionally, and as is typical of many instrumentalists, he was very dispassionate about it. He was more happy just playing his guitar. He once wrote a song and took it to Buck Owens who was publishing for a gal named Susan Rae (sp?). She'd just come off her hit "LA International Airport." Owens wanted the song for her, but wanted some changes to the melody. Dad never did it. He was more interested in learning the newest Chet Atkins/Jerry Reed song and building his first pedal steel guitar. I would have loved a chance like that, oh but such is life. My brother's much the same way. Sorry for the late reply, just saw your comment. I try to understand, but I'm much like David Snyder said, my eyes start to glaze over pretty quickly when it comes to this copywrite stuff. If possible, I'd find a reliable friend or some other trusted person who's been through this stuff and let them walk you through it. Until then, enjoy your music!
Brad Thanks Brad for your response, sorry to hear the song got stolen, sounds like your dad wasn't too bothered about it, which is good. Always sucks though to hear about people stealing ideas though. I agree, I just wanna play, I had a real big IP issue in the past, so just wanna make sure I do this right from the get-go, spend a few days up front figuring it out vs possibly weeks or years in the future (my friend, who's IP got stolen, is 4 years into litigation, not to mention the money he spent. $10k I think. I had to shut down my business (which I started to have time and funds to do music) because of the same issue).
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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,902
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,902 |
Check your state bar association (SBA) website. Most SBA websites have a search function where you can search for attorneys by area of expertise. Search for those with music or copyright experience. Typically the website will offer a half hour referral for little or no cost.
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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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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
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.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows 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 60 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!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until December 31, 2025. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
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 Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
Ready to take your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 experience to the next level? Now’s the perfect time! Expand your style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs—packed with a wide variety of genres to inspire your next musical creation.
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 1-9 includes 900 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). With over 3,500 styles (and 35 MIDI styles) included in Xtra Styles PAKs 1-20, the possibilities are endless!
Get the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 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 Windows or for Mac.
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.
Get Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 19 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Listen to demos and order now! For Windows or for Mac.
Note: 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 because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Don’t miss this chance to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box setup—at a great price!
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
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