The "Rock Band" series of music video games supports downloadable songs for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Wii versions through the consoles' respective online services. Harmonix typically provides three to six new tracks per week available to all consoles as listed below. From March 2010 until September 2014, authoring groups could submit their own tracks for peer review through the Rock Band Network.
Players can download songs on a track-by-track basis, with many of the tracks also offered as part of a "song pack" or complete album, usually at a discounted rate. Tracks released for "Rock Band 2" on the Wii platform are only available as singles while "Rock Band 3" offers multi-song packs as well as singles. Since on-disc songs are not available for download, some albums are incomplete. For example, the album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" is available for download; it contains the song "Give it Away" on "Rock Band 2" and "Blitz", so the downloadable album does not include "Give it Away".
Most downloadable songs are playable within every game mode, including the Band World Tour career mode. All downloadable songs released prior to October 26, 2010, are cross-compatible among "Rock Band", "Rock Band 2", "Rock Band 3", "Rock Band Blitz", and "Rock Band 4", while content released between October 26, 2010, and October 5, 2015, is compatible with the latter three titles only, and all content released on or after October 6, 2015, is only compatible with "Rock Band 4". Also, certain pre-"Rock Band 3" songs deemed "suitable for all ages" by Harmonix are also available for use in "Lego Rock Band".
The Wii version of "Rock Band" did not support downloadable content; however, "Rock Band 2" and "Rock Band 3" do, with DLC first made available in January 2009. Harmonix has said it will continue to release songs from the back catalog of downloadable content each week for Wii until all songs are available, and starting in March 2009, is making new DLC available for Wii at the same time as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. All songs are available for download on Wii unless otherwise noted.
After more than 5 years of uninterrupted DLC releases, Harmonix ended its regular releases of DLC on April 2, 2013, as it transitioned to other games, with the final song being Don McLean's "American Pie". Although no new DLC was scheduled for release after that date, Harmonix did not rule out the possibility of releasing DLC in the future should the right opportunity arise. On January 12, 2015, Harmonix announced the first of one-off releases of new DLC. The sudden release, along with a survey posted by Harmonix a few days later, hinted at the possibility of a new "Rock Band" game for eighth generation consoles. Harmonix later confirmed "Rock Band 4" on March 5, 2015, and the game was released on October 6, 2015, on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
After the initial announcement, Harmonix intended to support the Rock Band Network for Xbox 360 so long as the backend tools were still supported; however, due to technical issues and the company allocating its resources to other projects, Harmonix terminated support for the RBN in September 2014. Additionally, RBN ports to the PlayStation 3 have ended on April 2, 2013, along with regular DLC. Rock Band Network content is not forward-compatible with "Rock Band 4". Harmonix stated that they would explore the logistics of bringing RBN songs over to "Rock Band 4" once core DLC and previous game exports are all addressed; however, all RBN content was delisted on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms in February 2018. Harmonix initially reported in March 2018 that Xbox 360 users would not be able to recover their RBN content via the Xbox 360's download history due to technical issues, with Harmonix recommending that users back up their RBN song libraries to an external storage device; however, Harmonix subsequently reported in June 2018 that Xbox 360 users are now able to re-download their RBN content as needed. In May 2018, Harmonix announced that they have secured licensing for a portion of the Rock Band Network library to be released as regular DLC; however, entitlements for re-released RBN content would not be supported due to technical and licensing restrictions.
Following the acquisition of Harmonix by Epic Games in 2021, Harmonix began winding down DLC for "Rock Band" as they developed "Fortnite Festival" for Epic. Regular DLC releases for "Rock Band 4" ended on January 25, 2024, with over 3000 songs available for the game across soundtracks and DLC.
Pricing.
Individual songs are usually priced at either US$1.99/€1.49/£0.99, or US$1.00/€0.75/£0.59, with a few exceptions priced at £1.19 or £1.49/€1.99; all are available for download through PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and the Wii's online service unless otherwise noted on the list below. In the US, some downloadable songs have been available for the discounted US$0.99 price for a limited time before being raised to the standard price. From September 18, 2012, until October 6, 2015, all songs released prior to "Rock Band 3's" launch were reduced to US$1.00/€0.75/£0.59; however, with the integration of "Rock Band 4's" new features, Freestyle Guitar Solos and Dynamic Drum Fills, into legacy tracks, the price of all legacy DLC reverted to its original price point of US$1.99/€1.49/£0.99. The price for downloadable albums and song packs varies, according to how many songs are on the album or pack. Song packs containing three songs usually cost US$5.49, while song packs containing six songs cost US$9.99.
Since the introduction of Pro Instruments, extra pricing was necessary. In order to receive the Pro Guitar and Bass play, one must pay an additional US$1.00/€0.75/£0.59; however, certain songs or packs included the Pro Guitar for no additional charge.
In "Rock Band 4", users can import previously purchased content within the same console family (i.e. Xbox One from Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4 from PlayStation 3) at no additional charge.
Complete list of available songs.
The following songs have been released for the "Rock Band" games. All songs available in packs are also available as individual song downloads on the same date, unless otherwise noted. From May 4, 2010, to December 29, 2020, new songs were usually released on Tuesdays across all participating consoles - this cadence shifted to Thursdays starting January 7, 2021. Dates listed are the initial release of songs on Xbox Live. Starting May 20, 2008, all downloadable songs are available in both the North American and European markets, unless noted.
Some songs released before "Rock Band 3" have been retrofitted to include "Rock Band 3" features, including backing vocals, and the ability to buy an additional pack for Pro Guitar/Bass charts without having to buy the "RB3 Version" of the song. Certain songs have been marked "family friendly" by Harmonix; such songs released before "Rock Band 3"'s launch on October 26, 2010, can be played in "Lego Rock Band".
Starting October 26, 2010 (with The Doors), new songs are no longer playable in "Rock Band", "Rock Band 2", or "Lego Rock Band" due to a change in the file format. All songs released via downloadable content prior to October 6, 2015, are playable in "Rock Band 3", and support its new Pro Drum mode. Most songs released for "Rock Band 3" include core features for keyboards, Pro Keyboards, and backing vocals in the core song, where they are appropriate. Additionally, some of these songs features charts for Pro Guitar and Bass that can also be purchased. Songs released on and after October 6, 2015, are playable only in "Rock Band 4". In addition, all applicable songs released via downloadable content feature backing vocals when played in "Rock Band 4", but no longer include keyboard or Pro Keyboard support, due to those features being removed in "Rock Band 4".
Periodically, Harmonix delists songs from the "Rock Band" Music Store due to license expiration. As with most music licensing agreements, "Rock Band's" licenses for DLC have fixed terms on how long content can be sold on the platform. Harmonix announced that they will attempt to renew their license agreements, promising to give players advance notice if certain songs cannot be relicensed and must be delisted. Songs removed from the "Rock Band" Music Store are no longer available for new purchases; however, users who purchased songs prior to their removal from the storefront are not affected in their ability to use the content, including re-downloading songs if necessary.
Exported set lists.
In 2008, Harmonix began to offer owners of "Rock Band" games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 the option of integrating songs from various titles in the series for use in other "Rock Band" games. With "Rock Band 3", Wii players are also able to export songs; however, only "Green Day: Rock Band" and "Rock Band 2" can be exported, and song files are downloaded individually.
Promotions.
Following the release of "Rock Band", Harmonix and EA began to form partnerships with different companies and bands to provide promotional content.
Notes.
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