HMX has the rights to AC/DC, you know.

[Julio_No_Mas]

From Wikipedia:

Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos commented that the game's soundtrack would be "covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between".[35] Five record labels agreed to supply master recordings by their artists for use in the game, including EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises, and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment.
From Sony BMG's page:

AC/DC
Aerosmith
Air Supply
Alicia Keys
Alexander Wang Lee Hom
Alizée
Anastacia
Avril Lavigne
Backstreet Boys
Beyoncé
Billy Joel
Bob Dylan
Boney M.
Bow Wow
Brad Paisley
Britney Spears
Bruce Springsteen
Carrie Underwood
Cassidy
Celine Dion
Cheyenne Kimball
Chris Brown
Chris Daughtry
Christina Aguilera
Cyndi Lauper
Dave Matthews Band
David Gilmour
Dido
Dixie Chicks
Duran Duran
Earth, Wind & Fire
Elvis Presley
Eurythmics
Fiona Apple
Franz Ferdinand
George Michael
Good Charlotte
Incubus
INXS
Jennifer Lopez
Jessica Simpson
Joe Satriani
John Mayer
Johnny Cash
Journey
Justin Timberlake
Kelly Clarkson
Kenny G
Kenny Loggins
King Kool Savas
Kylie Minogue (FMR/Warner Bros./Sony BMG)
Mew
Michael Jackson
Natasha Bedingfield
Nelly Furtado (FMR/Warner Bros./Sony BMG)
NSYNC
Oasis
Ozzy Osbourne
Paula DeAnda
Pearl Jam
P!nk
R Kelly
Rainie Yang
Ricky Martin
Rod Stewart
Roger Waters
Santana
Sean Kingston
Shakira
Secret Affair
Simon and Garfunkel
Show Luo
System of a Down
The Fray
The Outfield
Toni Braxton
Tori Amos
Usher
Vic Zhou
Velvet Revolver
Westlife
Whitney Houston
Will Smith
So that means HMX has access to SOAD, Aerosmith, Santana, AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Joe Satriani (but I doubt that'll be released as DLC), Journet, and INXS. It's only a matter of time before these get released as DLC.

[jq715861]

Yeah, but Guitar Hero 4 is going to be based around Aerosmith which is also on that list. So it could end up in a Guitar Hero game first.

[Xzyliac]

Somewhere tangled in there is the White Album too. I did research on this some time ago.

Still that doesn't mean we'll get. Only that these studios are cooperating. Tally in expenses, any other studios who may co-own these master and of course approval from those directly associated with the band (if not the band themselves) and it's pretty complex.

[Julio_No_Mas]

Yeah, but Guitar Hero 4 is going to be based around Aerosmith which is also on that list. So it could end up in a Guitar Hero game first.

I thought just one of the expansion discs was gonna be about Aerosmith?

[Magnet]

HMX doesn't currently have the rights to AC/DC, you know.

If you take the time to read HMX interviews about song selections and getting certain artists for RB, you'd note that the central problem with getting licensing is that the record label has to approve the licensing along with the actual artist (or person who owns the intellectual property of the artist). Record labels can license the music of an artist on the label for mostly anything without the consent of the artist. However, when the music is to be synced up with any kind of visuals (say, a TV commercial or videogame), the artist/IP owner must approve it in addition to the record label.

So the cooperation of record labels means nothing if the artists in question want nothing to do with the game.

[Julio_No_Mas]

But the Label can try and convince the artist to approve, right? Like with a hammer? :(

[darien87]

You mean Harmonix has access to Jessica Simpson songs!?!?!?!? I can hardly wait. :rolleyes: