Almost 100% of the time my songwriting process is the same . . . Once I have the idea in my head I use a pad and pencil (not a pen) to get some basic lyrics down and I use the same acoustic guitar I've been using for over 40 years to compose the music. Once I have the basics down I will transfer to a Word doc and start working on tracks in my DAW. Not sure why but I can't seem to write using just the PC but put a pencil in my hand and the lyrics tend to flow much easier.
You mentioned a few hundred bucks? We’ve had around 45,000 plays on Spotify this year for which the payout is a whole $128. 😀 For 2025 we had one song that got 30,000 plays but still for the entire year it wasn’t much $. But for us it’s fun that more folks than just friends and family like what we do. Regarding SoundCloud our current song has gotten 2200 plays in a few weeks but zero $ there. All meaning when we were selling CDs via CD Baby 20 years ago we actually made a fair amount. Today’s world … go figure!
Hi - Interesting - when you say it "instantly does not work", can you be more specific? In what way doesn't it work? Other questions I have are: - Does it work from an embedded (not floating) Tracks window? - Does the cursor change to an audio or MIDI icon when you are dragging, and does the drop station 'light up' when you are over top? - Does it work if the program is entirely on the primary monitor? - Does it work to drag and drop using the [+] button - i.e. in the side toolbar, select the track in the Track Selector and drag and drop from the [+]. - Does it work to drag from the MTR button in the top toolbar next to the drop station?
OK, you won't find this original arrangement in MuseScore (at this time). I can only suggest you contact the author at his Youtube Page. You can poke around there and find his email address and send him a request. Let us know if he provides his scores for sale? I think he is in Great Britain. https://www.youtube.com/@GreatWithanOrchestra/shorts
I am debating to put +1 or +100... "Once there we could slide or nudge it exactly where we want it." Basically your normal "clip" behavior Before certain "stop progress" member(s) jumps in, I want to do a quick expansion on subject, since I had a private conversation with another member on the topic recently, so while fresh: 1) We have to assume that this clip idea will create predictable issues on the tracks that have active (generatable) content, such as RTs, RDs, MST. So lets leave this topic alone for the sake of sanity and discuss only blank (empty) tracks. 2) The biggest issue I see is that BIAB doesn't have "Take Lanes" and we have to think around that. The easiest way from user perspective, given absence of Take Lanes in my mind it would look like: MIDI - On overlap it will bring a choice: Merge / Replace Audio - Would have to be rigid. Meaning don't allow clip merge on overlap (as this likely will sound like garbage), only Replace / Cancel option.
What a great write, what a great team. You come up with music (very cool twists in this one), and Chris comes up with the perfect melody and lyrics for it. Then you record the best track for her to sing on, and you add the most amazing guitar parts to surround her most incredible vocals. It's thrilling to be a fly on the wall of your back-and-forth messaging, and see how all this comes together. Thanks for giving me the bass space, Dave.
The sound is better on Soundcloud. Very cool story, and it seems hardly a challenge for you. Same for K-Dub Ya. If possible, i'd like to hear Mike's story song, too, if he posts it anywhere. I really like the happy and peppy feel --just what one would expect from winning the lottery. That bass is also a winner with a nothing-can-stop-me-now feel. Really good write and mix, Andrew.
Okay, K-Dub Ya, ya either deleted my comment here or i forgot to push that Post Reply button. That was when i was on YT. The sound always seems so much better on Soundcloud. I really like the mix. Everything sits perfect and proud, and the vocal stands out with the perfectly mixed harmony.
Incredibly good music and Dave's guitar is 100% perfect for it. I quote my YT comment: "Really excellent song and production, Marty! I could write an essay on the subject matter as besides living with a resident discarnate psyche ('ghost') I've had so many experiences of loved ones, friends and family since they've passed on, plus I've had inner world experiences beyond the realm of the passed on. Only the body dies."
Thanks, Chay. i, too, do: Yes, i bet you could write a book, and i for one wish you would. It would be facinating.
Originally Posted by TuneMonger
First off, I gotta say that guitar lick by Dave at 2:35 absolutely slayed me!! Song, vox and lyrics were good. I wasn't entirely sure what the message was, TBH. Personally, I stand with Brain on this one, if I understand his position correctly. I watch a lot of videos of contemporary philosophers debating this subject. Guys like Christopher Hitchens seem the most cogent to me. YMMV.
Thanks, Bob.
Originally Posted by floyd jane
One of your best. Musical. Excellent production and mix. Solid vocals. Dave is on fire. Sweet bass. Those angels sitting on their little clouds should have been playing guitars!!! Harps are so yesterday. fj
Thanks, Floyd. You're right about the angels. I mistakenly picked some from the classical group.
Originally Posted by laurent4114
A song full of questions. It's well done and the video is excellent (once again). Laurent
re Giglad >>> babymusic. if one over simplifies bb then it becomes just a scratch song idea generator. which it can do of course. ive done a ton of rough song sketches useing bb and rb. if one wants a ruff demo. just load up rb and use all midi tracks ... very fast for song sketches. instantaneous track genning plus 250 tracks. the REAL catch 22 is simplify an app too much and it will frustrate lots of creators as features are lost. its a no win for the developer. we tried to simplify apps when i worked in tech...it became a 'complain fest' by the user base. if one wants a simple app for roughing out a song there are apps like chordpulse being one....or use all midi in rb as i said. there is no escaping the hard truth that ya gotta put in the work to do a song there are no shortcuts. simplify and one limits ones options....and people complain. i estimate to do one of my songs takes about 2 weeks from original idea to finished song. it HAS saved me time useing bb/rb compared to years ago useing say session musos. no simple solution imho. if you want to see the challenges of creating music apps by pg and other app developers take C and assembler courses for a few months and i guarantee youll go 'oh man this is darn difficult'...particularly understanding the intricacies of the OS platform one is dealing with. om
A beautiful song Herb, one to be proud of. My only gripe is that too much reverb placed the vocals behind the band (imo). I must admit that I preferred and very much enjoyed your older video version. You have an excellent voice of which would make Willie himself proud. Seems like you must have a treasure trove of potential hits. Keep 'em coming. cheers Izzy
Thanks. We really enjoyed writing that one. Yes, the vox are a little bit heavy on the verb. Indeed, I do have several more Bishop/Hartley cowrites in the pipeline for redux. Stay tuned.
Hi again Bob. Re mud: it may just be a case of too many instruments clashing at the same frequency. Try EQ notching out one at mid range, then another, until it sounds clearer. You could also try placing a compressor on one guitar and side chain it to another similar frequency instrument. Suck it to see. An expert could probably spot it a lot quicker than us apprentices. Vic
I think I found the real problem that caused the chopping of audio files which was my critical issue: this happens when playing a song with an audio track and hitting pause and immediately after this you exit the program. No questions asked and a part of the beginning of the audio file is lost. Repeat the actions and you're left with nothing, i.e. 0 bytes of your audio track wav file. Pls check and confirm
J.S. Bach's "Air on a G String" arranged for voice and with a light pop-opera flavour. Wendy Kokkelkoren is Dutch and she has a really beautiful, haunting tone.
Thanx Dan, that was very interesting and I agree with him. How in hell has playing music become not enjoyable? I enjoy all aspects of my simple recordings and playing even though mixing can be problematic at times. Sure learning an instrument has a learning curve but so does everything else in life. The rewards of learning an instrument far exceeds the learning curve struggles. YMMV
Funny song with funny words and some nice B3 noodling. Your vocals aren't bad at all, but I think the song could be a little faster so that the vocals sound a bit more energetic. Right now, it's more of a "cry in your beer" lullaby
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
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.
Jump to new posts
![[Linked Image]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=32710&filename=Screenshot 2026-05-29 125917.jpg)
Before certain "stop progress" member(s) jumps in, I want to do a quick expansion on subject, since I had a private conversation with another member on the topic recently, so while fresh: 1) We have to assume that this clip idea will create predictable issues on the tracks that have active (generatable) content, such as RTs, RDs, MST. So lets leave this topic alone for the sake of sanity and discuss only blank (empty) tracks. 2) The biggest issue I see is that BIAB doesn't have "Take Lanes" and we have to think around that. The easiest way from user perspective, given absence of Take Lanes in my mind it would look like: 
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean