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Rock Band 4 alert: you can now re-download previously bought Rock Band DLC

But it's a bit fiddly.

You can now re-download previously bought Rock Band DLC ahead of the launch of Rock Band 4 - but it's a bit fiddly.

You can only re-download DLC for free within each console family, so Xbox 360 to Xbox One, and PlayStation 3 to PS4.

Here's the fiddly part: you have to re-download each DLC track individually in order to play the tracks in Rock Band 4. Depending on how many you need to re-download, that could take a lot of time.

This is due to first-party (Microsoft and Sony) "technical restrictions", developer Harmonix said in a post on its website. This means you can't do batch downloads within the first-party stores.

Here's how to re-download your Rock Band DLC on Xbox One:

  1. Turn on your Xbox One.
  2. Sign in to the Xbox Live Gamertag that you originally purchased your legacy Rock Band DLC on.
  3. Navigate to the Xbox Live Marketplace titled "Store".
  4. Select "Search".
  5. Search for "Rock Band 4".
  6. You will see multiple products for the title. Select the game "Rock Band 4".
  7. Navigate to "Add-Ons" and select the ellipses (the big "..." at the bottom of the featured Add-Ons) to view all Add-Ons.
  8. Select the individual Add-On you want to download. There will be a monetary value on an individual Add-On if you did not previously purchase the product. If you purchased it previously, select "Install".
  9. The download should automatically begin. Once completed, you should see that where the "Install" prompt used to be on this individual Add-On, it will now say "Installed".
  10. There will be no update to notify you that this content has completed downloading. There is no visible way to confirm if your DLC has been installed to your console until you first launch Rock Band 4 on that console. The content should be on your hard drive, but will remain invisible until you first play Rock Band 4.
  11. Repeat step eight for as many Add-Ons as you would like downloaded to your console.

And here's how to do it on PS4:

  1. Turn on your PS4.
  2. Sign in to the PlayStation Network ID that you originally purchased your legacy Rock Band DLC on.
  3. Navigate to the PlayStation Store.
  4. Under Search, type in "Rock Band 4" and select the "Rock Band 4" Game.
  5. Navigate to "Add-Ons".
  6. Select "View All".
  7. From here, you can do one of two things.
  8. Filter the list to see ONLY "Free" Add-Ons.
  9. Sort Price by "Low-to-High".
  10. You should see individual DLC tracks come up as "Purchased". These are the entitlements that you are able to re-download based on your account's purchase history.
  11. Select the individual Add-On you want to download and select "Download".
  12. The download should automatically begin and be added to your PS4 Downloads. Once completed, you should see that where the "Download" prompt used to be on this individual Add-On, it will now say "Installed".
  13. You can always check your download history by navigating to Notifications --> Downloads from the PS4 Main Menu!
  14. Repeat step nine for as many Add-Ons as you would like downloaded to your console.

It's worth noting you don't have to re-download DLC now. You'll be able to do so after the game comes out, so no rush.

Harmonix has added Rock Band 4 gameplay features, such as Freestyle Guitar Solos and Dynamic Drum Fills, to its legacy DLC that's now available in the store. It's carried over 1700 pieces of legacy DLC - an impressive feat.

When Rock Band 4 comes out on 6th October, all DLC singles on PS4 and Xbox One will cost $1.99. This includes all legacy DLC singles and future DLC singles.

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