A Minecraft mod by Hardline Interactive
Block Band
Pick up a guitar, bass, drumsticks, keytar or microphone, hit the notes as they come down the highway, and play songs on your own or as a band with up to five friends.
- Developer
- Hardline Interactive
- Version
- 1.1.0
- Minecraft
- 1.21.1
- Loaders
- NeoForge
What it does
Block Band is a rhythm game inside Minecraft. Pick an instrument, hit the notes as they reach the line, or sing the vocal part into your microphone. Play on your own, or form a band: everyone picks a part, the song starts at the same moment for all of you, and when someone misses, their part drops out of the music for the whole band.
Every built-in song is free to play on stream, and you can add as many of your own as you like: Clone Hero and Moonscraper charts, MIDI and karaoke files, and Note Block Studio songs. Play on a keyboard, a gamepad, or a guitar or drum controller.
Playing
Works in singleplayer, and solo on any server, even one without Block Band.
- Five instruments: guitar, bass, drums (four pads and a kick), keys, and vocals sung into your microphone, where any octave counts.
- Four difficulties for every part, from Easy to Expert, with chords, long notes, hammer-ons, overdrive and stars.
- Built-in songs that are all free to play on stream: public-domain classics, ten sea shanties with words to sing, and recordings released under free licences.
- Your own songs: Clone Hero and Moonscraper song folders with their recorded audio and hand-made charts, MIDI and karaoke files, and Note Block Studio songs.
- Practice mode: loop any section and slow it down to 50% without the music changing pitch.
- Song list search, favourites and audio previews.
- Keyboard, Xbox and PlayStation controllers, and guitar and drum controllers. Every button can be changed, and the hints show your own keys or buttons.
- Streamer mode only plays songs marked safe to stream, and every song has a credit line you can copy for your stream description.
- Recorded instrument audio, or the same songs played live on note blocks, plus timing calibration for your speakers or headphones and a concert camera.
Bands and the stage
Needs Block Band on the server as well as on each player’s game.
- Bands of up to five: invite friends, pick your parts and difficulties, and the song starts in sync for everyone.
- Everyone hears the whole band. Overdrive saves bandmates who fail out, and setting it off together earns a unison bonus.
- Servers can share their own songs: each player’s game downloads them automatically.
- Top scores for the server, per song, instrument and difficulty, and for bands.
- Craftable instruments your character holds and plays, Band Stage Speakers that carry the sound and pulse on the beat, and a Highway Screen that shows every player’s notes live for the audience.
- With Simple Voice Chat, your band and anyone nearby hear you sing, and each band gets its own voice chat group.
Quick start
Play a song
- Install Block Band. In singleplayer, or solo on any server, your game is enough.
- In a world, press the key just right of L (; on US and UK keyboards) to open the Block Band menu, and choose Play a song.
- Pick a song, an instrument and a difficulty, then press Play!
- Hit A S D K L as the notes reach the line. Run Calibrate once if they feel early or late.
Start a band
- Install Block Band on the server and on every player’s game.
- Open the Block Band menu and choose Band (play together), then Start a band.
- Invite players by name, or with
/band invite <player>. Everyone picks a part and presses I’m ready. - The leader picks the song and presses Start the song! It starts for everyone after a five-second countdown.
Versions
- Minecraft 1.21.1
- NeoForge
- Bands, server songs, top scores, and the instruments and stage blocks need Block Band on the server too. Players with Block Band can still join servers without it and play on their own.
- Simple Voice Chat is optional. Without it, vocals score just the same; other players just can’t hear you sing.
The guide
Get started
Play
- Playing a songHow Block Band scores you. Hit timing, streaks and the multiplier, overdrive, stars, the crowd meter, No Fail and the sound options.
- Practice modeLoop any section of a song until you've got it, slowed down to half speed if you like, with the music still in tune. Plus searching the song list, favourites and previews.
- Band modePlay Block Band with up to five friends. Invites, picking parts, the synced start, saving bandmates with overdrive, and top scores.
- VocalsSing in Block Band with your microphone. The pitch lane, phrase ratings, choosing a mic, privacy, and Simple Voice Chat support.
Songs
Stage and servers
Reference
- SettingsEvery Block Band setting explained, from note speed and strum mode to the microphone, Streamer mode and the concert camera.
- Questions and fixesAnswers to common Block Band questions, from notes feeling late and missing songs to microphones, controllers and bands.
- Credits and licencesWho made Block Band and what it uses. The built-in music, its SoundFont, controller button art, and how AI was used to build it.
Made by Hardline Interactive with Claude Code (AI). Credits and licences
Licence. All Rights Reserved. You’re welcome to use Block Band in modpacks, and to stream and make videos with it.