Sales FAQ:
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Last updated:  Thursday, 25 January 2024

1. How can I order from PG Music?
2. Do you have any product demos available?
3. Is it true that you offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of your products?
4. What shipping methods do you offer? Is there a download-only option?
5. Are all of your products available for download (electronic delivery)?
6. Do you ship overseas?
7. If I choose to download the program, do I still get shipped a backup copy of the software and documentation?
8. What is Band-in-a-Box?
9. What are the differences between RealBand, Band-in-a-Box, and PowerTracks Pro Audio?
10. What new features are there in the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Windows?
11. What new features are there in the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh?
12. What is the difference between Band-in-a-Box Pro and the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK?
13. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK and UltraPAK? (Windows)
14. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK, UltraPAK, and UltraPAK+? (Macintosh)
15. Do you offer upgrades from previous versions of Band-in-a-Box?
16. Can I upgrade from Band-in-a-Box Pro to the MegaPAK, UltraPAK, or UltraPAK+?
17. If I purchased the last MegPAK/UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile version, do I need to order the new MegPAK/UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Upgrade?
18. I purchased Band-in-a-Box for Mac/Atari and now I want to run it on a PC. Is there a "crossgrade" that I can purchase?
19. I purchased Band-in-a-Box for Windows, and I now want to run it on a Mac. Is there a "crossgrade" that I can purchase?
20. What is RealBand?
21. How do I get RealBand?
22. Can I load my Band-in-a-Box and PowerTracks Pro Audio files into RealBand?
23. Are songs that I create with Band-in-a-Box or RealBand copyrighted?
24. How do I know if Band-in-a-Box will be able to create an accompaniment in my style of interest?
25. I hate installing programs, and just want to plug and play. I also want the best Band-in-a-Box and RealBand version that you have, with everything pre-installed.
26. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box and RealBand UltraPAK and the PG Music OmniPAK for Windows?
27. What is PowerTracks Pro Audio?
28. What new features are there in the latest version of PowerTracks Pro Audio?
29. What is the difference between PowerTracks Pro Audio, the PowerTracks Pro Audio PowerPAK and the PowerTracks Pro Audio MultiPAK? What are the MultiTracks?
30. What is the Coyote WT?
31. What are the recommended system requirements for your products?
32. Do you offer technical support after I purchase the program?
33. Why is the price of your products so low?
34. Are your prices in US dollars?
35. Do I need to be a musician to use your products?
36. Do you offer special academic pricing for school systems?
37. Is it safe to use a credit card over the internet?
38. Are your products available from any local dealers?
39. How can I register my software?
40. I placed an order, but didn't receive an email confirmation.
41. Can I purchase a complete User's Guide for my program?
42. What types of files can Band-in-a-Box and PowerTracks Pro Audio songs be saved as?
43. Can I view music notation and print out lead sheets with Band-in-a-Box?
44. Can I burn audio CD's containing my Band-in-a-Box, RealBand, or PowerTracks Pro Audio compositions?
45. Do any of your products convert audio files to midi?
46. I just placed an order, but I am unable to download the software. What should I do?
47. What languages are your programs available in?
48. Can I purchase the most recent version of the English Band-in-a-Box as an upgrade if I have a previous localized (non-English language) Band-in-a-Box version?
49. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with PowerPC and Intel Macs?
50. Is Band-in-a-Box for Mac compatible with older Operating Systems (Mac)?
51. When I try to install the program I get a message that the "setup files are corrupted".
52. Common pre-sales questions about RealDrums and RealTracks.
53. What are RealCombos?
54. What is the difference between the Audiophile editions of Band-in-a-Box and the regular Band-in-a-Box packages?
55. Is the latest version of Band-in-a-Box backwards compatible with songs and styles from older versions?
56. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with the latest Mac Operating Systems, including Ventura?

1. How can I order from PG Music?

Place your order online using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, or Wire Transfer. After you place your order, you will receive an email with your product serial number and a link to the download page for your purchase.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact one of our customer service representatives by email at sales@pgmusic.com, via our Live Online Chat, or by phone at 250-475-2874 (direct), 1-800-268-6272 or 1-888-PGMUSIC (toll-free in the USA and Canada), or 800-4746-8742* (toll-free outside of the USA and Canada). *Where Universal International Freephone service is available. View International Access Codes..

2. Do you have any product demos available?

We don't have demo programs for Band-in-a-Box and RealBand available for download currently, as the programs are quite large with all the RealTracks and RealDrums ‐ however we do have a 30 day money-back guarantee on all of our products. You can watch our video demonstrations at our Band-in-a-Box for Windows and Band-in-a-Box for Mac demo pages. You can also listen to hundreds of audio demos of Band-in-a-Box at our RealTracks pages ( Windows | Mac ), and Band-in-a-Box Add-ons pages ( Windows | Mac ). There are other videos available here.

3. Is it true that you offer a 30-day money back guarantee on your products?

Yes! We offer an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee on all products purchased directly from us. If for any reason you decide that the product is not for you, we will refund you the purchase price of the item.

4. What shipping methods do you offer? Is there a download-only option?

We do offer shipping for Band-in-a-Box packages. If you would like to receive a backup copy of your Band-in-a-Box, be sure to add the physical backup copy to your order on checkout.

The Band-in-a-Box packages are also available for download with the exception of the Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition. All other products are download only.

Flash Drive Orders: Pro, MegaPAK, and PlusPAK packages only
Shipped free. The Flash Drive media is $15.

Hard Drive Orders: UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile, and OmniPAK packages only
Shipped free. The Hard Drive media is $25.

5. Are all of your products available for download (electronic delivery)?

Yes, PG Music software is available for immediate download when you order online, and you will also have the option of a physical shipment for the backup copy of your Band-in-a-Box purchase. Note: If you ordered the Band-in-a-Box Audiophile Edition, you can download the compressed RealTracks and RealDrums. The uncompressed files will be shipped on the hard drive.

6. Do you ship overseas?

Yes, we ship Band-in-a-Box products anywhere in the world that is served by an international carrier.

7. If I choose to download the program, will I still get shipped a backup copy of the software and documentation?

We do offer shipping for Band-in-a-Box packages. If you would like to receive a backup copy of your Band-in-a-Box, be sure to add the physical backup copy to your order on checkout. All other products are download only.

8. What is Band-in-a-Box?

Band-in-a-Box is an intelligent automatic accompaniment program. You can hear and play along to many song ideas and go from "nothing" to "something" in a very short period of time with Band-in-a-Box as your "on demand" backup band. Just type in the chords for any song using standard chord symbols (like C, Fm7 or C13b9), choose the style you'd like, and Band-in-a-Box does the rest. Band-in-a-Box automatically generates a complete professional quality arrangement of piano, bass, drums, guitar, and strings in a wide variety of styles.

9. What are the differences between RealBand, Band-in-a-Box, and PowerTracks Pro Audio?

Band-in-a-Box is an intelligent automatic accompaniment and arranging program, which means that you can go from nothing to complete song arrangements in as little as a few seconds. Simply enter chords to a song, choose a style of music, and Band-in-a-Box generates a full band arrangement complete with Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, and more.

Band-in-a-Box can generate MIDI tracks, which are played through a MIDI synthesizer and displayed in notation, and it can also generate RealTracks and RealDrums, which are intelligently compiled from audio recordings of musicians playing real instruments.

Band-in-a-Box has many other amazing intelligent features such as automatic Harmonies, Ear training modules, the Soloist (which generates professional quality solos over any chord progression), and the Melodist (which can create entire original songs from scratch with Chords, Melodies, Intros, and Solos).

PowerTracks Pro Audio is a professional, fully featured, 48 track digital audio and MIDI sequencer. This program allows you to assemble music layer by layer and track by track using MIDI or digital audio, or a combination of the two. Unlike Band-in-a-Box, PowerTracks Pro Audio does not generate any music for you. Instead, it gives you complete control and flexibility to record, edit, mix, and master your music.

You can start from "scratch", recording your MIDI tracks or step-inputting them, and recording digital audio tracks. Or you can work from existing audio and MIDI files that you have imported into the program for further processing. Many people have used Band-in-a-Box in conjunction with PowerTracks, by exporting songs from Band-in-a-Box as MIDI or wave files then importing these files into PowerTracks.

RealBand combines many of the features from PowerTracks Pro Audio and Band-in-a-Box into an all-in-one sequencing program with automatic accompaniment.

As with Band-in-a-Box, you can type in chords to a song, choose a style of music, and it will generate a complete band arrangement that can include MIDI tracks, RealTracks, and RealDrums. Band-in-a-Box and RealBand are compatible with all the same song and style formats, so any style that you use in Band-in-a-Box can also be used in RealBand. Unlike Band-in-a-Box, RealBand does not have many of the additional "intelligent" features, such as the Soloist, Melodist, Harmonist, Vocal Harmonizer, Chord Substitution Wizard, and automatic Melody Embellisher. Developing song ideas and using the program as an educational or practice tool are easier to do and more suited to Band-in-a-Box.

As with PowerTracks, you have complete control over recording and editing your music track by track, as well as mixing and mastering using full-featured Tracks and Mixer Windows. You can 'freeze' your "BB" (Band-in-a-Box) generated tracks then fine-tune them, you can re-generate each track individually or re-generate a range of bars. You can layer as many additional MIDI or audio tracks as you want. You can assign any combination of DX/VST effects to individual tracks, aux busses, or the main output. You can assign different DXi/VSTi synthesizers to individual MIDI tracks. You can merge all your tracks to a single stereo wave file or compressed audio format and burn an audio CD. And you can do ALL of this without ever leaving RealBand!

The latest versions of both Band-in-a-Box and RealBand are included in any Band-in-a-Box first-time purchase or upgrade!

Here is a comparison of some of the features in Band-in-a-Box, RealBand, and PowerTracks Pro Audio.

Feature description	Band-in-a-Box	RealBand	PowerTracks
Intelligent Automatic arrangements using BB (Band-in-a-Box) styles			x
Re-generate a specific range of bars of a BB track			na
Re-generate one "BB" track at a time.			na
"Freeze" and edit BB generated tracks, save your edits.			na
RealTracks support			x
RealDrums support
MIDI recording and editing	19 tracks	48 tracks	48 tracks
Multi-track digital Audio recording and editing	1 track only, basic editing
Load and play MGU and SGU (Band-in-a-Box song) files			x
DXi and VSTi support
Includes Coyote WaveTable DXi synth			x
Multiple DXi/VSTi synths can be used a single song
14 PG DirectX audio effects included
Audio Chord Wizard (chords from MP3)
On-screen Guitar and Piano
Powerful and full-featured multi-track Mixer Window	x
Full featured Tracks Window with track overview panels	x
Notation and Lead Sheet windows
Automatic Melody and Solo harmonization		x	x
Soloist (Auto-generate original solos)		x	x
Melodist (Auto-generate original chords, melodies, and complete songs)		x	x
Re-harmonist (Auto-create a chord progression for your melody)		x	x
Automatic Melody embellisher		x	x
StyleMaker		x	x
Hybrid Style Wizard		x	x
Ear Training module and educational music arcade games		x	x
Automatic Soundtrack generator		x	x
Chord Substitution Wizard		x	x
Big lyrics window
Graphical MIDI "Piano Roll" editing window
Merge song to stereo wave file and burn a CD
Display song forms using repeats and 1st/2nd endings		x	x
Practice Window for learning and practicing your instrument		x	x
Software Guitar Tuner
Guitarist (Auto-create original guitar chord solos)		x	x

10. What new features are there in the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Windows?

With each version upgrade, we add many great new features.

With Band-in-a-Box 2024,we've added a Tracks Window. Similar to most DAW tracks windows, this shows all the tracks, allowing lossless data manipulation of tracks in an environment familiar to DAW users. There are now Floating Windows Everywhere! Twelve legacy modal dialogs have been redone as non-modal floating windows so they can be used interactively with other functions. Major GUI Enhancements include a tabbed MultiPicker Library window. This is a one-stop shop to pick tracks from any of the 8 track types. All pickers show a common interface with a similar look and functions for filters, search, selection, audition, and generation.

See all the new features in Band-in-a-Box 2024

With Band-in-a-Box 2023,we added Partial Track Re-Generations, with an on-screen Regeneration Panel and an Always Different setting to get up to 40 variations on any RealTracks. Undo - Track Generation and Undo - Song Generation is added. Playable Tracks are enhanced for Playable RealTracks (404 new Sforzando sounds, 700 total - all with Audio Demos), and now include Playable RealDrums, MIDI SuperTracks and MIDI tracks. There are now RealTracks Stems, Auto-Save Song, generate Intros using Song Chords, RealDrums Fills control, and much more!

With Band-in-a-Box 2022, we added "All Tracks are Equal," so all 24 tracks have the same capabilities, including style generation and audio editing. Playable RealTracks to customize the RealTracks performances by adding your own notes, using sounds from the RealTracks recording. A MultiRiff feature to interactively arrange sections of RealTracks, as you build up the track by choosing from multiple versions. We also added a One-Click Download and Install Manager, Motifs, Drum Stems, and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2021, we added 16 new editable Utility tracks, which can be used for audio and/or MIDI. 24-bit audio playback, recording, mixing, and rendering is now supported. Auto-Fix "sour" notes - out-of-tune notes in RealTracks will be auto corrected to match chord tones. 4X's faster audio DSP processing (using SIMD), allowing smoother playback & faster rendering for a larger number of tracks, and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2020, we added Multi-riffs, RealTracks thickening and panning, left-handed Student Guitar view, Drag n drop from mixer, Audio Chord Wizard enhancements and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2019, we added a brand-new 64-bit version of Band-in-a-Box, which works well with the latest plugins and 64-bit OS features! We've also made and include a 64-bit VST Plugin of Band-in-a-Box, which you can use inside your favorite DAW (Cakewalk, Reaper, ProTools, etc.) to generate styles, RealTracks, RealDrums, Multi-Riffs, etc. We include a 64-bit GM MIDI synth VSTSynthFont64 with default GM soundfonts, allowing you to specify any GM soundfont. The completely redesigned SongPicker shows information for up to 50,000 songs and has useful filter and search features including search by chord progression and/or melodic phrase.

With Band-in-a-Box 2018, we added Video RealTracks, a new ultra-low-latency audio driver, the Audio Chord Wizard has been redesigned and is built into Band-in-a-Box, audio harmonies have been enhanced with audio transcription, audio tuning can be fixed, notation properly supports time signatures like 12/8, 9/8 & 6/8, the toolbar has been enhanced with skins and more customization, songs can be saved as MP3, you can open ABC notation files, and the Audio Edit Window has been redesigned with a new GUI and features.

With Band-in-a-Box 2017, main screen GUI has been redesigned with many requested improvements, including a new, smaller footprint, configurable toolbars, and more. RealTracks sound better than ever with improved stretching and transposition quality (Elastique 3), better phrase transitions, and Natural Arrangements. We have added new "Woodshedding" RealTracks called 12-Key Guitar RealTracks from Brent Mason played in 12 keys with Hi-Q (precise) Tab/Notation which is ideal for studying and learning.

With Band-in-a-Box 2016, we redesigned and enhanced the StylePicker, rebuilt the Chordsheet with improved functionality and customization options. We also added 201 new RealTracks, 11 new MIDI SuperTracks, 19 Instrumental Studies (bass, acoustic & electric guitar, piano & saxophone, in a variety of genres), and for the first time ever, 3 "Artist Video Performances," which are video files that play in Band-in-a-Box, with live saxophone performances playing along with Band-in-a-Box RealTracks. We also have over 80 new RealStyles, which are new styles using existing RealTracks and Loops. These include great Top-40 styles, "Requested" styles, J-Pop, K-Pop, German "Schlager," and more!

