No keyboard, brass, woodwind or strings? And subscription only?
BiaB keep moving forward
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
In the future, maybe. It will depend on things like will there be an increase in instruments , an increase in styles, etc.
I think right now Tonalic will attract young people because it is slick and the ease of use.
One thing I do like about Tonalic is how the leading tones change with a new chord. If this is true with all instruments then the transitions between chords will be very smooth; that is something IMHO PGM can/should improve. YMMV
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I'm looking forward to trying it when it gets added to my Celemony account. It is an Essentials version but mine to keep. For the subscription I'm not sure you would be able to use anything you've downloaded if you cancel the sub. The stuff you download may be tied exclusively to the Tonalics program. That's where their tech wizardry is.
I don't know about the limits of the essential version but the rest of them all you have to do is bounce the tracks and save them and they are yours forever even if you don't continue with subscribing. You can also buy a 30 day sub from music dealers as much as you want.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
I do hope that if/when someone actually subscribes that they will share their experiences here. Maybe even share an arrangement or two?
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Competition? Yes. (plucked instruments, easy of use, quality) Size of the library? Not for a now. Is competition good? Yes, It could be the strongest driver for innovation in BIAB
Studio One (latest version), Win 11 23H2 , i9 -10940X 3.3 GHz, 32GB Mem, a 4K 40" monitor, PreSonus Studio Live III Console as interface/controller. secondarily test on Reaper, Cakewalk, and S1 on Surface Pro 3 Win 10 (latest versions).
Competition? No ======> Plucked instruments, easy of use, Limited in scope, quantity, complexity, and versatility
Competition? No ======> Size of the library? Not for a now.
Competition? No ======> No keyboard, brass, woodwind or strings. And subscription only
Is competition good? Yes, But Tonalic is not a driver for innovation in BIAB. It's a mild, BIAB DAW Plug-in competitor which is a light, partial version of BIAB.
BIAB is light years ahead in instruments, arrangement capability, RealTracks Library, Styles Library, MidiSuperTracks, MultiStyles, Playable RealTracks, as well as features, tools, processes and audio production capability for education, practice and learning. The list could go on and on....
Tonalic is AI manipulation of samples which explains both the subscription and being browser based. Access to the massive data centers required for that much horsepower is not free. Even if you had a $32,000 NVIDIA tower or a quartet of M4/M3 Ultra Mac Studios linked together via USB 4.2 cables at 2/3 the price, you still couldn’t render the files as quickly.
Although it’s been possible to link multiple Macs to combine them as one over 10GB Ethernet since 2017 (Apple showed 20 Minis crunching a single animation file at the 2018 WWDC), macOS 26.2 Tahoe has introduced new protocols for doing this over USB 4.2/TB5 making it much more efficient rivaling the NVIDIA tower. Even still, the studios are now rendering these massive files over the internet because it’s faster.
No one is expecting Celemony to ever release this as a stand-alone product.
Quote
Waiting for my free version.
That could certainly happen. Celemony could certainly follow the same model as other browser based AI companies by releasing a “free” or low cost version including a few GBs of use and charging for additional usage by making you buy “credits”. Many companies have gone to this model.
One of the AI stand-alone apps that I own is ACE Studio. Rendering a simple 3 minute, acapella 4-part choral demo can take well over an hour on my Studio M2 Ultra with 192GB Integrated RAM. Since these are demos only, my clients can forgive the fact that the “singers” don’t pronounce English or Latin as well as I would like. Fortunately, it wasn’t all that expensive. If I anticipate more of this work into next year, I might spring for the upcoming M5 Ultra with 1TB Integrated RAM.
BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
Competition? No ======> Plucked instruments, easy of use, Limited in scope, quantity, complexity, and versatility
Competition? No ======> Size of the library? Not for a now.
Competition? No ======> No keyboard, brass, woodwind or strings. And subscription only
Is competition good? Yes, But Tonalic is not a driver for innovation in BIAB. It's a mild, BIAB DAW Plug-in competitor which is a light, partial version of BIAB.
