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'Rock Band' Network Music Store officially opens

The 'Rock Band' Network Music Store is now open to the public, giving 'Rock Band' fans and music lovers a new avenue to discover music and providing musicians and labels the opportunity to produce and promote tracks for the 'Rock Band' platform.

The 'Rock Band' Network, announced in July, is an initiative that gives musicians, publishers and record labels the ability to author their original recordings into gameplay files to promote and sell their music as playable 'Rock Band' tracks through the 'Rock Band' Network Music Store (RBN Store).

In addition, it was announced that T-Mobile has signed on as launch partner of the 'Rock Band' Network to develop an “Artist-of-the-Month” feature beginning in April 2010 to help fans identify and connect with new talent in the 'Rock Band' Network.

“The 'Rock Band' Network Music Store gives artists at any level the opportunity to reach new fans through our deeply engaging interactive platform,” said Paul DeGooyer of MTV Networks Music Group. “This new pathway for discovery is a huge win for passionate music fans, as well as an opportunity for artists to promote themselves while positively impacting their bottom line.”

Artists who submit songs for the 'Rock Band' Network Music Store are able to choose from multiple pricing tiers for individual tracks and receive a royalty of 30 percent of the retail selling price for every track purchased through the RBN Store. There are currently more than 100 songs available for purchase in the 'Rock Band' Network Music Store from artists including The Shins, The Hold Steady, The Main Drag, Bang Camaro, of Montreal, Jonathan Coulton, Skeleton Witch, 3 Inches of Blood, Lacuna Coil, Stroke 9, and Steve Vai.

There are more than 300 artists in the RBN pipeline, with additional tracks already on the way from Flight of the Conchords, The Smashing Pumpkins, Twin Atlantic, All That Remains, Clutch, Prong, The Gaslight Anthem and many more coming soon.