When considering all of the changes happening in the music biz, especially how music is being discovered and distributed, I have found the role of video games particularly interesting as of late. Partnerships between record labels and game developers are a fairly new concept as far as I know, but are sure to become more common since games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have proved to be a great platform for launching new bands, and reviving the popularity of some old ones. Aside from potentially increasing record sales, these games are also giving bands a new source of royalties.

While Guitar Hero and Rock Band are obvious picks for examples of video games that are affecting the record industry, there are other games which are perhaps not as relevant, but still capable of making a serious impact. Grand Theft Auto 4 was recently released and sold over 6 million copies in the first week alone. Like its predecessors, GTA 4 has a feature that allows the gamer to choose from various radio stations that basically have set play-lists. Imagine the benefits of being featured on one of those! One of those stations will actually feature a mixtape from the legendary DJ Green Lantern, and it was announced last week that music from the station would be released digitally through Amazon.

I’m excited to see how this relationship between music and gaming will evolve, as I think video games represent a very viable new revenue stream and promotional venue for bands.