BIAB is light years ahead in instruments, arrangement capability, RealTracks Library, Styles Library, MidiSuperTracks, MultiStyles, Playable RealTracks, as well as features, tools, processes and audio production capability for education, practice and learning. The list could go on and on....
What you may be missing is there are almost certainly many BIAB users (most?) who do not care about 90% of the things you mentioned; I am definitely one of those!
To me, as a quick seeker of great guitar, bass and drum tracks, this looks like a serious competitor that will only get better. And I would bet they won't wait a full year between upgrades!
Education, practice and learning are something I would suspect are not widely used BIAB features; when I bought the tutorial paks they appeared to have not been updated for over a decade. There are soooo many learning resources that are much easier to obtain and use than BIAB.
As for being "light years ahead in instruments" I will admit BIAB has a LOT of instruments but honestly, they are starting to sound a lot alike! I mean, how many times can you hire Brent to play jangly country guitar and not start to sound the same? And so many of the instruments, at least a third, target music genres the vast majority have little interest in. Keys are available everywhere in advanced products like EZ Keys. Every other instrument you mentioned is also quite available and quite good in a variety of VSTi libraries. Finally, the BIAB search feature truly sucks so finding something in my massive pile of RealTracks is only getting more difficult with each release!
As for subscription vs. purchase, I too am not fond of subscription-based software. But, form a purely financial perspective, my cost to own and upgrade BIAB has cost me more than $300 per year since 2012 so the cost of this subscription would not at all be out of line for what I already invest in BIAB.
Obviously, as a BIAB deep power user, you are less inclined to see this product as a competitor. But, as a BIAB weakling, I welcome competition that provides just the tracks I need without 500 years of accumulated dust and grime and tacked-on features I'll never use!
Thanks for your response, John. I appreciate your perspective, and we actually agree on more than might appear at first glance.
“What you may be missing is there are almost certainly many BIAB users (most?) who do not care about 90% of the things you mentioned; I am definitely one of those!”
I agree and this actually supports my point.
It’s common to see users say they only use 10–15% of BIAB’s capabilities. The issue is that many of the strongest claims about BIAB being “challenged” by AI tools or Tonalic are coming from users who don’t use, or aren’t aware of, the majority of what BIAB already does.
I regularly see wishlist requests for features BIAB has had for years. When someone evaluates a new product without knowing what BIAB is already capable of, it becomes difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison.
“To me, as a quick seeker of great guitar, bass and drum tracks, this looks like a serious competitor…”
That’s fair speculation, and I don’t dispute that Tonalic may suit your workflow well. Especially if your priority is quick guitar-based parts.
From what’s been demonstrated so far, though, Tonalic is operating in a very narrow slice of what BIAB covers. Plucked guitars and arpeggiated patterns are fine if that’s your lane, but that’s a small subset of BIAB’s instrument depth, arrangement logic, and stylistic variety.
“Education, practice and learning are something I would suspect are not widely used BIAB features…”
BIAB has long been respected in educational settings. It’s not a replacement for a teacher or YouTube. Just like YouTube isn’t a replacement for a teacher. It is a powerful learning environment. The User Showcase alone is full of examples of musicians who dramatically improved their skills through BIAB use. Floyd Jane and Rodney Gene’s reworked “Wrong Mailbox” is a good recent example.
“As for being ‘light years ahead in instruments’… they are starting to sound a lot alike!”
This one made me smile—especially given that Brent Mason is a featured artist in Tonalic, and he appears in one of the Tonalic videos linked here in the forum. In effect, you’d be subscribing to an artist already included with BIAB.
Beyond that, instrument count isn’t just about quantity. It’s about arrangement context, substitution logic, medley construction, genre adaptability, and compositional scope. That’s where BIAB operates on a different level.
“As for subscription vs. purchase…”
Subscription versus ownership is ultimately a personal choice. Financially, if someone only uses a small fraction of BIAB, Tonalic might feel like better value for them. I think that’s perfectly reasonable.
“As a BIAB weakling, I welcome competition…”
Ironically, being a deep BIAB user puts me in a better position to evaluate competition, not a worse one.
There’s a 19-minute Tonalic tutorial discussed elsewhere in the forum. Around the 6:30 mark, the narrator demonstrates editing a highlighted section where the algorithm alters data outside the selection to “intelligently humanize” the performance.
