Ever wanted to self-publish your garage band's 1992 hit “Death Cupcakes for Diana" on MTV's Rock Band? Then it's time to get practicing.
Harmonix and MTV Games announced Friday that they will launch the Rock Band Network, a platform to turn virtually any track into a Rock Band gameplay file, and then sell that track direct to gamers, online, through a new Rock Band Network Music Store.
The service will enter beta in late August, the companies said, where artists will begin to have access to the development platform.
Neither Harmonix nor MTV described the commission structure for the tracks, nor how much artists would be able to charge. Payments will be via “regular royalty payments," the companies said.
Access to the toolset will only be granted to those who have purchased a premium membership to Microsoft's XNA Creators Club Online, which can be purchased for four months at $49.99 or for a year at $99.99. peer review and playtesting will be done at creators.rockband.com.
“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 newly uploaded tracks will be available on the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band for 30 days, beginning in the fall. “Stand out" tracks will then debut later on the PlayStation 3 and Wii, the companies said.
Harmonix and MTV Games announced Friday that they will launch the Rock Band Network, a platform to turn virtually any track into a Rock Band gameplay file, and then sell that track direct to gamers, online, through a new Rock Band Network Music Store.
The service will enter beta in late August, the companies said, where artists will begin to have access to the development platform.
Neither Harmonix nor MTV described the commission structure for the tracks, nor how much artists would be able to charge. Payments will be via “regular royalty payments," the companies said.
Access to the toolset will only be granted to those who have purchased a premium membership to Microsoft's XNA Creators Club Online, which can be purchased for four months at $49.99 or for a year at $99.99. peer review and playtesting will be done at creators.rockband.com.
“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 newly uploaded tracks will be available on the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band for 30 days, beginning in the fall. “Stand out" tracks will then debut later on the PlayStation 3 and Wii, the companies said.
