What is Rock Band Network (RBN)?

The Rock Band Network will build upon the already thriving online community of gamers and music lovers who play and enjoy the game Rock Band. Central to that community will be the new Rock Band Network store, from within which any musical artist can release their own songs, in the Rock Band game format. These songs are then available for download at prices between $1 and $3. It is similar in format to the existing Rock Band DLC site.

Any Artist now has the opportunity to place their tunes into the game Rock Band.

Harmonix has made it possible for anyone to prepare tunes for the RBN.

For more information go to the RBN site

The process of converting a song into the Rock Band game format is called Authoring.

Once Authored, a song is submitted for peer review. Fellow Authors play-test the song, review it, and give feedback. Once a song receives the requisite number of positive reviews, it can be published by the RBN store, available for download to gamers to purchase and play.



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Why release your music on Rock Band Network?

Millions of people worldwide, young and old alike, play Rock Band.

With your tunes in RBN you are able to reach an audience of millions of potential new fans around the world, who can download and personally interact with your music in a format that is new, exciting, and fun. The promotional opportunities are immense.

Your music gets played as well as heard, it elicits an emotional response from the player beyond simply the auditory. It creates a new level of involvement with the artist and their work.

Many artists have seen a marked increase in popularity, greater album and song sales, increased concert ticket sales, and increased web traffic from direct involvement in Rock Band. It is not only a way to feature new releases, but also a way to revisit and revitalize back catalogue. Rock Band has already featured many songs from the past century and introduced them to a new audience of eager fans today. You can now attract a new audience and build popularity through the game.

And you get paid!. Having material in RBN provides another stream of income beyond CD and MP3 sales.

For every download, the Artist earns 30% of the download price. The download price range to gamers is between $1 and $3. Thus, the Artist/copyright holder receives 30c per $1 download. 60c per $2 download. 90c per $3 download.



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So why get involved with RBN?

A new income stream.

Access to a new audience: Get your music heard around the world.

Promotion: Exposure in a diverse and influential market

Create a new level of interaction between your music and fans.

A Potential Increase in music and concert ticket sales. Increased web traffic.

Be at the forefront of an exciting new format of entertainment.

So your friends and family can play your songs! (With several million other people!)



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What do you need to participate in RBN?

To have a song prepared ("Authored") for RBN, Audio Stems from that song are required. An Audio Stem is an audio file of a specific instrument within the song's format. A total of nine Audio Stems are required for the Authoring process.

Specifically, you will need an individual Audio Stem for each of these:

1. KICK* - Kick Drum: Mono.

2. SNARE* - Snare Drum: Stereo with any effects.

3. TOMS* - Stereo: For reference when authoring.

4. DRUMS* - Kit Mix: Stereo, cymbals, rooms etc. (including Tom tracks).

5. BASS* - Playable Bass Part: Stereo.

6. GTR* - Playable Guitar Part: Stereo.

7. VOX* - Playable Vocals Part: Stereo with effects.

8. TRACK* - Any music not already part of a stem, (incl. background vocals): Stereo.

9. Reference Dry Vox*: Mono 16k (Lead Vocal File with no effects)

This file is used for a vocal reference, not for playback.


All files should be 16 bit, 44.1 KHZ WAV audio files. 24-bit files can be used but are not suggested. All audio files should be no louder than -0.5db.
The Authority offer the Authoring service to any artist wishing to participate in RBN, and will gladly give any advice with regard to making Stems.
We also offer that service if you cannot or would prefer not to do it.
When making Stems, The Authority can create a special Rock Band mix, using our years of experience mixing audio combined with our significant experience preparing songs for Rock Band. The Authority will ensure that your tune comes through loud and clear, that it is optimally prepared for game-play and playback. We can also help you select game playing parts. It is not always easy to break down all the parts and chord progressions to make one playable part. We can do that in a creative manner to ensure exciting game-play.

The Authority would also require:

*Lyrics. (Essential for vocal charting)

*A Reference mix of the song being authored.

*Live footage if available. (This helps us with our character animations)

*Song information - Tempo, meter, tab/chart if possible.



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What does The Authority do?

The Authority has been working closely with Rock Band developers Harmonix, since the beta period for RBN. Harmonix trained us in the Authoring process, and we are included in their "Recommended Authors" list, a privilege given only to beta testers who successfully completed the extensive training program.

All The Authority Authors are both talented musicians as well as game-players. We thus understand your music and how it is performed. We can recreate your musical parts in the most authentic style possible within the game format. The feel and playing experience will be as accurate as possible to your original intent.

After we receive the Stems we convert them to the Rock Band playable format.

This is a Two Stage process.
1. The Music:

This includes taking the stems and creating the parts used in game-play -Drums, Bass, Guitar and Vocals. We make sure that each part is playable at every difficulty level within the game, from easy to expert. We will make sure that every level is authored accurately so that any player can play the game no matter how complex the original drum or guitar part may be. By the time we are done we have visited every note or beat in the song several times. Through this intimacy with your material we will intend to create the most authentic, lifelike and accurate feel for your song possible, whilst not forgetting it should be an enjoyable experience for the gamer.