That exact behavior was recently criticized here as a BIAB “bug” during partial regeneration, when in fact it’s BIAB doing the same thing, smoothing transitions and preserving musical continuity. That feature has existed for years.
This is really my core point:
When 90% of BIAB’s functionality is ignored or misunderstood, it becomes easy to misinterpret what competing software is doing, or to mistake long-standing BIAB features for innovations elsewhere.
There’s nothing in that Tonalic tutorial that BIAB can’t already do. BIAB does with more instruments, more stylistic depth, more arrangement intelligence, and more compositional control.
Tonalic may be a fun, focused tool, and competition is always healthy, but it’s far closer to a specialized guitar oriented idea generator than a true peer to BIAB.
Charlie, you make excellent points but my needs/interests are different than yours. It is not that I don't know about the 90% of BIAB that I don't use, rather, it is that I simply don't need that functionality. Just because Elon Muskrat can build a self-driving truck doesn't mean that my old Ford isn't perfect for me!
I'm not even advocating for this new product but I do think a simpler product that delivers what RealTracks provide will be very serious competition. I have even said in the past that if Toontrack were to release a "studio" product that used their drums, bass and keys, along with a new guitar module, in a similar fashion as BIAB they'd have a killer competitive product.
Charlie your right to compare it to the BIAB plugin, not BIAB. Both tools can be used together. One is far superior to the other but one has more instruments. (for now)
Studio One (latest version), Win 11 23H2 , i9 -10940X 3.3 GHz, 32GB Mem, a 4K 40" monitor, PreSonus Studio Live III Console as interface/controller. secondarily test on Reaper, Cakewalk, and S1 on Surface Pro 3 Win 10 (latest versions).
The true believers in BiaB will stick with it. I'm one of those. But I'm a realist, too.
Those looking for an EASY way to bring their song ideas to life with a backing track will look elsewhere first, and probably find what they need. Love 'em or hate 'em, most AI-based backing track solutions are STUPID EASY to use, and many provide impressive results.
BiaB as a whole is NOT easy, but I'm proficient at extracting RealTrack-powered stems from it, which is exactly what I need it for. Have checked out AI alternatives, but so far I get faster, better-sounding results with BiaB. And I'm a true believer, right?
Many BiaB users have adopted AI powered backing track tools, either exclusively or in parallel with BiaB. At least one Showcase award winner from last year has left the BiaB fold completely for AI alternatives. More will follow.
Is Tonalic a competitor? For some users, sure it is.
Last edited by DC Ron; 01/17/2606:22 AM.
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
<< “One (Tonalic) is far superior to the other but one (BIAB plug-in) has more instruments (for now).”>>
That comparison overlooks a fundamental limitation in Tonalic’s current design.
Tonalic’s core functionality is dependent on ARA integration, which tightly couples it to the DAW. At present, many widely used DAWs either do not support ARA at all or support it only partially. As a result, a large segment of users cannot access Tonalic’s full feature set; even if they purchase it. In that sense, this release promises potential that it does not yet deliver universally.
By contrast, the BIAB plug-in is not a reduced product. It is a gateway to the entire BIAB standalone engine. That distinction matters.
The commonly accepted idea that users “only use 10% of BIAB” exposes the weakness in the comparison. Even when working inside a DAW centered workflow, the BIAB plug-in can leverage some of the remaining 90% of BIAB’s arrangement logic, form control, substitution rules, medleys, and generation tools before tracks ever reach the DAW. That allows for exporting tracks, or complete songs, of greater structural and musical complexity than Tonalic can currently produce. There's also the option to produce and arrange tracks entirely in BIAB retaining 100% of the software. That's how PGM produces all demo's, lessons, artist performance tracks. The artist performance sets with vocals are all saved as SGU/MGU files, not RealBand SEQ files, not as pro-tools, studio one, Reaper, Cubase, etc. That's another distinction that matters.
Every forum member I’m aware of who posts DAW finished songs in the User Showcase, especially those who comp, edit, and manually manipulate multiple RealTracks exported to their DAW, still operates within that same 10%/90% reality. The difference isn’t whether the other 90% exists; it’s which parts of it are not accessed and how that affects the quality of what gets exported.
