You might think that Harmonix is too busy working on The Beatles: Rock Band to do anything else, but that is actually not the case. In fact, Harmonix and MTV Games are getting ready to launch the Rock Band Network, a revolutionary service that has the potential to change music game DLC forever. Already in closed beta, the Network will allow musicians—from tiny, unknown, unsigned acts to big name bands—to submit their own songs to the ever-growing list of downloadable content for the game. The songs will have to go through an approval process, of course, but once this gets off the ground, this means that new songs will be added to the Rock Band Store constantly, straight from the artists.

Harmonix is hoping to have the Rock Band Network ready in late 2009 for the Xbox 360, and it will eventually become available on the PS3 and Wii as well. The submitted songs will appear in a different section of the Rock Band Store, and creators will be able to set their own prices (between 50 cents and three dollars a song). This is a fantastic way for up-and-coming musicians to get exposure, and I can’t wait to see what the reaction will be from the music industry at large. An open beta is planned for August, so I expect that there will be more feedback on the Rock Band Network shortly. Well done, Harmonix and MTV Games, you have set the bar for music games once again.

[Source]