With Band-in-a-Box 2015, we added 50 new features, 101 new RealTracks, 15 new MIDI SuperTracks, 46 Artist Performances, 18 Instrumental Studies and 1,000 Killer Modern Loops. New features include support for your 64-bit VST plugins and VSTi instruments using jBridge, functions to load, play, view and slow down videos you've downloaded from YouTube or elsewhere, Automatic Program Updates, and GUI enhancements.

With Band-in-a-Box 2014, we added 50 new features (including an all-new GUI and UserTracks), 101 new RealTracks, 54 new MIDI SuperTracks, 20 Artist Performances and 8 new Hi-Q MIDI Sounds. Compared to version 2012 (December 2011) this adds 100 new features, 303 RealTracks, 145 MIDI SuperTracks and 26 Hi-Q Sounds! There are now over 1,200 hours of RealTracks/RealDrums (studio musician audio recordings) included with the UltraPlusPAK or EverythingPAK!

With Band-in-a-Box 2013 we added a new MIDI DXi/VST synth (SampleTank) and added some great High Quality ("Hi-Q") MIDI Sounds. These Hi-Q sounds make the MIDI tracks (both regular and MIDI SuperTracks) sound much better. We added Performance Tracks – Artist's Performances on the Melody track, to showcase the Band-in-a-Box RealTracks demos playing along to an artist performing the melody. These are great for listening or for learning-from-the-Pros (since notation/tab shows for the performances). "Print to PDF" to save your printouts directly as a PDF file, or share your arrangements with the added SoundCloud.com integration and DropBox integration. There are a number of RealTracks enhancements including "Pick best soloist RealTracks" that shows you the soloists that best match the genre, tempo, and feel of your song, and many more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2012.5 we've added MIDI SuperTracks! MIDI SuperTracks are a great sounding option for those who would like to use MIDI in their arrangement. Instead of MIDI styles based on C7 chord patterns that get repeated over every chord, the MIDI SuperTracks are based on actual playing by studio musicians. When you play the SuperTracks using your MIDI synth, or favorite VST plug-ins you get an incredibly realistic sound using MIDI.

With Band-in-a-Box 2012, we've added VST synth support for each track, so you can have multiple synths playing on your songs. You can also use VST Audio Plug-ins (reverb, delay etc.) on each track. Customize over 150 of the Guitar based RealTracks with the new Guitar Amp Simulator (AmpliTube CS). We include "Direct Input" (clean signal) Guitar RealTracks for these, so all of the added effects come from the Guitar Amp Simulator. We've added "Loops" support, so you can add your own, or 3rd party loops to any Band-in-a-Box track.

For the previous version, Band-in-a-Box 2011.5, we added a new floating Mixer Window, allowing you to quickly set volumes, panning, reverb, tone and patches. There's a new "BB Remote" app for your iPhone®, which can be used as a remote control for the desktop version of Band-in-a-Box 2011.5 or higher! We added 101 RealTracks in Sets 122-136, including: 70's Soul, Celtic Hornpipes & Slipjigs, Crossover Pop, Gypsy Jazz, Jazz Piano and Organ, Brent Mason Country soloing, Praise & Worship, and much more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2011, we added over 50 new features, including big improvements to the sounds of the RealTracks so that they sound more natural over a much wider range of tempos, using the elastique Pro V2 time stretching engine by zplane.development. These improvements are built-in, so there's nothing you need to do to get it working. Your existing songs will just sound better automatically! Also, we made an iPhone® version of Band-in-a-Box, which connects to your Windows desktop version of Band-in-a-Box 2011 or higher and allows you to generate, play, and save songs on your iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad™, or Android phone - with the same high quality RealTracks sound! 101 new RealTracks since July 2010, including: Gypsy Jazz, Celtic Jigs & Reels, Calypso, Praise & Worship, Reggae, Brent Mason Guitar, and so much more!

In Band-in-a-Box 2010, we added a new "Plug-in" mode, allowing you to simply Drag-n-Drop tracks between Band-in-a-Box and your favorite sequencer (RealBand, Sonar, Reaper, ProTools, FL-Studio, Nuendo and more). RealTracks generation time was improved, typically 3X faster. RealTracks support for Shots, Holds, and Pushes was added. Endings are improved, and RealTracks endings are now 4 bars long, giving time for the natural decay of the instruments. Individual MIDI or RealTracks can be frozen, so the arrangements can be saved and fixed, and will replay quickly without need for regeneration.

11. What new features are there in the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Mac?

With each version upgrade, we add many exciting new features.

With Band-in-a-Box 2023,we've added Partial Track Re-Generations, with an on-screen Regeneration Panel and an Always Different setting to get up to 40 variations on any RealTracks. Undo - Track Generation and Undo - Song Generation is added. Playable Tracks are enhanced for Playable RealTracks (404 new Sforzando sounds, 700 total - all with Audio Demos), and now include Playable RealDrums, MIDI SuperTracks and MIDI tracks. There are now RealTracks Stems, Auto-Save Song, generate Intros using Song Chords, RealDrums Fills control, and much more!

See all the new features in Band-in-a-Box 2023

With Band-in-a-Box 2022, we added "All Tracks are Equal," so all 24 tracks have the same capabilities, including style generation and audio editing. Playable RealTracks to customize the RealTracks performances by adding your own notes, using sounds from the RealTracks recording. A MultiRiff feature to interactively arrange sections of RealTracks, as you build up the track by choosing from multiple versions. We also added a One-Click Download and Install Manager, Motifs, Drum Stems, and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2021, we added 16 new editable Utility tracks, which can be used for audio and/or MIDI. 24-bit audio playback, recording, mixing, and rendering is now supported. Auto-Fix "sour" notes - out-of-tune notes in RealTracks will be auto corrected to match chord tones. 4X's faster audio DSP processing (using SIMD), allowing smoother playback & faster rendering for a larger number of tracks, and much more.

With Band-in-a-Box 2020, we've added enhancements to RealTracks (Smoother Sounding Vocal RealTracks, RealTracks Thickening, "Find-a-Sub" RealTracks, and MultiRiffs). Most RealDrums now have RealCharts (with accurate Drum Notation). There's a new RealTracks Artist Browser to find info/bios/links/lists of RealTracks on all the artists. A new Feature Browser allows the new or "forgetful" user to easily find and use most features/hotkeys/docs from a single window.

See all the new features in Band-in-a-Box 2020

With Band-in-a-Box 2019, we introduced a true 64-bit version of Band-in-a-Box, which works well with the latest plugins and 64-bit OS features! We've also made and include a 64-bit VST/AU/AAX Plugin of Band-in-a-Box, which you can use inside your favorite DAW (GarageBand, Logic, Reaper, Pro Tools, Digital Performer, Ableton, PreSonus, etc.) to generate styles, RealTracks, RealDrums, Multi-Riffs, etc. There's a completely redesigned SongPicker, which shows information for up to 50,000 songs and has useful filter and search features including search by chord progression and/or melodic phrase. And more...

With Band-in-a-Box 2018, we introduced "Video RealTracks," which work like RealTracks, but also include videos of the musician's performance. You can make a video of a single musician or a band video, optionally with a chord sheet or notation, and you can even add your own videos to the final mix. The Audio Chord Wizard has been redesigned and is now built into Band-in-a-Box . The Audio Harmonies feature has been added, including Audio Transcription, which converts a monophonic audio track to MIDI (notation), and much more...

With Band-in-a-Box 2017, we added over 80 new features and an amazing collection of new content, including 202 RealTracks, 34 MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, 12-Key RealTracks, Hi-Q Guitar Notation, Re-Discovered RealTracks/MIDI SuperTracks styles, a new synthesizer (sforzando), and over 120 new RealStyles!

With Band-in-a-Box 2016, we redesigned and enhanced the StylePicker, rebuilt the Chordsheet with improved functionality and customization options. We also added 201 new RealTracks, 11 new MIDI SuperTracks, 19 Instrumental Studies (bass, acoustic & electric guitar, piano & saxophone, in a variety of genres), and for the first time ever, 3 "Artist Video Performances," which are video files that play in Band-in-a-Box, with live saxophone performances playing along with Band-in-a-Box RealTracks. We also have over 80 new RealStyles, which are new styles using existing RealTracks and Loops. These include great Top-40 styles, "Requested" styles, J-Pop, K-Pop, German "Schlager," and more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2015, we enhanced the GUI for an improved look and feel, and many new time-saving features added such as automatic track labels (e.g. instead of saying "strings" it says "banjo"), video tutorial-help buttons, instant previews for many dialogs, and more. There's a new Video Window to load, play videos to Band-in-a-Box. You can save your song as a video and upload it to YouTube. Audio Track is added to allow you open an audio file, record audio, or render the song to the Audio Track. The new Audio Edit Window shows a digital waveform of the Audio track. There is now a Big Piano Window which displays notes on a resizable keyboard. Audio Chord Wizard is enhanced with a utilities dialog and an option to enable/disable the current style. You can now write Acidized information to the audio file. And much more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2014, we added UserTracks that allow you to make your own RealTracks, redesigned the GUI with a new modern look, added an onscreen mixer, added instant previews of styles, RealTracks, and RealDrums, and much more.

For Band-in-a-Box 2013, we added Performance Tracks ‐ Artist Performances on the Melody track, to showcase the Band-in-a-Box RealTracks demos playing along to an artist performing the melody. These are great for listening or learning-from-the-Pros (since notation/tab shows for the performances). Pick "best" soloist RealTracks: This new dialog shows you the best soloists that match the genre, tempo, feel of your song. A new Song Form feature allows you to define sections of a song (A,B,C etc.), and then rearrange the song by simply typing the form you want (e.g. AABABAACA ). Leadsheet window can now be resized. When you are choosing a RealTracks or RealDrums, there is now a list of recently used - Favorite RealTracks, RealDrums. The popular "Band Button" is enhanced now enhanced, with many more RealStyles made, listed, submenus, and instruments shown.

For Band-in-a-Box 2012 we've added "Loops" support, so you can add your own or 3rd party loops to any Band-in-a-Box track. We've added a Simpler RealTracks setting, with a checkbox that makes the RealTracks play a simpler (less busy or embellished) arrangement. We include "Direct Input" (clean signal) Guitar RealTracks for over 150 of the Guitar based RealTracks, so you can generate files with a clean guitar, and then, using your DAW (e.g. GarageBand), you can add custom amp and F/X settings using the new Guitar Amp Simulator that is included (AmpliTube CS). You can add MIDITracks individually now, simply select your favorite MIDITrack from any style to any track of your current song. EZ selection of "DrumGrooves" has been added, which are different grooves within drum styles.

For Band-in-a-Box 2011.5, we added a "Same-But-Different" feature, which ensures that, if you have 2 (or more) of the same RealTracks on different tracks, they will never play the same thing at the same time. There is support for Pedal Bass RealTracks. We added 101 new RealTracks in sets 122-136, including: 70's Soul, Celtic Hornpipes & Slipjigs, Crossover Pop, Gypsy Jazz, Jazz Piano and Organ, Brent Mason Country soloing, Praise & Worship, and much more!

For Band-in-a-Box 2011, we made big improvements to the sounds of the RealTracks so that they sound more natural over a much wider range of tempos, using the elastique Pro V2 time stretching engine by zplane.development. These improvements are built-in, so there's nothing you need to do to get it working. Your existing songs will just sound better automatically!. We added a new Mixer window, allowing you to quickly set volumes, panning, reverb, tone and patches. The Mixer floats on top of the current window, so you can place it wherever it's convenient to make quick and easy adjustments to your Band-in-a-Box track settings. Enhanced RealTracks, so that you can now have RealTracks style changes within a song, generate RealTracks Soloist Medleys. Plus, 101 new RealTracks since July 2010, including: Gypsy Jazz, Celtic Jigs & Reels, Calypso, Praise & Worship, Reggae, Brent Mason Guitar, and so much more!

In Band-in-a-Box 2010, we added 101 RealTracks instruments. We also added RealCharts, which means that most RealTracks display notation showing the notes that are being played. Some Guitar RealTracks also show tab, and accurate on-screen fretboard guitar display to show what is being played on guitar. The RealCharts can be saved to MIDI file or Songs (MGU). The Audio Chord Wizard was enhanced. Chords may be edited in the Audio Chord Wizard. Part markers, chord symbols, key signature, and tuning setting are saved in Band-in-a-Box, and are passed back and forth to the Chord Wizard.

Visit our main Band-in-a-Box page to learn more about the latest new features.

12. What is the difference between Band-in-a-Box Pro and the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK?

Windows:

The Pro and MegaPAK include the same Band-in-a-Box and RealBand program engines, however the MegaPAK includes many more Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealTracks, RealDrums and more. Whereas the Pro version comes with over 1,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), the MegaPAK comes with over 3,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles)!

Specifically, Band-in-a-Box Pro comes with a basic 'starter' set of Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealDrums, and RealTracks: It includes 64 MIDI SuperTracks, 1,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 100+ MIDI Soloists, ~60 MIDI Melodists, 22 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops, 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops and the Pro RealCombos 590 RealTracks instruments in 350+ Bands!) RealCombos are full bands of RealTracks and RealDrums instruments (no MIDI) in the same style. For example, the Jazz Swing 140 RealCombo includes 5 RealInstruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) that play at a medium swing tempo. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear *some* full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package.

The Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK includes everything that the Pro version has, plus a lot more. It includes 3,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 163 MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 63 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. It also includes the MegaPAK RealCombos (Over 800 RealTracks in 530+ Bands).

Visit our Band-in-a-Box Add-ons page for a complete list of available add-ons. Visit our Band-in-a-Box page to see comparisons of the different Band-in-a-Box and RealBand packages.

Mac:

p>The Pro and MegaPAK include the same Band-in-a-Box program engine, however the MegaPAK includes many more Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealTracks, RealDrums and more. Whereas the Pro version comes with over 1,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), the MegaPAK comes with over 3,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles)!

Specifically, Band-in-a-Box Pro comes with a basic 'starter' set of Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealDrums, and RealTracks: It includes 64 MIDI SuperTracks, 1,000 Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 100+ MIDI Soloists, ~60 MIDI Melodists, 22 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops, 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops and the Pro RealCombos 590 RealTracks instruments in 350+ Bands!) RealCombos are full bands of RealTracks and RealDrums instruments (no MIDI) in the same style. For example, the Jazz Swing 140 RealCombo includes 5 RealInstruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) that play at a medium swing tempo. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear *some* full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package.

The Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK includes everything that the Pro version has, plus a lot more. It includes 3,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 163 MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 63 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. It also includes the MegaPAK RealCombos (Over 800 RealTracks in 530+ Bands).

Visit our Band-in-a-Box Add-ons page for a complete list of available add-ons. Visit our Band-in-a-Box page to see comparisons of the different Band-in-a-Box packages.

13. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK, UltraPAK, and UltraPAK+? (Windows)

All of the packages include the latest versions of both Band-in-a-Box and RealBand. The Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK includes 3,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 163 MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 63 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. It also includes the MegaPAK RealCombos (Over 800 RealTracks in 530+ Bands). RealCombos are full bands of RealTracks and RealDrums instruments (no MIDI) in the same style. For example, the Jazz Swing 140 RealCombo includes 5 RealInstruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) that play at a medium swing tempo. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear *some* full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package.

The UltraPAK includes over 7,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 290+ MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 160+ Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. PLUS ALL of the currently available RealDrums and RealTracks Sets. Now there's over 3,500 RealTracks included in the UltraPAK. That's over 3,700 hours of studio musicians recordings!

The UltraPAK+ includes all the UltraPAK contents, and adds the Songs & Lessons PAK.

Visit our Band-in-a-Box to see comparisons of the different packages.

14. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK, UltraPAK, and UltraPAK+? (Mac)

All of the packages include the latest versions of Band-in-a-Box. The Band-in-a-Box MegaPAK includes 3,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 163 MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 63 Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. It also includes the MegaPAK RealCombos (Over 800 RealTracks in 530+ Bands). RealCombos are full bands of RealTracks and RealDrums instruments (no MIDI) in the same style. For example, the Jazz Swing 140 RealCombo includes 5 RealInstruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) that play at a medium swing tempo. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear *some* full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package.

