Rock Band Opens Platform To Indie Music

Getting A Song Onto Gaming Platforms Is About To Get Easier

Music is an essential part of gaming and enjoying music long side games increased exponentially with the popularity Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Until now, however, most indie and d.i.y. musicans has been shut off the gaming console. 

Harmonix and MTV Games are opening access to all artists via a newly created Rock Band Network, a platform that gives musicians and record labels the ability to author their own original recordings into gameplay files and sell their music as playable Rock Band tracks through the newly-created Rock Band Network Music Store. 

Artists can set their own price  from 50 cents to $3 per track and rwill eceive 30% of any sales.  But there enough technical hoops to jump through that most artists may want to let their distributor or other third party do the heavy lifting. The  new platform will launch in open beta in late August and offer …

( WATCH AN INTRO VIDEO)

a toolset with detailed
documentation on how bands can begin authoring songs
into Rock Band gameplay files. Authors will be able to submit tracks for playtesting and peer review via a specialized Web site, Creators.RockBand.com. Publishers will also need membership in Microsoft's XNA Creators
Club Online in order to test and publish game content. The service will
only be available to those who purchase a premium membership to
Microsoft's XNA Creators Club for four
months at $49.99 or for a year at $99.99.

"The Rock Band Network enables songwriters and musicians – at
any stage of their careers – to create their own paths through the
interactive music realm," said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President,
Electronic Games and Music, MTV Networks Music Group. "Our download
store has been an extraordinary success, and it's exciting for us to
provide access to our platform through this uniquely elegant solution."

The service will launch to only Xbox and PlayStation users, but other platforms are expected to be supported soon.

MORE INFO HERE

WATCH AN INTRO VIDEO