RBN: Just Indie Bands?

[Mr. Tate]

Um, that's better than the way it happens now. The labels give HMX some songs (but only so many because HMX can only do so much) and they wait for months for Harmonix to get them done and in the store. The RBN makes it easier by moving stuff in-house and giving the labels more control.

Yes, but no. This is the very objection I made yesterday. The fact that you have to go through the process of creating the charts, with all the money and time involved, without knowing that your song will be published is a potential turnoff. You can't even promote your song or announce that it's been developed for the game, because you can't be sure that it will make it. Once the approval process is explained we'll know more but as of now labels are on the same field of single users who composed an acoustic guitar ballad, but they have very different needs and targets...

[Magik_Tek]

Indie bands are going for exposure, not cash - they'll flood RBN with 50 cent songs for the win.

That's pretty much how I see it as well.

Major labels are going to use a wait and see approach before they ever consider putting resources into RBN. Traditional licensing will still be the preferred way major labels conduct their business because those licensing deals are lucrative and the payout per download is greater than RBN.

The way I see things working out in the future regarding DLC as whole is:

- Indie/smaller bands will use RBN as a avenue to get their band known. For them RBN is going to help them build a fanbase who will than in turn go to concerts, buy CDS and ultimately help them get signed to a major label. Of course they earn a some money but the promotion they get through RBN is what is most important

- The big bands like Metallica, Muse, Iron Maidens etc will continue with the traditional licensing as I said before, its more lucrative in the long run

- RBN is going to have A LOT of new singles from all bands. We saw the positive effects when Motley Crue released Saints of Los Angeles and I bet we will see it again with more bands in the future.

[quinaking]

Harmonix is doing it, that makes it a good idea.

[cherokeesam]

Yes, but no. This is the very objection I made yesterday. The fact that you have to go through the process of creating the charts, with all the money and time involved, without knowing that your song will be published is a potential turnoff. You can't even promote your song or announce that it's been developed for the game, because you can't be sure that it will make it. Once the approval process is explained we'll know more but as of now labels are on the same field of single users who composed an acoustic guitar ballad, but they have very different needs and targets...

To be honest, I don't see the problem of songs being rejected coming up much at all. Yes, all songs will have to undergo peer review, and HMX will review them also, but other than encountering completely objectionable content, songs longer than 10 minutes, songs that have been *grossly* mischarted, or other format errors, I don't see HMX turning down a song for any other reason.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of peer "reviews" that will run along the lines of "ZOMG! This band is teh suxxors....don't put them in RBN" and "LOLWTF guitar chart?!? not enuf triple chords, wheres my hopo dammit etc etc", but those will NOT constitute legitimate reasons to reject a song.

[Mr. Tate]

To be honest, I don't see the problem of songs being rejected coming up much at all. Yes, all songs will have to undergo peer review, and HMX will review them also, but other than encountering completely objectionable content, songs longer than 10 minutes, songs that have been *grossly* mischarted, or other format errors, I don't see HMX turning down a song for any other reason.

It's not Harmonix, it's the peer reviews. Obviously I don't object to any review made by the actual distribution system owner.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of peer "reviews" that will run along the lines of "ZOMG! This band is teh suxxors....don't put them in RBN" and "LOLWTF guitar chart?!? not enuf triple chords, wheres my hopo dammit etc etc", but those will NOT constitute legitimate reasons to reject a song.

I can understand that, and even more so I think that the peer review system will just be a deterrent for medium-to-big acts. Obviously I say this knowing that a lot has still to be said about this system and that I may be wrong, but if it really is about peers revewing, I really don't see the good in it when it comes to approving the song (rating, commenting, tiering? Excellent. Approving? Not so much).

And the reason is simple, and it goes both ways: is the review system, as I fear, going to exclude songs not really to the liking of the community (obscure genres, very easy songs, etc.), be it for insufficient reviewers testing the songs or approving them? Then the labels and the artists have one huge reason not to invest time and money: complete uncertainty in the face of investments made. Is the review system, as you suggest, going to just be a technical check and all songs will just be approved, excluding of course those lacking legal rights to the song by the submitter, obscene lyrics and technical faults? Then it's just going to be something that will prevent artists and bands from knowing for sure that they will be published, without really giving any advantage to the community by filtering not-so-good songs.

Either way, this is an interesting system for really small acts and music loving individuals. They will put time, money and passion into trying to have one song published. They won't care if a "jury of their peers" will have to approve or not. Heck, they may even be happy that some songs won't pass, because if theirs does, then they're better than the others. But they don't make a business out of it, so they don't need to advertise, to plan and to keep a different appearance. This is going to be awesome, nothing less, from a player's point of view, and even more from a reviewer's. Artists side? Mmm, as things stand not so much, at least not for those we would really like to see.

This isn't, in my humble opinion, the flood gates opening that we speculated about months ago when a few of us, me included, suggested a developers kit. It's going to be huge, but it could be bigger, I hope Harmonix will reconsider about this specific facet of the project. Really, just imagine someone going up to, say, Queensryche or Fates Warning management and tell them "Let's pay for the charts, let's even re-record a few singles, let's put them up in a system along side really small acts. Of course, players will still decide if we're gonna be distributed...". It won't fly with medium-to-big acts, in my opinion, IF, I repeat IF, the peers review system will be as I fear. If it's just going to be technical reviewing, well, it's a horse of another color.

[Schultzy]

Wow. To the OP; I NEVER looked at it like that before. Very interesting...

[Knucklesdude]

Medium-to-big acts will more likely contract with a company like Rhythm Authors. There is a very common promise I can guarantee the authors will be making - it's that the music will make it through peer review. And Rhythm Authors does promise that.

And people disapproving of music because of some immature bias will likely be ignored. If it truly becomes a problem, I'm sure Harmonix will develop a deterrent or filter for it.

[Kasil]

I'm thinking that you won't be able to put up the usual $2 a song price point using RBN, so the major labels would potentially be losing money, not to mention HMX wouldn't need to pay licensing fees to them, and thus they don't gain as much money as they could. Better to be asked by HMX than do it yourself and make less for the companies.

[harveyglobetrot]

I'm thinking that you won't be able to put up the usual $2 a song price point using RBN, so the major labels would potentially be losing money, not to mention HMX wouldn't need to pay licensing fees to them, and thus they don't gain as much money as they could. Better to be asked by HMX than do it yourself and make less for the companies.

The uploader to RBN can choose the price for his/her/their song, ranging between $1 and $3.

I see RBN as a democratising agent. Sure, the biggest major can use it just as easily as the smallest indie label or garage band, but it is going to have far more benefit to the smaller players than the bigger. It isn't only for indie bands, but, at least initially, it will be indie bands who benefit the most and who will use it the most.

[Kasil]

The uploader to RBN can choose the price for his/her/their song, ranging between $1 and $3.

I see RBN as a democratising agent. Sure, the biggest major can use it just as easily as the smallest indie label or garage band, but it is going to have far more benefit to the smaller players than the bigger. It isn't only for indie bands, but, at least initially, it will be indie bands who benefit the most and who will use it the most.

I didn't realize they had announced a price point, but still, the labels will make more money with licensing fees followed by profit from the songs rather than just from the songs.