I shared some of my thoughts in another post, but thought I would paraphrase them here for those they might help. Here is the original post for those interested:
I don't use BB / RB to create songs, but rather to study music. Music has brought such joy and fascinated me, and I was never really able to hear and reproduce what I heard on the record onto my guitar. Nor was I able to find transcriptions of recordings that would play back for me slowly and with notation. BB / RB was the first program that did this, not only for the guitar but for an entire band. It continues to provide a vast library of recorded music of the best studio musicians of our time that dwarfs anything else available in other programs.
If you study music, one extremely important thing to have is digitized musical examples of the greatest musicians in the world to study within the genre of your interest. BB / RB has provided thousands of these - again, with notation and playback that can be slowed to the point where it can be understood, no matter how slow you have to go. It can change the key with perfect fidelity to be more accessible to your voice or instrument of choice. So in addition to the program features, the critically important thing is the centralization and easy access to recordings by the best studio musicians in the world. If you happen to especially love good music and songs in all kinds of styles, the program has you covered. You can hear, appreciate, and learn how and why a multitude of genres create such beautiful music - from rock to jazz to bluegrass to classical, to celtic, to world, to Latin - and many more.
In a nutshell, there never has been nor is there currently available a program that comes remotely close to providing such a vast library of digitized music created by the best musicians in the world along with the tools to study it.
All that said - I have not even touched on the capability to compose music, which is a major selling point of the software. Though not my personal interest, I have equally high praise for the songwriting aspects of the program.
..something people may not be aware of is...and ive used it at various times in rb in the past is there is avery usefull click/noise tool free from pg...a dx plugin. ..i love the graphics when i'm recording a audio track. eg my vocs. ..bars view for moving chunks of midi around.
lots to discover.
happiness.
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.)
I have used BIAB since the DOS days and Power Tracks was my first Windows sequencer ($29). When RealBand was introduced with the ability to open BIAB files, it addressed most of the limitations I had using BIAB. One of the uses I have for RealBand is to create video soundtracks. Here is a video soundtrack created using BIAB and RealBand. I auditioned tracks and loops in BIAB, but almost all of the generating and work was done in RealBand. RealBand allows for syncing individual music clips with specific sections of the video.
First the video was imported into RealBand and then the tracks and loops were generated as required for sections of the video.
The first 1:30 minutes contain the following RealTracks and loops:
RealBass 2749 Bass, electric, Rock Shuffle HardDoug sw 120 Real Drums – Rock Shuiffle ^ 1- HiHat, Ride Real Piano 2728 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Blues Shuffle/Mike Sw 130 RealGuitar 1584 Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Texas Blues Rock Shuffle Brent sw 130
Various other synth sounds were played in with MIDI.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
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.
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