The UltraPAK includes over 7,000+ Styles (MIDI Styles and RealStyles), 290+ MIDI SuperTracks, over 300 MIDI Soloists, 200+ MIDI Melodists, 160+ Artist Performances, 21 Nature Sounds and Percussion Loops and 1,000 Dubstep, Modern and Top 40 Loops. PLUS, ALL of the currently available RealDrums and RealTracks Sets. Now there's over 3,500 RealTracks included in the UltraPAK. That's over 3,700 hours of studio musicians recordings!

The UltraPAK+ includes all the UltraPAK contents, and adds the Songs & Lessons PAK.

Visit our Band-in-a-Box to see comparisons of the different packages.

15. Do you offer upgrades from previous versions of Band-in-a-Box?

Yes, you can upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box from any previous version. See Windows or Mac for more details.

16. Can I upgrade from Band-in-a-Box Pro to the MegaPAK, UltraPAK, or UltraPAK+?

Yes, you can upgrade to any of the latest packages from ANY version of Band-in-a-Box including the current version. To order, or for more information, visit the Band-in-a-Box for Windows Packages page or the Band-in-a-Box for Mac Packages page.

17. If I purchased the last MegPAK/UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile version, do I need to order the new MegPAK/UltraPAK/UltraPAK+/Audiophile Upgrade?

You don't need to, but we have special low pricing on these upgrade paths. They are a much better deal than a regular upgrade. If you purchase the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+ or Audiophile upgrade, you will keep yourself up-to-date with all the latest Styles, RealDrums, RealTracks, Soloists, and Melodists available. If you only purchase the regular upgrade, you will still retain the add-ons (styles etc.) you got with your previous purchase, but you won't get all the new ones. Visit our Band-in-a-Box for Windows or Band-in-a-Box for Mac page to compare the upgrade packages.

18. I purchased Band-in-a-Box for Mac and now I want to run it on a PC. Is there a "crossgrade" that I can purchase?

Yes, you can crossgrade from any Mac version of Band-in-a-Box to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Windows. You can choose any of the upgrades "from 2022 or earlier".

To order, or for more information, visit the Band-in-a-Box for Windows Packages page.

19. I purchased Band-in-a-Box for Windows, and I now want to run it on a Mac. Is there a "crossgrade" that I can purchase?

Yes, you can crossgrade from any PC version of Band-in-a-Box to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Macintosh for a much lower price than a first-time purchase.

To order, or for more information, visit the Band-in-a-Box for Mac Packages page, select "Buy/Upgrade, & Download Now!", and look for the row labeled "Upgrade from 2022 or earlier or crossgrade".

20. What is RealBand?

RealBand is a fully-featured and powerful music arranging, sequencing, and digital recording program for Windows. RealBand combines the most popular features from PG Music's PowerTracks Pro Audio and Band-in-a-Box programs into an all-in-one sequencing program with automatic accompaniment.

With RealBand you can create an arrangement with Band-in-a-Box tracks by typing in the chords and choosing a style. You can add RealTracks and RealDrums that follow the chord changes, add your own audio or MIDI tracks, and then edit and produce the finished song without ever leaving the program!

A great way to learn more about RealBand is to watch the RealBand videos.

21. How do I get RealBand?

All Band-in-a-Box for Windows packages include the latest version of RealBand. Learn about the differences between packages or visit our Band-in-a-Box and RealBand ordering page to learn about the differences between the packages.

Note that if you want the most RealDrums and RealTracks, the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ are the best packages to purchase.

22. Can I load my Band-in-a-Box and PowerTracks Pro Audio files into RealBand?

Yes, you can load your Band-in-a-Box and PowerTracks Pro Audio files directly into RealBand. This includes Band-in-a-Box song files (.SGU, .MGU, .MGX) and PowerTracks sequence files (.SEQ). Many other MIDI and audio file types are supported, including .MID, .KAR, .MP3, .WMA, and .WAV.

23. Are songs that I create with Band-in-a-Box or RealBand copyrighted?

The arrangements made by Band-in-a-Box and RealBand are yours, and your songs may be used freely as long as they don't infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.

24. How do I know if Band-in-a-Box will be able to create an accompaniment in my style of interest?

There are over 10,000 styles (MIDI and RealStyles) currently available for Band-in-a-Box, ranging from Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Country, and Classical, to many different world styles. So, chances are that you will be able to find a suitable style. You can browse through all of our styles and listen to audio demos at our Band-in-a-Box Add-ons page for Windows and Mac

25. I hate installing programs, and just want to plug and play. I also want the best Band-in-a-Box and RealBand version that you have, with everything pre-installed.

Windows:

The Band-in-a-Box and RealBand UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ come pre-installed on a portable USB hard drive by default. Both of these include the latest versions of Band-in-a-Box and RealBand, as well as all the currently available MIDI Styles, Soloists, Melodists, RealDrums Sets, and RealTracks Sets. You can run the programs directly from the hard drive, without installing them on your computer. Just plug in the drive and you're ready to play! You still have the option of installing the program to your computer hard drive if you would rather run the programs from there.

We also have the Audiophile edition. This is a very large capacity 2.5" hard drive which has all the same contents as the UltraPAK+ hard drive, but ALSO has all of the RealTracks and RealDrums audio files in their original uncompressed WAV file format. This means that the highest sound quality of the RealTracks and RealDrums is preserved.

Visit our Band-in-a-Box for Windows Packages page to see a chart with comparisons of the different Band-in-a-Box packages.

Mac:

The Band-in-a-Box UltraPAK and UltraPAK+ come pre-installed on a portable 2.5" USB hard drive. You can run the programs directly from the hard drive, without installing them on your computer. Just plug in the drive and you're ready to play! You still have the option of copying the files to your Mac hard drive if you would prefer to have everything installed there, or you can run the Band-in-a-Box program from your Mac hard drive, but leave the large RealDrums and RealTracks audio files on the external USB hard drive.

We also have the Audiophile edition. This is a very large hard drive which has all the same contents as the UltraPAK+ hard drive, but ALSO has all of the RealTracks and RealDrums audio files in their original uncompressed audio file format (AIFF). This means that the highest sound quality of the RealTracks and RealDrums is preserved.

Visit our Band-in-a-Box for Mac Packages page to see a chart with comparisons of the different Band-in-a-Box packages.

26. What is the difference between the Band-in-a-Box and RealBand UltraPAK+ and the PG Music OmniPAK for Windows?

The UltraPAK+ includes all of the currently available Style Sets, regular Soloist Sets, Loops, MIDI SuperTracks, Artist Performance Series, and Melodist Sets. It also includes all the compressed files for the RealDrums and RealTracks Sets.

The PG Music OmniPAK includes over 40 popular music software titles - Band-in-a-Box and RealBand with all the uncompressed RealTracks and RealDrums WAV files, PowerTracks Pro Audio, the Pianist Series, the Multimedia Performance Series, and much more! The OmniPAK is shipped on a portable high-speed USB 3.0 hard drive with all programs pre-installed.

27. What is PowerTracks Pro Audio?

PowerTracks Pro Audio is a professional, fully featured, 48 track digital audio and MIDI sequencer for Windows. This program allows you to assemble music layer by layer and track by track using MIDI or digital audio, or a combination of the two.

28. What new features are there in the latest version of PowerTracks Pro Audio?

With each version upgrade, we add many great new features.

PowerTracks Pro Audio 2023 offers great new features and enhancements, including MIDI Vocoder and Fix Tuning modes for Audio Harmonies, MicroChords (up to 4 chords per beat), Reverse Audio Effects, easy Tab key navigation on the Chords window, smoother mouse wheel operation on the Tracks window, and much more!

Learn more about all of the new features in PowerTracks Pro Audio 2023!

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2022, we added the ability to install multiple plugins from a folder at one time, improved Audio Chord Wizard detection routines, the ability to record mixer movement for the masters/subgroups, a new Transpose/Stretch All Tracks dialog lets you transpose/stretch/reduce all tracks and then conveniently save to a new file, there's new settings to save selected tracks only and exclude muted tracks when saving all tracks to individual files, an option to save all tracks to a compressed format, and much more!

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2021, we added 64-bit support! PowerTracks now supports 64-bit VST/VSTi and 64-bit DX/DXi plugins without needing to use jbridge. 4X's faster audio DSP processing (using SIMD), allowing smoother playback & faster rendering for a larger number of tracks, and much more.

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2020, we added a new audio scrub button in the Audio Edit window that lets you click and drag to hear a section of audio, there's a new audio harmony feature that uses élastique, and the latest version 3.3.0 of Élastique and 1.04 of Harmony from zplane.de is included, allowing for enhanced stretching and audio harmony. Drum notation can now be saved to MusicXML, Hammer-on, pull-off, and slide will now be saved to MusicXML, you can now open .mxl (a compressed format) and .musicxml files, in addition to .xml files, and more!

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2019, we added Drum Notation Support, enhanced the Notation Window, updated the support within the Event List Window, applied Tracks Window Enhancements, an updated look with a new toolbar background color and icon set, and much more!

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2018, we added Windows Audio (WASAPI) driver support, ABC Notation format support, 12/8, 9/8, and 6/8 time signature support in the Notation Window, Guitar and Big Piano Window enhancements, an updated Audio Chord Wizard, and much more!

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2017, MusicXML (notation export/import) has been enhanced. We've worked with Finale, GuitarPro, and Sibelius to enhance features and compatibility with MusicXML. We've added support for time-based VSTi plugin, and Pitch shifting and tempo stretching has been greatly enhanced with the integration of the newest version of the world-leading Elastique 3.

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2017, MusicXML (notation export/import) has been enhanced. We've worked with Finale, GuitarPro, and Sibelius to enhance features and compatibility with MusicXML. We've added support for time-based VSTi plugin, and Pitch shifting and tempo stretching has been greatly enhanced with the integration of the newest version of the world-leading Elastique 3.

For PowerTracks Pro Audio 2016, we added the ability to Load and save MusicXML files, render a track as an ACID Loop and export it to the BB Loops folder, save the Chords Window as video. Also, snapshots of the VU input meter on the main toolbar are now displayed in the Tracks Window while audio is being recorded, Gain Nodes are added, and much more.

For version 2015, we added Load and Play Videos. Now you can load videos that you have already downloaded from YouTube or elsewhere into the PowerTracks Video Window. The audio is extracted from the video to the audio track, and you can slow down video and audio to help with learning and transcription, with Hi-Quality audio preserved at extreme tempo slowdowns. There is direct support for 64-bit VST plugins using jBridge. Since PowerTracks has built-in support for jBridge, you just use your plugins as you normally would, by selecting 32- or 64-bit plugins within PowerTracks. (JBridge is a third party product. You can purchase jBridge from PG Music.). Live Transpose for audio tracks, with Hi Quality Transpose in semitones and cents. Slow down and transpose any audio on the fly. And much more.

For version 2014, we reorganized the user interface for easier and more intuitive use. The toolbar buttons are arranged in groups according to function. New Node-based automation is now available to automate your mixes with precise volume cuts, boosts, and fades on any track. The Tracks Window now lets you resize track heights individually by dragging the border with the mouse. Vocal Synth support automatically generates synthetic vocal tracks from a MIDI track that contains lyrics.

For version 2013, we made looping easier with the new Ctrl-Space Bar command, the Event List has been improved, it's easier to save files to a favorite folder, and to add part markers in the Chords window. You can import WAV files directly from the Tracks window popup menu without going into the Audio menu, and there's added support for audio formats like .MP3, .MP4, M4A, and .WMA files, including Jukebox play. You can add multiple songs at a time to the Jukebox playlist and stop and start Jukebox playback with new hot keys when you're in the Jukebox window, or with the space bar when you're out of the Jukebox window.

Version 2012 included 30 new features including many GUI enhancements, a video help button, new hot key commands, custom colors, FX and Solo buttons for individual track strips, additional buttons for custom Bar Settings, new options to save a highlighted region or an entire track as a WAV, WMA, MP4, or M4A file, improved RealDrums arrangements, easier tempo changes, improved audio stretching, and much more.

Version 2011 brought with it big improvements to the sound of the audio tracks with a new élastique Pro V2 time stretching and pitch transposition engine so that they sound more natural over a much (3x) wider range of tempos. There are new MIDI and audio transpose options for key signature changes, replacing the previous Yes/No dialog for MIDI transpose. Tempo changes are easier too, with improved audio time stretching from the new élastique Pro V2 time stretching and pitch transposition engine.

In Version 2010, we added a Conductor mode with over 80 functions, giving you full control over live performances; a Plug-in mode to drag n' drop files to another sequencer/DAW or to Windows Explorer; Audio Chord Wizard enhancements; and automatic tempo mapping for MIDI performances recorded in free-time.

29. What is the difference between PowerTracks Pro Audio, the PowerTracks Pro Audio PowerPAK and the PowerTracks Pro Audio MultiPAK? What are the MultiTracks?

All PowerTracks purchases include the latest version of PowerTracks. The PowerTracks Pro Audio package also includes RealDrums Sets 1-3. The PowerTracks PowerPAK adds RealDrums Sets 1-10; the PowerTracks MultiPAK includes all our RealDrums Sets 1-29, as well as MultiTracks Volume 1&2.

Each MultiTracks volume contains 30 original jazz, blues, and rock songs recorded by top studio musicians. The songs are provided in "multi-track" audio format, so when you open them with PowerTracks, you will see each instrument on a separate track.

30. What is the Coyote WT?

The Coyote WT is a DXi softsynth included with Band-in-a-Box and RealBand and is compatible with 64-bit operating systems.

31. What are the recommended system requirements for your products?

Windows:

Band-in-a-Box runs on Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11 (32 or 64-bit) and require at least a 1.0 GHz processor (2GHz+ multicore recommended). Basic MIDI features require a less powerful computer than the latest RealTracks features. For best performance, we recommend a fairly up-to-date computer with Windows 10 or higher, a fast processor, and at least 2GB RAM. Without RealDrums or RealTracks, you need a minimum of about 1GB of free hard disk space (15GB recommended). More hard disk space is required for the RealTracks and RealDrums, roughly 100-400MB per Set. A full install of the PRO version (including RealTracks/Drums) requires about 30GB. A full install of the MEGAPAK version requires about 40GB. The UltraPAK is about 120GB (another ~100GB is required for the installation files when downloading the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+). You have the option of either downloading, or shipping "pre-installed" on a USB hard drive. You can run the program directly from the hard drive or install on your computer.

A MIDI sound source is required. This could be a sound card, a MIDI keyboard, MIDI sound module, or software synthesizer. We include a software synthesizer with Band-in-a-Box.

PowerTracks Pro Audio runs on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11, 32 or 64-bit (Windows 10 or higher recommended for best performance), and requires a minimum of 1 GB of available RAM and at least 1 GB free on the hard drive for the base program. More hard disk space is required for RealDrums Sets, about 100 MB per set.

Most of our other programs run on Windows 98SE/NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 and require a minimum of 1 GB available RAM. Please see the individual product pages for the specific requirements of each product.

Mac:

Our most recent version of Band-in-a-Box is compatible with the Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) chips and works on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Ventura (OS 13.x) inclusive. (Note: Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin requires OS 10.7 or higher.) The system requirements for the latest version of Band-in-a-Box are:

• Mac OS X 10.6.8 to 13.x (Ventura) inclusive.
• Intel or ARM-based Apple Silicon processor with 64-bit support.
• Minimum 2GB RAM
• At least 2 GB recommended for the main Band-in-a-Box® program. More space is required for RealTracks, depending on which package you buy...
• RealTracks & RealDrums: ~100-400 MB per set.
• Pro RealCombos: ~40 GB
• MegaPAK RealCombos: ~50 GB
• Full UltraPAK/UltraPAK+ when installed to internal hard drive: ~190 GB (another ~190 GB is required for the installation files when downloading the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+).
• Screen Resolution: 1024x768 or higher.
• Hard Drive versions of the UltraPAK or UltraPAK+ do not require any hard disk space when run directly from the external hard drive they are shipped on.
• USB port for the USB Flash Drive version of the Pro, MegaPAK or PlusPAK.
• Available USB port for the USB Hard Drive version of the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
• Internet connection recommended for program activation and updates.

We also have older versions of the program available for PowerPC based OSX systems, and even OS9 systems.

There are a few older legacy programs such as the Pianist series and Master Solos that only run in Classic (OS 9 or earlier). Please see the individual product pages for the specific requirements.

32. Do you offer technical support after I purchase the program?

Yes. We offer extensive technical support for all PG Music Inc. products. All technical support is free and unlimited for registered customers. You can e-mail us, use our Live Online Chat, or phone us toll-free (from most countries). Please visit our Support Page for more details and contact information.

33. Why is the price of your products so low?

Peter Gannon, the president and founder of PG Music Inc., states that he set out "...to create software that I would want to purchase and use myself." To this end, we strive to create quality software that is affordable and fun to use, while performing at a professional level. One of our goals is to give you, the customer, more than you ever expected when you purchased the program.

34. Are your prices in US dollars?

Yes, all of our prices are shown in US dollars.

35. Do I need to be a musician to use your products?

No! Our products can be used by anyone, regardless of their musical ability. Although we have many satisfied customers who are professional or amateur musicians and educators, you don't have to be a musician to use or enjoy our products.

36. Do you offer special academic pricing for school systems?

There are Site License and LabPAK purchase options available to schools and other educational institutions who are interested in purchasing 5 or more copies of Band-in-a-Box for one location (like a computer or music lab). We also offer custom pricing for school-wide, district-wide, and even state, provincial, or national licensing. For more information please visit the Educators Page or contact marketing@pgmusic.com.

At this time, we do not offer an academic/educational discount on individual purchases of our software.

37. Is it safe to use a credit card over the internet?

Every modern browser comes with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology. This allows information that you pass to our servers to be encrypted during transmission, without you having to set up anything special. We also have installed a digital security certificate on our servers, which certifies that we are who we say we are when you're connected.

38. Are your products available from any local dealers?

Yes, Band-in-a-Box is represented by dealers worldwide. Here is a complete list of our distributors.

39. How can I register my software?

We have an Online Registration Form. Note: If you purchased your software directly from us, you are automatically registered.

40. I placed an order, but didn't receive an email confirmation.

The email confirmation is sent out the moment your order is processed. First, check your email program's "spam" or "junk" folder; the email could have been sent there. If not, you may have entered an incorrect email address into the order form, or (rarely) your ISP has blocked the email. Please contact us if you can't find the email.

41. Can I purchase a complete User's Guide for my program?

You can view the full manual online at https://www.pgmusic.com/manuals/.

42. What types of files can Band-in-a-Box and PowerTracks Pro Audio songs be saved as?

Band-in-a-Box saves files in its proprietary formats (.SGU, .MGU, .STY, etc.). You can also save your songs in the Standard MIDI File (SMF) Format (.MID - type 0 or type 1), .KAR format (Karaoke File Format), or convert your songs to .WAV files and a variety of compressed audio formats such as .MP3 and .WMA.

PowerTracks Pro Audio saves songs in its proprietary format (.SEQ), which includes both Audio and MIDI data, as well as mixer settings, text comments, and other information about your song. You can also save songs as Type 0 or Type 1 Standard MIDI Files (.MID), Karaoke files (.KAR), .WAV files, and a variety of compressed audio files, such as .MP3. You can import any of the file types above into the program.

43. Can I view music notation and print out lead sheets with Band-in-a-Box?

Yes, you can view and print out the musical notation for any of the tracks that Band-in-a-Box generates (piano, bass, guitar, etc.), as well as tracks that you input. It is easy to customize and print out excellent quality lead sheets with chords, melody, and lyrics.

44. Can I burn audio CD's containing my Band-in-a-Box, RealBand, or PowerTracks Pro Audio compositions?

Windows: Yes, as long as your computer is equipped with a CD burner. In fact, you can create an audio CD without ever having to exit the program!

45. Do any of your products convert audio files to midi?

New for version 2018, Band-in-a-Box now comes equipped with a transcribe function that is accessible from the Audio Edit window. PowerTracks Pro Audio also comes equipped with a Pitch to MIDI conversion tool, and this will convert monophonic .wav files into MIDI. A trumpet, saxophone, or single human voice would be a good candidate for this type of process, whereas a guitar chord (multiple notes) would not. For polyphonic audio files (more than one instrument) the technology needed to convert an audio file to MIDI note-for-note is not available. Band-in-a-Box also includes the Audio Chord Wizard, which will automatically figure out the chords from any MP3, WAV, or WMA (Windows Media) audio file and display them!

46. I just placed an order, but I am unable to download the software. What should I do? (Windows products)

All PG Music software is available for immediate download.

After placing your order, you will receive your order confirmation email. This email contains the link(s) to access your Downloads page, and the Band-in-a-Box Serial Number if you ordered a Band-in-a-Box package.

Click on the link(s) in your order confirmation email to go directly to your Downloads page for each product. If the Install Manager is available for the product, there will be a link to download it at the top of your download page list. Complete instructions and troubleshooting tips for the Install Manager ("One-click installer") are available:

• Tutorial for Windows
• Tutorial for Mac

Or, watch the "One-click Install" video:

• Video: Using the One-click Installer on Windows
• Video: Using the One-click Installer on Mac

If you have created an account on pgmusic.com, you can also access your downloads by logging into your account and clicking the "My Products" page. This page lists all your recently purchased serial numbers and downloads. If you do not see your recently purchased product on your My Products page, it may not have been connected with that account. This could happen if you used a different email address when you ordered, or were not logged into the account. Contact us if you need help with this.

If you did not get an order confirmation email:

• You may have typed in the wrong email address when you placed the order. If so, please contact us to correct this and we can resend the email.
• Your email program may have a utility that filters out possible junk emails and puts them in a separate mailbox. Check to see if you have a 'Spam' or 'Junk' folder, for example.

Additional product download troubleshooting and tips

• The Install Manager will only work for orders placed on March 2021 or later. For any order (including orders placed prior to that), you can still access the downloads on your 'My Products' page by logging into your account at www.pgmusic.com/account.
• Files can either be downloaded using the "Install Manager" or via individual download links. On the download page, check the box "Show all downloads", and this will allow you to download the individual installer files using your web browser. For the large Band-in-a-Box packages that consist of many installers, the Install Manager should normally be used since it greatly simplifies the download and install process.
• If when you click on a link, you get a 404 page, error message, "page cannot be displayed", or something similar (but other web pages work fine for you), the problem is likely at our end. Please contact us ASAP so that we can fix this.
• Download speed varies considerably based on many factors including your available bandwidth, geographical location, our server load, time of day, and more. If you are downloading a large Band-in-a-Box package like the UltraPAK, the download could take anywhere from a couple of hours to over a day. If the connection speed is MUCH slower than what you expect (based on your measured connection speed - e.g. search 'internet speed test') you may want to wait and try again later, or contact us if the problem persists. Sometimes slow downloads are beyond our control, such as if there is a malfunctioning router somewhere between you and our servers.
• For individual downloads, troubleshoot by trying a different web browser to make sure it isn't a browser specific problem (e.g. old cached file).
• If you get an error message such as "not a valid Win32 application", "there is no program associated with this file", or "setup files are corrupted" when trying to run a downloaded installer, this typically means that the file is corrupt due to your internet connection being interrupted partway through the download. Remove the file from your hard drive and download it again.
• Security software (Anti-virus, firewalls) can sometimes interfere with installs. Symptoms might include the file being 'quarantined' or blocked when you try to run it. These are typically 'false positives'. Please contact us to report the problem. On Windows, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen will often block old installers (2019 and earlier) by default, and you need to allow them to 'run anyways'. On Mac, you might get a message such as "file cannot be checked for malicious software" on older installer packages that are not notarized. You can still install the file by control+clicking on it and clicking Open.
• If you are having trouble with a Band-in-a-Box download and would like have the physical copy shipped, or you are having a problem not covered here, please contact us for further assistance.

47. What languages are your programs available in?

Windows:

We currently have language support for the latest version of Band-in-a-Box for Windows in five different languages, including German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese.

You can purchase Band-in-a-Box in any of these languages from their individual pages. Click on one of the languages above or go to the PG Music home page and click on one of the world icon along the top right of the page.

If you have already purchased the latest version of Band-in-a-Box in English and would like a different language, please contact us.

Mac:

Band-in-a-Box for Mac is offered in French, German, Italian, and Japanese.

You can purchase Band-in-a-Box in any of these languages from their individual pages. Click on one of the languages above or go to the PG Music home page and click on one of the world icon along the top right of the page.

If you have already purchased the latest version of Band-in-a-Box in English and would like a different language, please contact us.

48. Can I purchase the most recent version of the English Band-in-a-Box as an upgrade if I have a previous localized (non-English language) Band-in-a-Box version?

Yes, if you have purchased a localized version of Band-in-a-Box for Windows previously (French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Danish, Polish, Swedish, Russian, Simplified or Traditional Chinese, or Korean) and the latest is not yet available in your language, you can still upgrade to the latest Band-in-a-Box English version. You should install the upgrade into your existing Band-in-a-Box folder (C:\bb by default). Band-in-a-Box will still be in your preferred language after you install the upgrade, with the exception of some of the new features in Band-in-a-Box if they have not been translated yet. If the translation for the latest version becomes available in your language, you will be eligible to receive this at no extra charge.

You would also be eligible to receive the completed translation of the Mac version, however your program would be entirely in English until the translated version is ready.

49. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with PowerPC Macs?

The latest version of Band-in-a-Box is compatible with the Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) chips and works on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Ventura (OS 13.x) inclusive. However, we have legacy versions of the program available for PowerPC based OSX systems, and even OS9 systems.

50. Is Band-in-a-Box for Mac compatible with older Operating Systems (Mac)?

Yes, the shipping version of Band-in-a-Box is compatible back to Snow Leopard (10.6). This includes Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, and higher. We can provide a legacy version for Intel-based Macs running Tiger (10.4) and Leopard (10.5) by request (contact sales).

51. When I try to install the program I get a message that the "setup files are corrupted".

This normally occurs with downloaded programs. This error may occur when double-clicking on an installer that was downloaded from our site. It means that the setup file is the wrong size or the file failed a CRC (cyclic redundancy check). Most likely something went wrong when you were downloading the file, for example your internet connection may have been lost. Delete the file that you downloaded and try the download again. Note that your browser may have cached the old (corrupt) file, so to be sure, before downloading the file again, delete your internet browser's cache. Then, right-click on the download link and select Save As. If the download seems to happen very fast the second time, that's an indication that it's still the old file.

52. Common pre-sales questions about RealDrums and RealTracks.

• Will the RealTracks or RealDrums track play at any tempo that I choose? Yes - the RealDrums track will play in perfect sync with the rest of your tracks at any tempo you select in Band-in-a-Box. In addition, the drummer will change the way it plays based ONLY on the tempo that the song is played at, like a human drummer would. Each RealTracks instrument has an ideal tempo that it sounds best at, but it will automatically play in sync with your song at any tempo you choose. You can even change the tempo on-the-fly (while the song is playing). For the most common instruments (for example basic guitar strumming), there are a wide range of RealTracks available at different tempos.
• Can I replace any MIDI track with a RealTracks instrument? Yes, you can replace any MIDI track in any Band-in-a-Box song or style with the RealTracks instrument of your choice. You can have any combination of MIDI and RealTracks in your song.
• Will RealDrums only work with new RealDrums styles, or can I use RealDrums with older/existing styles? There are specific "styles with RealDrums" included with the program, but you can also have Band-in-a-Box replace the MIDI drum track in ANY of your existing and older styles, with RealDrums. This will add new life and realism to songs that you have already composed. There is a RealDrums settings dialog that allows you to specify how often you want RealDrums to replace the standard MIDI drum track.
• Are RealTracks and Drums included when I save my song as a MIDI file for editing in another program? The RealTracks and RealDrums won't be part of the MIDI file because they are audio (not MIDI), however Band-in-a-Box will automatically save a wave file containing the audio tracks, and this can easily be imported into your audio and MIDI sequencer (for example PowerTracks Pro Audio) along with the MIDI file.
• Will I still hear RealTracks if I play Band-in-a-Box through an external MIDI synth/sound module? Because the RealTracks are audio (not MIDI), they are not transmitted to an external hardware synthesizer via MIDI cables. The RealTracks will still be played through your computer's sound card, and you can mix the output from your sound card with the output of your sound module using audio cables.
• I often render my songs to wave/MP3/WMA. Will the RealTracks be in my rendered wave files? Yes, the RealTracks are automatically merged into the rendered wave file.

53. What are RealCombos? (Windows)

RealCombos are included in the Pro and MegaPAK packages, because those packages don't have the complete set of currently available RealTracks instruments. Essentially, RealCombos allow you to hear SOME full bands of RealTracks without having to get the largest Band-in-a-Box package. For example, the "Jazz Swing 140" RealCombo includes 5 instruments (Bass, Piano, Guitar, Sax, and Drums) from various RealTracks Sets that all play at a medium swing tempo.

54. What is the difference between the Audiophile editions of Band-in-a-Box and the regular Band-in-a-Box packages?

Windows:

The Audiophile editions ship pre-installed on a high-speed USB 3.0 hard drive, and has everything that the "regular" versions of Band-in-a-Box and RealBand have, plus all the uncompressed audio in WAV file format for ALL the RealTracks and RealDrums, so the highest sound quality is preserved. We normally ship RealTracks audio files as compressed WMA files (usually 128 or 160 kbps) instead of WAV files. The WMA files are excellent quality, and make the program MUCH smaller (roughly 120GB). With a typical setup at home, many people would not be able to hear a difference, but some advanced users prefer to have the original WAV files. Note that it is possible to uncompress the 'regular edition' M4A files to AIFF, however these will not be the same as the original WAV files, having already been compressed once. Also, please note that the 'Audiophile editions' do include the WMA files as well, which gives you the option of installing the program on your computer the same way as with the 'regular edition'.

Macintosh:

The Audiophile edition ships pre-installed on a high-speed USB 3.0 hard drive, and includes everything that the regular Band-in-a-Box packages have, plus all the uncompressed audio in AIFF file format for ALL the RealTracks and RealDrums, so the highest sound quality is preserved. We normally ship RealTracks audio files as compressed M4A files (usually 128 or 160 kbps) instead of AIFF files. The M4A files are excellent quality, and make the program MUCH smaller (roughly 120GB). With a typical setup at home, many people would not be able to hear a difference, but some advanced users prefer to have the original AIFF files. Note that it is possible to uncompress the 'regular edition' M4A files to AIFF, however these will not be the same as the original AIFF files, having already been compressed once. Also, please note that the 'Audiophile editions' do include the M4A files as well, which gives you the option of installing the program on your computer the same way as with the 'regular edition'.

55. Is the latest version of Band-in-a-Box backwards compatible with songs and styles from older versions?

Yes ‐ Band-in-a-Box is designed to be fully backwards compatible with songs and styles created with previous versions of the program. In addition, you can often make your older songs sound much better after upgrading to the latest version, by choosing newer Styles, RealTracks, and RealDrums that came with your upgrade.

56. Is Band-in-a-Box compatible with the latest Mac Operating Systems, including Ventura?

Band-in-a-Box for Mac is compatible with the Intel and Apple Silicon (M1) chips and works on Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.8) to Ventura (OS 13.x) inclusive.