RBN: Just Indie Bands?

[Kariodude]

I don't really understand people's logic when they say this. The main thing I keep coming back to is that major labels might hire a group of people just to make charts for their bands song constantly and pump out as much DLC as possible. Local independent bands are going to have to figure out how to do everything themselves even more than they do being an unsigned band in the first place. Think about this scenario:

Warner Music Group hears about the RBN. They decide they like money and could just hire a group of 10-20 people to chart their songs. They could then release singles the same day they are released for radio, release albums the same day they hit store shelves, and release classic songs in the midst of the new for even more cash. This group would ONLY be making charts for songs round the clock 5 days a week. A record label would be stupid to not cash in on something so simple.

See, from my point of view, it's actually going to be a lot easier for bigger bands and labels to get in on this than unsigned indie bands. A lot of indie bands don't even have the proper recording equipment to record seperate tracks successfully for them to be used in Rock Band.

Am I just completely delusional? I feel like I'm the only one seeing things this way

[Zidane]

The idea is that Indie bands will finally get a wider recognition. Major labels are still not sure how this will work and won't be as easy to take a risk on it as maybe an indie band could.

[stelite]

Well in my opinion who overlook a lot of things....first of all these 10people working round the clock will also charge round the clock.
Second of all, now the label doesn't have to pay only the band but also to HMX (instead of harmonix paying them to buy the rights).These big bands and labels already have the opportunity to be in rockband and this will not make any big difference to them...even worse, now they will be in the shadow of thousands of other little bands. So basically imho being in RBN will be less interesting of deal for big labels as it used to be.
On the other hand take an indie band, they will do all of this themselves(no fees), they will be highly motivated since they don't need a label to touch a huge a mount of people anymore.
I mean if i had a band i would publish every single title on RBN, whereas U2 will just continue selling CDS...
Keep in mind that HMX is no longer saying "hey U2! we are willing to pay you the big bucks to have you in our game (cd or dlc)"....
Nope this is over...now they are saying: "Hey U2 if you want to be in rockband just upload your tracks, if people buy, we pay you."

[afterstasis]

Well in my opinion who overlook a lot of things....first of all these 10people working round the clock will also charge round the clock.
Second of all, now the label doesn't have to pay only the band but also to HMX (instead of harmonix paying them to buy the rights).These big bands and labels already have the opportunity to be in rockband and this will not make any big difference to them...even worse, now they will be in the shadow of thousands of other little bands. So basically imho being in RBN will be less interesting of deal for big labels as it used to be.
On the other hand take an indie band, they will do all of this themselves(no fees), they will be highly motivated since they don't need a label to touch a huge a mount of people anymore.
I mean if i had a band i would publish every single title on RBN, whereas U2 will just continue selling CDS...
Keep in mind that HMX is no longer saying "hey U2! we are willing to pay you the big bucks to have you in our game (cd or dlc)"....
Nope this is over...now they are saying: "Hey U2 if you want to be in rockband just upload your tracks, if people buy, we pay you."

incorrect... regular DLC will still be provided, and i seriously doubt the terms and contracts will be any different for bands who take that route.

RBN is simply another option...

[stelite]

So in RBN we will have indie bands the most cos big labels will still go for regular DLC deals...i can't see where i am incorrect....?

[afterstasis]

So in RBN we will have indie bands the most cos big labels will still go for regular DLC deals...i can't see where i am incorrect....?

you stated that bands like U2 would no longer be offered the regular route for DLC, and that's not true... that option is still there, along with the new RBN method.

i VERY seriously doubt HMX is going to stop pursuing any major bands because of the RBN...
if anything, they may be able to focus on bands they consider more vital for regular DLC, knowing that RBN is raking in more indie bands with less effort on their part.

we will have to wait and see how the major labels and bands take to the RBN... i personally suspect it will be a much bigger hit amongst smaller labels and bands, but for all we know this could be something the big labels/bands see a lot of merit (AKA: $$$) in.

[disco_stu]

I'm thinking really obscure bands will be heard about first on RBN, using the gaming community as a platform. Record labels will monitor the sales and snap up the popular acts.

Nothing innately new about that, but everyone wins. Labels, bands and we get DLC.

Mainstream acts will be just as hard to get and we'll still be getting them via regular DLC, unless authors want to stick a few EP's etc on there to see.

Supergroups and huge bands of the last 60 years will be just as impossible. So don't go thinking this is Zep time.

[princeofcups]

incorrect... regular DLC will still be provided, and i seriously doubt the terms and contracts will be any different for bands who take that route.

RBN is simply another option...

Your songs have to undergo peer review. Songs will come out in dribs and drabs. Does any megacorp want to do that? Besides, as much as we think that the world revolves around RB, to the corps this is just one small outlet, and I don't see it getting that much attention. Not to mention that they are possibly missing out on the PS3/Wii market.

[Avatar_Ko]

I don't really understand people's logic when they say this. The main thing I keep coming back to is that major labels might hire a group of people just to make charts for their bands song constantly and pump out as much DLC as possible. Local independent bands are going to have to figure out how to do everything themselves even more than they do being an unsigned band in the first place. Think about this scenario:

Warner Music Group hears about the RBN. They decide they like money and could just hire a group of 10-20 people to chart their songs. They could then release singles the same day they are released for radio, release albums the same day they hit store shelves, and release classic songs in the midst of the new for even more cash. This group would ONLY be making charts for songs round the clock 5 days a week. A record label would be stupid to not cash in on something so simple.

See, from my point of view, it's actually going to be a lot easier for bigger bands and labels to get in on this than unsigned indie bands. A lot of indie bands don't even have the proper recording equipment to record seperate tracks successfully for them to be used in Rock Band.

Am I just completely delusional? I feel like I'm the only one seeing things this way

Of course you're right, but how else could it work? I think there's just a lot of people who are excited that (insert band that nobody knows here) can finally be in Rock Band.

[afterstasis]

Your songs have to undergo peer review. Songs will come out in dribs and drabs. Does any megacorp want to do that? Besides, as much as we think that the world revolves around RB, to the corps this is just one small outlet, and I don't see it getting that much attention.

that's very possible, but i remember similar things being said about major artists never receiving much attention via DLC (basically saying that big artists will want to stick to on-disc songs for these games)...

since then we've had huge packs/albums from bands like iron maiden, no doubt, the who, foo fighters, nirvana, and rush.
we've also had songs that quite possibly trump the biggest songs on-disc, such as "don't stop believing", "all the small things", "wonderwall", "dr feelgood", and "jeremy".

i'd honestly be surprised if it becomes a total success with the major labels, but i would be even more surprised if they didn't at least give it a shot...
if anything, i imagine they'll try it out first with their lesser known artists and lesser known songs from bigger artists...
i also agree with other posters that it could very well become a pretty successful advertising tool (RBN versions of new releases, including codes with CD's to download a few songs from the RBN version of the album, etc.)