Are you able to create music tracks for cover songs with BIAB? I use a lot of pre-recorded karaoke tracks in my entertaining and I would like to be able to build custom tracks for some of the songs that just are not available as backing tracks.

There are a number of users on this forum that use BIAB to create backing tracks. The quality of the tracks can be professional level. Better than a lot of the free mp3 backing track/karaoke stuff around the internet

Personally I have created almost 100 cover song backing tracks that I use to perform guitar instrumental gigs in restaurants and bars.

I have found it to be a powerful tool for playing out.

Most use BIAB to create the arrangement and output .wav files into your DAW of choice to mix/master and produce the final output. Personally I use mono .mp3 files for peformance.
Some other guys do it different.

You should be able to find a number of threads on this forum that will walk you through the steps.

Some users get frustrated because they want to re create backing tracks that sound note-for-note like a song they heard on the radio.

Many times what makes a song special are riffs that are song specific. Also, Band-in-a-Box builds song files out of chords and styles and styles are not song specific.

Having said all those things as stated earlier you can use Band-in-a-Box to create backing tracks.

Andy, welcome to the forum. Yes, definitely. In BIAB, you can now enter the name of a very large number of popular songs of many genres and it will tell you some style suggestions to start with. You should be able to get close on most songs.

Normally you would want to know the chords, or have music for this, although for simpler genres there are tools to help with that too. It will probably also require that you enter certain hooks and riffs as Jim noted, via MIDI, and BIAB supports that, too.

I have used BiaB to make covers but had better results in RB. It opens .kar files and those are when processed properly really good. Sometimes it gives that signature riff or baseline. I actually started recently using a app on iPad called Jamzone. It is a free app with for purchase files. I have to date around 120 songs they are pretty good sounding.

As a solo guitarist I use BB to make 'arrangements'of the tunes I play.
Its invaluable too when it's your own composition - how else can you get a BT for it?
I'm a Real Tracks lover and now often start with BLANK STY and go audition the mega-star session players for my 'band'.
Examples are via my signature below.
Bests
Ian

Ian, your guitar playing is stellar!