Warner Music are just spoiling for a fight! Having had a public falling-out with Guitar Hero publishers Activision last year, this year its Rock Band publishers MTV Gamesâ turn.
https://lastchance.cc/activision-boss-goes-toe-to-toe-with-record-label-5037421%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
At the root of the issue is the complaint Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. has that music game publishers arenât paying enough for the use of Warnerâs music. Activision boss Bobby Kotick went after Bronfman rather publicly, but until now, weâd thought MTV had conducted themselves with a little more diplomacy, and been spared Warnerâs wrath.
https://lastchance.cc/warner-wants-more-money-from-rock-band-guitar-hero-5034538%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
While this is OK for now, with songs licensed under the previous arrangement still making their way to the gameâs downloadable content roster, MTV will soon run out of Warner (one of the largest record labels in the world) music if a deal isnât reached soon.
At the moment, it looks like neither side will be caving in anytime soon. Billboard reminds us that Warner have thrown similar, recent tantrums over payments from services like YouTube, while on MTVâs side, they can still do brisk business by using cover versions of Warnerâs songs (Sabbathâs Paranoid, for example, is in the top ten sellers for the Rock Band Store, despite being a cover). Update: Billboardâs article mentioned Paranoid as being a top-selling download, but itâs a bit hard being a top-selling download when you canât be downloaded.
Not very rock nâ roll, is it?
MTV Games, Warner: No âRock Bandâ Boycott Of WMG Artists [Billboard]
