The reveal of a Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack album has reignited a debate over the decision not to release the game on disc. Developer Rockstar Games announced a 34-track compilation, set to release on CD and vinyl on the same day as the highly anticipated video game. The company says it will include original music from a "genre-defying roster of the most exciting artists in the world" including rapper Travis Scott, country singer Morgan Wallen and UK singer PinkPantheress.
But some fans have pointed out the "irony" of putting out a physical edition of the album following its controversial decision for a digital-only release of the game. The first six tracks, published at the time of the announcement, also include rapper Yung Lean, British DJ Fred Again and Rolling Stone Keith Richards. GTA games feature multiple radio stations, usually themed around a particular musical genre, which players can switch between while driving.
In the past the game's soundtracks have largely been made up of licensed music from established artists, although original songs have also featured. Rockstar has said the upcoming game will feature a "dynamic score" and "evolution of in-game radio". Being included in a Grand Theft Auto game can bring a new generation of fans to an artist's music.
Spotify streams of Tom Petty's Love is a Long Road, the track used in GTA 6's first trailer, increased by 36,979% after the clip was published. Hot Together, by the Pointer Sisters, also saw a huge jump when it soundtracked the game's second trailer. And a collection of tracks used in the recent Extended Look attracted new listeners in the week after it premiered on Netflix.
According to music and gaming publication MusicEXP, external, pop duo Captain & Tennille's 1980 track But I Think It's a Dream saw the biggest spike, jumping from 70 Spotify streams in one week to 80,744. Cliff Richard's Devil Woman was streamed more than one million times, while Prefab Sprout's Cars and Girls jumped from 49K to 187K additional weekly streams. It also noted increases in activity on music detection app Shazam around tracks featured in the 26-minute broadcast.
Some artists have refused to let Rockstar use their music in GTA games. Martyn Ware, from synth pop band Heaven 17, called the developer out on social media, accusing them of offering a "pitiful" deal to use 1983 hit Temptation. The tricky business of music and gaming What we know after the big Grand Theft Auto 6 preview GTA 6 is expected to be one of the biggest entertainment releases of all time when it comes out on 19 November.
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