2. The Visuals:

We also control and program on-screen player animation. Thus we can make the characters act like they are performing the song. We control and sequence all the lighting cues that accompany the song in the venue itself. Lighting displays can be customized per song. We also direct the camera angles and cuts to maximize the visual excitement of the song.

After these 2 stages are completed we play-test the tune internally to make sure the Authoring conforms to our rigorous standards. Nothing will leave The Authority until we are totally satisfied. This is the first level of quality control.

The Authority will then submit the track to the Rock Band Creators Club for Peer Review. Here it is play tested by the Creators community. Fellow Creators give us feedback on game-play. This is the second level of quality control.

Once a track receives the required amount of positive peer reviews, it will be ready to be placed in the RBN store, and available for download worldwide.

The Authority can also provide archival or forensic audio work. We can help revitalize old masters and back catalog allowing them to be used for game play. The cost of this will be determined on a project-by-project basis. Please contact us for details.



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How long does it take to get into the RBN store?

The time required to author a track and upload it into the store depends on:

a) The song's musical complexity. The more complex the arrangement and musical parts, the longer it will take to Author.

b) The length of the song. A 3-minute pop tune will take less time to author than a 7- minute Prog-Rock epic!

c) The Peer review process. Through rigorous internal play testing we will ensure that the Peer review process is as rapid as possible. Once it has completed the Peer review process and gained Microsoft certification, it should be available, in store, within 72 hours.

Being a completely new format and process, the actual timeline is currently difficult to determine. As the RBN develops and evolves, we will provide a more accurate timeline. Our current estimate is for the entire process to take up to a month.



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How much does it cost?

The Authority offers a flat fee/per song pricing model. The more songs submitted the better the deal can be.

For more details regarding your pricing options, contact The Authority.



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How do you get paid ?

Every time a song is downloaded the Artist receives 30% of the download fee, Microsoft and Harmonix receive the other 70%. The artist's share equates to 30c per $1 download price. The maximum RBN fee is $3 per song. So, for example, from a $2 download fee you receive 60c.

This is a synch download, so if a record label owns the masters (if they paid for the recordings), you would need their permission to use the songs in Rock Band. The Download Royalty income would be split between the label and the copyright owner/publisher. Usually the label splits their cut with the artist. The specifics however depend on your deal with the record label, so you would need to check your recording contract. If you (the Artist) own your own masters - you will make more money.

If you have a co-publishing deal, you will have to split the download income with the co-publishers. Once again you must check your contract to determine how. If you own the copyright to your songs, this is not an issue.

Ultimately income from downloads may have to be shared with other parties you are under contract to. Independent artists, who own the masters and copyrights to their songs, will not have to share the Download Royalties with anybody else.

Microsoft distributes download income every quarter. (Four times a year.)

While The Authority or Harmonix cannot guarantee downloads, there are songs featured in the Rock Band DLC (Down-Loadable Content) site that have sold several hundred thousand downloads. In the two years since the DLC site opened, there have been more than seventy four million (74,000,000) paid downloads of the fifteen hundred (1500) songs currently available to date. The potential for increased income from song copyrights is clear.



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Why use The Authority?

The Authority was founded by three of the original Beta testers for RBN. We underwent an intensive training course at Harmonix Headquarters in Cambridge MA, being taught the skills and procedures involved from the game developers. We are "Harmonix Recommended Authors", a group of less than twenty-five people in the world. We have been working closely with Harmonix since the Beta period began, having already Authored many songs for the initial release of RBN.

This was not our first introduction to the game. We have been involved since Guitar Hero began with The Slip song "Even Rats", which we played, produced, mixed and prepared for the game. Since then we have continued our relationship with Harmonix. We have re-Authored "Even Rats" for the RBN release - adding drum, bass, and vocal parts, as well as the re-working the guitar.

All our Authors have been trained to the same rigorous high standards that we adhere to. All our Authors are skilled musicians as well as experienced gamers. The people who would Author your songs understand the intricacies and feel of a real performance, so The Authority will create the most authentic, lifelike and challenging game-play possible, whilst ensuring that it should be an enjoyable experience. The Authority's motto is "Made By Musicians, for Musicians". Our client Artists will feel confident that their performances will be charted accurately, missing none of the subtle nuances or dynamics. We are dedicated to accuracy and musical integrity. Our extensive internal review process (before we even release it for Peer Review) assures that the same high standards will be applied to every song we Author, keeping delays to a minimum and quality control to the maximum.

This is a fantastic interactive musical experience for musicians and non-musicians alike, a chance to perform great songs, a unique experience which has not been available before.

With over 20 years of experience in the music industry - playing, producing, mixing, engineering, and programming music for major and independent label releases, The Authority understand the need for a competitive quality product. With game-playing experience dating back to Pong in the '70s, we understand the need for the game to be an exciting, enjoyable, and rewarding experience. We will take your material, make it sound, look and play the best it can. It will stand out from the other material.


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