Which specific features remain unused varies by workflow, but the ratio remains remarkably consistent: roughly 10% active usage, 90% ignored; even though that ignored portion is still shaping the quality of what ultimately ends up in the DAW in a negative way.
Wow, how do you like this - Tonalic integrates Scaler! I love when a plan comes together and these power Apps build on the best of each other. Tonic did not try to replace what Scaler does so well. There are lessons to be learned here. Tonalic recognized no one does Chords and Chord progression better than Scaler so intead of reinventing the wheel they just use it! And if that works as shown it will also work the same way with EZKey2 cause Scaler works with EZKeys.
There are many well-articulated points being made by some smart people here on this subject.
From my perspective, the question isn’t whether Tonalic (or any other computer-assisted music creation software) will present competition to BiaB. Of course, the answer is yes.
Anyone who has the smallest understanding of capitalism and (fickle) human psychology knows this.
1. The more important question is to what degree will Tonalic’s presence create threatening competitive market pressures to BiaB? a. Insignificant degree? b. Moderate degree? c. Extreme degree?
2. And perhaps more important yet is PGMusic’s response to the increasing competitive landscape. Will its response be a. Ineffective response? b. Moderately effective response? c. Extremely effective response?
This is capitalistic warfare and we all know, software products come and go. And when they go, they often suffer a long protracted, unsupported death. BiaB has meant quite a lot to this user and I’m hoping the answer to question 2 is “c”.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Wow, how do you like this - Tonalic integrates Scaler!
Music applications must learn to work well with others for their success. This is why I have long advocated BIAB share / Inherit its chord progression with others as simple as drag and drop.
Studio One (latest version), Win 11 23H2 , i9 -10940X 3.3 GHz, 32GB Mem, a 4K 40" monitor, PreSonus Studio Live III Console as interface/controller. secondarily test on Reaper, Cakewalk, and S1 on Surface Pro 3 Win 10 (latest versions).
<< “One (Tonalic) is far superior to the other but one (BIAB plug-in) has more instruments (for now).”>>
That comparison overlooks a fundamental limitation in Tonalic’s current design.
Tonalic’s core functionality is dependent on ARA integration, which tightly couples it to the DAW. At present, many widely used DAWs either do not support ARA at all or support it only partially. As a result, a large segment of users cannot access Tonalic’s full feature set; even if they purchase it. In that sense, this release promises potential that it does not yet deliver universally.
By contrast, the BIAB plug-in is not a reduced product. It is a gateway to the entire BIAB standalone engine. That distinction matters.
The commonly accepted idea that users “only use 10% of BIAB” exposes the weakness in the comparison. Even when working inside a DAW centered workflow, the BIAB plug-in can leverage some of the remaining 90% of BIAB’s arrangement logic, form control, substitution rules, medleys, and generation tools before tracks ever reach the DAW. That allows for exporting tracks, or complete songs, of greater structural and musical complexity than Tonalic can currently produce. There's also the option to produce and arrange tracks entirely in BIAB retaining 100% of the software. That's how PGM produces all demo's, lessons, artist performance tracks. The artist performance sets with vocals are all saved as SGU/MGU files, not RealBand SEQ files, not as pro-tools, studio one, Reaper, Cubase, etc. That's another distinction that matters.
Every forum member I’m aware of who posts DAW finished songs in the User Showcase, especially those who comp, edit, and manually manipulate multiple RealTracks exported to their DAW, still operates within that same 10%/90% reality. The difference isn’t whether the other 90% exists; it’s which parts of it are not accessed and how that affects the quality of what gets exported.
Which specific features remain unused varies by workflow, but the ratio remains remarkably consistent: roughly 10% active usage, 90% ignored; even though that ignored portion is still shaping the quality of what ultimately ends up in the DAW in a negative way.
This is not true at all. The program is not dependent on ARA at all. Just like Melodyne was not dependent on ARA. Pro Tool Users could use Melodyne before Pro Tools ever had ARA. If you watch this video you will see that it can be used in any DAW and what ARA is doing in Studio One because of the ARA on the chord track which is in Studio One. Tonalic First Steps – Getting Started with Tonalics Apple Logic Pro is getting it's chord track updated this month. What this has to do with is the chord track.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
This is all so new. But the demo and usage vidoes doing a good job to state the claims. I suggest no one comment on these topics until at least they have viewed all the demos. Personnally I am trying to hold back as much as I can so as not to just stir the pot. Besure to look very closely at Chords Demo and Tempo and Timing Demos. Very interesting and features are very promising. I contacted support for my free Essentials version, but no word back yet, but heck $1 to sign up for a month should be a no brainer for me. I have reviewed all the videos.
DrDan, well, if promoting a competitive product on this forum isn't stirring the pot, I'm not sure what is. I'm funny like that though.
Especially when comparing it as a direct competitor. Some forums may remove such a post. BiaB moderators have been gracious in that aspect. So far. Thanks PG moderators.
Last edited by rharv; 01/17/2601:22 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Normally a discussion about other music software would be in the Off-Topic Forum, unless this is a tip about how to use that other software with BIAB in this Recording forum.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Normally a discussion about other music software would be in the Off-Topic Forum, unless this is a tip about how to use that other software with BIAB in this Recording forum.
Guess what? You heard it here first. It runs as a VST3 in BIAB! That should make this applicable to BIAB.
I have to say that I saw some impressive features there. That level of integration has been well thought out.
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.
Yes it's definitely off topic but as I've mentioned several times competition is good. PGM will definitely see things that it does and then see if they can come up with an equivalent results. In the end, you as the customer will win.
Studio One (latest version), Win 11 23H2 , i9 -10940X 3.3 GHz, 32GB Mem, a 4K 40" monitor, PreSonus Studio Live III Console as interface/controller. secondarily test on Reaper, Cakewalk, and S1 on Surface Pro 3 Win 10 (latest versions).
Normally a discussion about other music software would be in the Off-Topic Forum, unless this is a tip about how to use that other software with BIAB in this Recording forum.
Guess what? You heard it here first. It runs as a VST3 in BIAB! That should make this applicable to BIAB.
Thanks. I watched a lot of the video but not all. I would still suggest this topic is another music program promoting itself by including the name of another program in which it will work. That doesn’t make it related to a BIAB project, for which this forum exists. You are of course correct it is applicable to BIAB, but so are many other programs. I was just responding to the comment that perhaps the discussion is not in the best choice of forums.
Having said that, I find the new product impressive and when it has jazz rhythm sections, I’ll be back to look.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
My thought for placing this thread here is Tonalic is a tool best suited for use in a recording and audio production environment.
Also, the thread heading does not indicate Tonalic is a Band-in-a-Box competitor; but the header does ask if it might become competitive with RealTracks.
I could have also compared it to MidiSuperTracks but PG Music has not created as many MidiSuperTrack sets as they have RealTrack sets. Because RealTracks have been such a success for PG Music I felt a comparison between Tonalic and RealTracks would be an easier subject to comment on.
Tonalic can't be a Band-in-a-Box competitor because it is a plugin and not a computer software program.
<< " This is not true at all. The program is not dependent on ARA at all. Just like Melodyne was not dependent on ARA. Pro Tool Users could use Melodyne before Pro Tools ever had ARA. If you watch this video you will see that it can be used in any DAW and what ARA is doing in Studio One because of the ARA on the chord track which is in Studio One. Tonalic First Steps – Getting Started with Tonalics Apple Logic Pro is getting it's chord track updated this month. What this has to do with is the chord track." >>
Thanks for the clarification, Brian. I agree with you on the narrow technical point, and I'll correct my phrasing.
Tonalic is not technically dependent on ARA in the sense that it will not run without it, just as Melodyne could function prior to ARA adoption in Pro Tools. That’s fair.
Where I still stand by my point is where Tonalic’s primary value proposition currently resides.
