How to Download Extra Songs for Guitar Hero

Each of the popular Guitar Hero rhythm-based video games comes with between 50 and 60 licensed songs you can play. However, you can also download new songs to play in the game, which is a way to add some spark to the pastime. Some songs are free, but others carry a fee. Increasingly, you can find entire albums by popular bands available for download.

Start your Xbox and go the "Marketplace" tab. You can access it by pressing the left analog stick three times to the left from the main menu.

Select "Games," then find your version of Guitar Hero in the list that appears.

Scroll through the list of downloadable content that shows up on the screen. Not everything you see is a song, as there are also various trailers and other add-ons you can purchase. Music will be identified as "Song" or "Album" under its title.

Select a song to download with the "A" button. If the song is free, it will download automatically. If you selected an entire album, you will have to pay using Microsoft Points. If your Xbox Live account has a balance, it will be automatically deducted. Otherwise, you can return to the "Marketplace" tab to add points with a credit card.

Start your copy of Guitar Hero once the songs have finished downloading.

Enter a game in any mode (Quick Play, Online or Career). When the song-selection screen appears, press the yellow button to open your list of downloaded songs. Select the song you want to play and rock out!