HarborlightWhat changed
Before and after
According to MWM's analysis of the update and BandLab's help centre:
WhatBeforeNow
Membership tiersFree core appNew Pro and Max tiers (v11.23.0, 7 May 2026)
Previously free sample packsFreeLocked behind membership, per reports
Ads—Ad placements added in the studio
Weekly limits—Help centre lists weekly sample claims and a weekly beat limit on paid plans
BandLab is still a full studio with collaboration and distribution, and paying may make sense if you use all of it. For quick beats, practice and ideas, a simple groovebox does the job.
Your options
Three reasonable paths
- Pay for a membership. Worth it if you use BandLab's collaboration, mastering and distribution.
- Use a full free DAW. Free desktop studios exist, with a steeper learning curve and an install.
- Use a browser groovebox. Opens instantly, no account, and exports WAV and MIDI to take into any DAW later.
That last option is Beat Harbor
Synthesized drum kits, bass and lead, patterns and song mode, your own samples, swing and effects, WAV and MIDI export. No subscription, no ads, no account. Works offline.
Beat Harbor is a groovebox, not a full studio: no vocal recording, no collaboration, no distribution.
Before you switch
Practical tips
- Export your BandLab projects and stems you want to keep.
- Export MIDI from Beat Harbor to keep working on a beat in any DAW.
Sources
BandLab is a trademark of its owner. Harborlight and Beat Harbor are independent and not affiliated with them. Plans change; check each vendor's current page for the latest details.