The Rock Band Network is a new initiative that gives musicians and record labels the ability to author their own original recordings into gameplay files and sell their music as playable tracks through the newly-created Music Store. The introduction of the marks a fundamental shift in the exposure music games can give emerging and established artists through innovative technologies that will open new revenue streams and promotional avenues.
"I am so excited that my music was selected to be included in the new Rock Band Network! Not only will it be awesome to see my family and fans play my songs, but it is also a great way for me to reach a completely new fan base" proclaims Sarah. Inclusion in the Rock Band Network will no doubt play an integral role in the development of Sarah's career.
Jeff Marshall, Executive Producer of Rock Band Network/HARMONIX Music feels similarly, stating, "I am excited to be working closely with VerveLife Entertainment and Sarah VonderHaar on the Rock Band Network Closed Beta. I have huge respect for VerveLife's commitment to emerging technologies and how they relate to music and marketing. I was excited to learn they had signed Sarah to the new division of the company and thought it was a perfect opportunity to work with her during the RBN closed beta. We will be exploring this new self publishing platform together and I have high hopes for the results."
Recognizing the enormous success of Rock Band and the massive opportunity created by the new Rock Band Network, Barry O'Connell, VerveLife's Director of Licensing & Entertainment Relations and the Head of its new artist development division, VerveLife Entertainment, states, "We are thrilled to be part of this ground-breaking initiative and to be working with HARMONIX Music on a number of levels during this Closed Beta - and beyond. The opportunity to expand VerveLife's digital services to offer the authoring of tracks for artists at all levels - is very exciting."
Known for her modeling and as a former contestant on America's Next Top Model, Sarah VonderHaar has focused her career on her true passion, music, recently introducing her debut album, titled "Are You Listening Now", featuring the infectious track "All Mine". Sarah is currently signed with VerveLife Entertainment, a newly formed artist development division of acclaimed Chicago-based digital music promotion specialist, VerveLife.
The Rock Band Network will launch as an open beta in late August 2009 in the U.S. and provide a sophisticated toolset, with detailed documentation on how bands can begin the process of authoring songs into Rock Band gameplay files. Authors will be able to submit tracks for playtesting and peer review via a specialized Web site. Potential publishers will need a membership to Microsoft’s XNA Creators Club Online in order to test and publish game content. The service will only be available to those who purchase 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.
Once tracks are approved, they will be transferred to the Rock Band Network Store, an in-game music marketplace where millions of Rock Band fans will be able to demo samples of the songs for free before they purchase. Songs will debut exclusively on Xbox 360 for 30 days. Artists featured in the store will be able to choose from multiple pricing tiers for individual tracks and will be compensated via a simple payment system that provides automated accounting and regular royalty payments. Tracks for the Rock Band Network will be made available later in the fall on the Xbox 360. Stand out tracks will follow on the PS3 and Wii console. Joining the more than 750 tracks available to date, the Rock Band Network Store will greatly increase the amount of music available through the Rock Band music platform and further confirm MTV Games and Harmonix’s position as the leading provider of downloadable content for music-based video games.
VerveLife Entertainment announces that Sarah VonderHaar will be included in the closed beta trial for MTV Games' Rock Band Network, as reported by Billboard Magazine late last week. Building on Sarah's momentum that includes being featured in several brand campaigns, including a just released Chevrolet commercial, and her outstanding performance at Milwaukee's Summerfest two weeks ago, Sarah will be one of only a handful of female artists participating in the highly anticipated beta.