It's a Windows only digital audio workstation, or DAW, that has the unique capability to import, manipulate and export MGU and SGU song files created by Band-in-a-Box. The program also has the added capability to use PG Music content like RealTracks and RealDrums to create audio tracks that follow the song chord chart.

Band-in-a-Box "builds" a song by following a chord chart built in a intro, number of choruses and repeats and ending structure. RealBand "builds" a song along a linear timeline where the song starts at the left of the screen and ends at the right of the screen.

Band-in-a-Box has eight tracks with five tracks dedicated to accompaniment instruments, a special purpose melody tracks, a special purpose soloist track and an audio track for you to record and playback your instrument or vocal. RealBand has 48 tracks. The first eight can emulate the Band-in-a-Box tracks or become a standard track. Each RealBand standard track can hold MIDI data, mono audio or stereo audio.

Band-in-a-Box has many auxiliary applications built-in to support music education and practice. RealBand has editing and recording features more suited to a DAW.

RealBand is derived from PowerTracks Pro. Band-in-a-Box features have been added to enhance the program's compatibility and performance with Band-in-a-Box files.

Many of us on Windows use both products. We use Band-in-a-Box to compose and build the song structure and then move the song file to RealBand to enhance the song with additional tracks.


Jim Fogle - 2024 BiaB (1111) RB (5) Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk by BandLab (CbB) - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home