“We’ve learned what schools, teachers and students want – and we’ve gone further than ever to deliver”: BandLab for Education 2.0 brings new learning tools, streamlined project management and more

[Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.]

BandLab Technologies has introduced a sweeping update for BandLab for Education – its award-winning music creation platform for schools and educational institutions.

Built around BandLab Studio – the highly popular DAW used by over 100 million creators worldwide – BandLab for Education 2.0 is the result of “more than eight years of work with educators worldwide” and sees a number of technical optimisations in order to run lighter and faster across the technology already used by schools.

The sprawling new update brings an all-new BandLab for Education file format, through which teachers can more easily create, manage and reuse assignments. As BandLab explains, teachers can now build an assignment with starting materials and instructions, and then package it as a single file that can be distributed to students via existing systems, like Google Classroom, shared drives and email.

It’s worth noting, though, that BandLab 2.0 is an entirely new and separate platform, and students and schools are not automatically upgraded. Institutions already using BandLab for Education will remain fully supported, while schools that want to move to 2.0 will have migration support from the BandLab team.

Elsewhere, BandLab for Education 2.0 now gives students access to professional creative tools, including BandLab AutoPitch for vocal tuning, as well as a wide range of samples, loops and one-shots from the BandLab Sounds library.

Utility tools like BandLab’s Metronome and Tuner are now available as standalone tools outside of BandLab Studio, making it easier for teachers and students to quickly open them for lessons and rehearsals.

“The tools to make music should be in the hands of everyone, everywhere, and nowhere does that matter more than in a classroom,” says Meng Ru Kuok, CEO and Co-Founder of BandLab Technologies.

“Since launching BandLab for Education in 2018, we’ve learned what schools, teachers and students want, and with 2.0 we’ve gone further than ever to deliver it. Our goal is and always has been to empower the next generation of music makers with everything they need to set them up for success on their creative journey, wherever it may take them.”

Other new features for BandLab for Education 2.0 include a simplified classroom setup – whereby teachers can create a classroom and share a join code for students to instantly join – and the ability to attach notes and reference materials directly to projects.

The update also expands BandLab for Education’s compliance flexibility. In addition to the platform’s existing COPPA and FERPA support, 2.0 now accommodates the dedicated data privacy agreements required by many US states, districts and other schools around the world.

BandLab for Education 2.0 is also priced for access, at just $2.50 per student per year.

Learn more at edu.bandlab.com.

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer.