Warner Music wants more from Rock Band, Guitar Hero
by Xav de Matos 
{ Aug 7th 2008 at 3:15PM }
Warner Music leading man Edgar Brofman told Reuters that considering each company's game is completely dependent on the content the music industry owns and controls, "The amount being paid to the music industry ... is far too small." Brofman compared the significance of rhythm music games to the industry shifting introductions of MTV and iTunes.
Even though it has been reported that royalties for content sales in music games are much higher than other services, such as iTunes, we're surprised it took this long for the industry to start sobbing about getting paid. If licenses change, could this spell an increase in downloadable content prices?
[via CVG]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ Aug 7th 2008 3:24PM
It could spell an increase in the number of people who won't buy the game or extra content.
VPhoenix @ Aug 7th 2008 3:24PM
No, it will spell a decrease in music licensed from Warner Music.
Tony @ Aug 7th 2008 3:53PM
Warner is one of only four "major" labels now.
Stopping licensing from any one of these affects a metric ton of smaller labels and god knows how many bands and musicians. I have a feeling if push came to shove they'd probably give in to some of the label's demands sadly... otherwise that's a huge change.
I'd hope you're right though. Maybe if they worked with the other three majors to keep things the same Warner would just have to give in or get nothing.
VPhoenix @ Aug 7th 2008 4:10PM
Well, I hope Activision and Harmonix stay strong on this. Record labels are less relevant now than ever and you'd think they'd be trying to play nice with companies putting their music into peoples' hands instead of trying to screw them for all they're worth.
As one datapoint: I've bought GH II, GH III, and Rockband, and not being a fan of either rock or metal I recognized only a few tracks in each game before I bought it. Now I love just about every song in those games from hearing it and "playing" it so many times. Does anyone think I'd feel differently if it'd had been 50 different tracks from 50 other talented musicians I'd never heard of? I don't think so.
Come to think of it, these games have pretty much done for me what record labels did in the past... hmm, no wonder Warner Music is starting to worry.
andyg8180 @ Aug 7th 2008 3:25PM
heres my take... No name bands are getting a lot more love being a freakin Bonus Track than they would have ever gotten by going it alone...
Big name artists are also feeling an increase in CD sales/itunes downloads...
So look at it this way warner:
1: youre getting royalties already per track
2: youre getting the EASIEST form of advertising for offering that license
3. you suck balls Warner... Esp for going Bluray exclusive lol
I just dont get it... if you look at that gameplan, its a freakin win win situation...
Or, those songs can sit in a coffin like they have been for years... OR they can get a butt load of publicity from games like GH and RB...
BOOOOO GREEEEEDY CORPRATE BASTARD SWINE!
Delirium @ Aug 7th 2008 3:26PM
I rarely buy the 500 point packs so an increase means I would only buy the amazing songs that come out. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of suckers out there willing to pay more for less.
AoE @ Aug 7th 2008 4:02PM
what do you mean by willing to pay more for less? If licensing fees go up i think we'll just be stuck with higher price points, same amount of content though, it's not like you'll be purchasing songs 1/2 a song at a time now.
Delirium @ Aug 7th 2008 5:23PM
I could say something to save my error, but I have nothing. I simply meant more money for the same content, some of which isn't that good to begin with.
andyg8180 @ Aug 7th 2008 3:27PM
okay, im sorry for being angry... can i have my Usher Guitar Hero track now?
Larry @ Aug 7th 2008 3:29PM
There goes a guy who does not get it. They are finally getting young people, primarily, to actually pay for music again, and they want to stick it to developers.
ihateemo @ Aug 7th 2008 3:33PM
I love how he says "music industry" and not "bands". This guy is everything that's wrong with the industry right now.
J.D @ Aug 7th 2008 3:35PM
Jeez guys. Don't you care if Edgar gets the extra swimming pool he's always wanted?
eric @ Aug 7th 2008 3:36PM
I love it when big corporations refuse to change their business plan when technology makes them obsolete.
Personally I have bought quite a few tracks and CDs because of music I have learned about from Rock Band and Guitar Hero. These people should be jumping for joy for a new revenue stream opening up instead of killing it off but then again that never stopped them before.
Tony @ Aug 7th 2008 3:39PM
The thing is that a lot of these "no name" bands aren't on some of these bigger labels. I'd be surprised if some of them were even on a label that was supported by the RIAA in the first place... in which case different deals are hammered out.
It's funny how not a single band has brought this up, yet some suit is clamoring for more money for his industry. I'm sure they make PLENTY off of this as it is.
I think the publishers/developers should just say to people like him that, look, maybe this game wouldn't exist without music you own, but you'd not have this completely new revenue stream if it wasn't for *us* coming up with these games in the first place.
And not only is it a new revenue stream they clearly never considered, it's a new revenue stream that requires ZERO WORK on the part of the labels.
I don't know how he thinks any consumer would take comments like this. Certainly not positively... lol
SadisticHam @ Aug 7th 2008 3:40PM
And this is why i download all my music illegally, keep on trying to screw your customers music industry, the more you squeeze the more we steal.
jkdoug @ Aug 7th 2008 4:17PM
Yeah, because theft is justified when you steal from the rich. You either pay the fees to listen to the music you love most, which may limit you to only a few top artists, or you choose to not listen to the music except through streaming channels.
That said, I do also feel that rock stars, actors, athletes, etc should not make the millions many of them do. Let's pay the rock stars like teachers and pay the teachers like rock stars!
SadisticHam @ Aug 7th 2008 4:39PM
Who am i stealing from? The bands? The artists? Naa. See, they don't set the prices. There not in charge.
The real criminals are the ones who think they can charge me £12 for a bloody album.
No. I show my support for the bands i like by buying merchandise and going to there concerts, that money goes to them more so than greedy record labels.
Patton @ Aug 7th 2008 3:41PM
Xav, your choice of picture for this article made me bust out laughing at work. Well played, sir.
Edgar can cry about it all he wants. It'll be his loss when Activision and EA simply refuse to pay the costs. I'm sure the other labels are tickled pink about the advertising for their product that they get paid for.
tlarkin79 @ Aug 7th 2008 3:45PM
Those games use licensed music, but what makes they great games are the periperals and the software that takes that music and makes a great experience. games like the upcoming Lips show that you don't need extra licensing to get great music into games like these.
Dirk Dorkelson @ Aug 7th 2008 4:01PM
Kind of inappropriate for a Big Four record exec to be complaining that the evil software company isn't paying him enough for his role in music-making. How much do Warner's artists see per CD sold, versus what the record label pulls in?
jkdoug @ Aug 7th 2008 4:12PM
I've long held the belief that the music industry should be begging to get their songs into these games. It's one of the greatest forms of advertising (not to mention flattery) they've got available to them right now. We're more than willing to buy the content, and they should be happy with the mere billions they're raking in from digital (note: not even a CD to manufacture here!) content. Thank you very much! Now, Warner, kindly pull your heads out of your hindquarters and take that step forward into the new generation.
Mr. Nosuch @ Aug 7th 2008 4:22PM
Harmonix should pull an iTunes on them and tell them to go make their own music game if they want more money.
And what kind of rectum is Bronfman to say "the amount the music industry is getting paid is too small", when clearly agreements were signed by the MUSIC INDUSTRY.
What he's really saying is "Once again, we have no idea how to actually run our business, or even gauge where commercial opportunities are, so we'd like a do-over please, so we can make more money doing nothing."
And you should probably spell Edgar's name correctly in your article...
AoE @ Aug 7th 2008 4:14PM
Lol... so if he gets his way and there's a price hike... obviously the number of tracks being bought is gonna drop a fair amount. Enough I'd wager that even with the price hike, they'll be making less at the end of the day than they are right now... so do you think he'll ask for another round of price hikes at that point, or somehow try to claim piracy?
I can't wait until the old music industry collapses and dies; or at least until all of the old Luddites running it do.
dunnypop @ Aug 7th 2008 4:36PM
greedy music companies... these games are paid exposure to new bands for some people.
great example dragonforce. because of GH3, these guys are now a huge band selling millions of CD's.
Jonman @ Aug 7th 2008 4:37PM
It's always nice to see an executive who has no freakin' idea about his consumers.
All this means is less money for Warner in the long run. Nice one goal.
*slow clap*
Dirtgoblin @ Aug 7th 2008 8:11PM
question.
Is the picture that you guys used for this article a ps3fanboy ?
Jeff @ Aug 7th 2008 8:29PM
Just another poor decision from the music industry. They STILL don't see the potential for revenue streams fro, "promotional" pieces like GH and RB. They wouldn't sell more songs or CDs from that type of promotion would they?!? Naaaawwww...no wonder the business is in the toilet
Boff @ Aug 8th 2008 5:21AM
What a greedy cunt.
Britne @ Aug 8th 2008 11:22AM
I would think the record labels are already making enough money from their agreements with the game companies since they agreed to the price in the first place and then the income from the sales of CD's from the exposure they are getting from the games. My kids have bought several CD's from old rock bands that they had never heard of before they played the games. I think the record labels should be happy that they are getting paid for advertising instead of paying to advertise.
http://www.CantStopRockin.com
krellish @ Aug 8th 2008 1:00PM
Someone build a website where people can vote for their most wanted downloadable rock band tracks and albums . . I think it would take off.
And then I can have my say when it comes to which songs i want to be able to play. :-D