In the demo video in the thread, 'New from Celemony', I'm referencing around the 6:30 mark, the “intelligent humanization,” bar-to-bar continuity, voice leading, and chord-aware performance shaping were presented as a major feature and capability meaningfully to Tonalic. Yesterday’s comment that “this applies to the ARA part”, currently supported only in Studio One and Fender Studio Pro, strongly suggests that those features are most fully realized when Tonalic can interact directly with the DAW’s chord track via ARA as you noted today.
So while Tonalic can be used in any DAW, this headline functionality is not yet universally accessible, because many users cannot currently access the chord-aware, continuously adaptive behavior that’s being highlighted in the marketing and demonstrations.
That’s all I meant by saying the release promises more potential than it presently delivers universally. It’s not a criticism of the technology itself, it’s my observation about availability of one of its most emphasized features across the broader DAW software today.
As more DAWs adopt the necessary ARA/chord-track integration, that limitation will likely diminish. At this point, though, it remains a practical constraint for a significant portion of users. However, the humanization feature has long been an integral part of the BIAB algorithm.
... When 90% of BIAB’s functionality is ignored or misunderstood, it becomes easy to misinterpret what competing software is doing, or to mistake long-standing BIAB features for innovations elsewhere. ...
This sounds like a good idea for a new thread ... 'I use [part of] 90% of BIAB that others don't - here's what I know ...' Andrew
I do agree with you as well on them points Charles. As a long time user of BIAB they have had quite a bit of lead way in this field. I have no doubt Celemony is a very capable of producing top notch software as I have also been a user of Melodyne for many years. There are not very many DAWS left out there that has not adapted ARA into their program. I am still waiting for my essential license to try this limited version but I am in no hurry at this point since there is plenty still to play with since my latest software upgrades with BIAB and other stuff.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
I just learned that owners of Fender Studio Pro v8 get a free perpetual license for Tonalic Essential! Log into your Fender account and click on "View Details" for the Fender Studio Pro "New Release". Then click on the Celemony Tonalic product card. Swipe and copy the "Product Key" and then click on "Redeem". Now it gets a bit complicated. Clicking on Redeem just dumps you on the Tonalic home page. Then, click on "Buy" and choose any one of the subscription options. This will take you to a page where you create an account. Above the data entry fields, there's this line: If you already have an activation code for a product you can register it or add it to an existing account. Click on "register it". This will take you to another account creation page where you enter your details. After you confirm the email address, the next page (IIRC) let's you enter the Product Key. You can then download Tonalic Essential. I was surprised and pleased that it granted a perpetual license and not something like one free month. In Studio Pro v8, there's a Tonalic tab in the Browser between "Loops" and "Files" on the right side of the SP8 window. I don't know if this tab was there all along or got added after I installed Essential. Anyway, click on the Tonalic tab and log into the account you just created, and Bob's your uncle.
Note that there's a standalone version that also get installed. On Windows, Tonalic.exe is located in: C:\Program Files\Celemony\Tonalic
ThinkPad i9 32GB RAM 7TB SSD; Win11 Pro; RME Fireface UCX II; BiaB 2026 Ultra Studio Pro 8; Tonalic Studio 1; Reaper v7; Bitwig Studio 6; Melodyne Studio 5 Gig Performer 5; NI S61 MK3; Focal Shape 65; Beyerdynamic DT 880 & 770
I just learned that owners of Fender Studio Pro v8 get a free perpetual license for Tonalic Essential! Log into your Fender account and click on "View Details" for the Fender Studio Pro "New Release". Then click on the Celemony Tonalic product card. Swipe and copy the "Product Key" and then click on "Redeem". Now it gets a bit complicated. Clicking on Redeem just dumps you on the Tonalic home page. Then, click on "Buy" and choose any one of the subscription options. This will take you to a page where you create an account. Above the data entry fields, there's this line: If you already have an activation code for a product you can register it or add it to an existing account. Click on "register it". This will take you to another account creation page where you enter your details. After you confirm the email address, the next page (IIRC) let's you enter the Product Key. You can then download Tonalic Essential. I was surprised and pleased that it granted a perpetual license and not something like one free month. In Studio Pro v8, there's a Tonalic tab in the Browser between "Loops" and "Files" on the right side of the SP8 window. I don't know if this tab was there all along or got added after I installed Essential. Anyway, click on the Tonalic tab and log into the account you just created, and Bob's your uncle.
Note that there's a standalone version that also get installed. On Windows, Tonalic.exe is located in: C:\Program Files\Celemony\Tonalic
It also gives you up to $100 off of the first year subscription if you choose to upgrade. So for a year subscription to the standard version is only $49.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
I won't go anywhere near subscription models so it's no competition for me.
I do not have any subscription software myself and have no desire too. But at $4 a month for a year and can cancel anytime that is not so bad. You also keep any work you do as long as you have bounced the tracks and saved of course. When I think about it I spend $200 a year on BIAB with the 49 pk each year so it is 4 times as much a month for Real musicians.
BIAB 2026 Ultrapack- Fender Studio Pro 8, Windows 11, Mac Mini M4 with Logic Pro 11, Melodyne Studio, Luna Pro
As a melodyne user, I just got a free copy of the essentials version. In the very little time I spent playing with it on a new song, it seems like a convoluted way to do things and I really wasn't impressed with the sound quality. I'll watch a few of their videos on how it's supposed to work before I pull the plug and uninstall it. But at this point it's not looking good for tonalics.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add 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.
$1 for 1 month is up right about now for many of us. I was able to cancel it very easily on my account page which is avialable thru the app. I may look into the second option which is $45 for 1 year. But I may not. It froze Reaper a time or two and I was not feeling the love.
I will rephrase what I saw was going on here when I joined PGM world. There are people who beg for change and a significantly smaller, but very vocal group who dig their toes and try to "prevent" or "obstruct" any type of progress. No finger pointing, just observation. Most of BIAB inherited issues that we experience now, in my opinion are result of "kindness" by PGM of trying to appeal to both camps. It seems that finally some good effort was made to stabilize and rework some of the obscure workflow implementations. Some. If they want to stay on top of their game or at least remain in the game in foreseeable future, they need to aggressively rework a lot of abnormalities and fix items that are long due to be fixed. Giving extreme attention to consistency and workflow. A workflow that doesn't require user to dig deep into thick manual, or use 250 workarounds that some push as "solutions". If five years ago BIAB was one step ahead of "competitors", now that distance had shortened. On the bright side, because of how much logic and content packed into BIAB, it could take many unwalked paths.
The new UI incorporated many of the ideas discussed in the PGM pinned topics in wishlist. It still needs a lot of work, but came out much (!) better than expected. I hope a new set of pinned and curated topics will be rolled out in 2026. The sooner, the better. I also hope that everyone who cares about BIAB and knows its deeper corners will join the discussion so we can all help elevate it to the place it deserves.
--- As far as Tonalic goes, personally I have no desire to touch anything subscription, but I fully agree with jpettit: "Is competition good? Yes, It could be the strongest driver for innovation in BIAB" +1
I am using the existing license for Tonalic I received with the upgrade to Fender Studio Pro 8. I tried it in one of my instrumentals and it was ok. Pick a strumming pattern and it drops in nicely with a very basic pattern. This license is very limited and the subscription model is very expensive. But it does not compare to a real track. I love that I can take a basic style and switch out realtracks play with tempos and keys and by the time I have finished I have a created a piece of music that does not have an identifiable genre. It takes a special piece of software to be able to do that. I know AI can create some wild and well crafted music and videos but I prefer taking basic tones and creating something unique from them. I believe BIAB is a complete tool. Allows innovation, unbelievable quality has strong support and wants to keep up with the new technology without sacrificing the items I just mentioned.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
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!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
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.
-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)
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.
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 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available 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 Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
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.
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 as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
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One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
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And so many of the instruments, at least a third, target music genres the vast majority have little interest in. Keys are available everywhere in advanced products like EZ Keys. Every other instrument you mentioned is also quite available and quite good in a variety of VSTi libraries. Finally, the BIAB search feature truly sucks so finding something in my massive pile of RealTracks is only getting more difficult with each release!
Tonalic recognized no one does Chords and Chord progression better than Scaler so intead of reinventing the wheel they just use it! And if that works as shown it will also work the same way with EZKey2 cause Scaler works with EZKeys. 
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