Launch Rocksmith 2014 via Steam. Go to "Learn a Song." Scroll down. Your custom songs will appear with a unique icon (usually a purple custom tag). Important: You must own at least one piece of official DLC (even the free "Song Pack" that came with Remastered) for the CDLC to sort correctly.
In simple terms, Rocksmith CDLC is user-created content that adds songs to the game that were never officially released by Ubisoft. Unlike standard DLC, which costs $2.99 per song, CDLC is free (with one major legal caveat we’ll discuss).
These custom tracks are fully functional. They include:
Essentially, CDLC turns Rocksmith into a "play anything" engine. As of 2025, the community has created over 50,000 custom arrangements, covering virtually every genre from bluegrass to black metal.
Rocksmith CDLC is not just a mod; it is a preservation movement. It allows guitarists to learn obscure B-sides, local bands, and legendary solos that copyright lawyers will never clear. It transforms a commercial product into a living archive of guitar tablature.
If you love guitar and own a PC, there is no excuse not to delve into CDLC. Respect the charters, always support the original artists by buying their music, and buy at least one official DLC to keep the system ethical.
Plug in, tune up, and expand your playlist to infinity.
Have a specific CDLC question? Check the CustomsForge forums or the /r/rocksmith subreddit—the community is still very active.
The Ultimate Guide to Rocksmith CDLC: Unleashing Your Guitar Potential
If you've spent any time with Rocksmith 2014 Remastered, you know it’s one of the most effective tools for learning guitar while having fun. However, even with hundreds of official songs available, you might eventually find yourself wishing for a specific track from your favorite underground band or a classic hit that hasn’t been officially released.
This is where CDLC (Custom Downloadable Content) comes in. It transforms Rocksmith from a great game into an infinite library of musical possibilities. What is Rocksmith CDLC?
CDLC stands for Custom Downloadable Content. Unlike the official DLC (ODLC) released by Ubisoft, CDLC is created by the community. Talented "charters" take audio files and manually sync them with guitar and bass tabs to create playable tracks within the Rocksmith engine.
Because these are community-made, they are free, but they require a specific setup to work. They allow you to play everything from Metallica and Led Zeppelin to niche anime themes and video game soundtracks that will likely never see an official release due to licensing hurdles. Why Use CDLC?
Infinite Library: While official DLC capped out at around 1,500 songs, the CDLC library on sites like CustomsForge boasts over 50,000 tracks.
Diverse Genres: Want to play death metal, K-pop, or jazz fusion? The community has likely charted it.
Skill Building: Many CDLC tracks include "Dynamic Difficulty," allowing you to learn complex solos at your own pace, just like official songs. How to Get Started with CDLC
Getting CDLC to run on your PC or Mac requires a few one-time steps. Here is the simplified process: rocksmith cdlc
Rocksmith Custom Downloadable Content (CDLC) is the community-driven lifeblood of Rocksmith 2014 Remastered
, allowing players to add over 50,000 community-charted songs to the game for free. While the official game was delisted from stores in 2023 due to licensing expirations, the CDLC scene remains highly active, recently bolstered by a 2025 re-release titled the "Learn and Play Edition" on Steam. The Hub: CustomsForge
All CDLC activity centers around CustomsForge, the primary community portal.
Ignition Search: Use the Ignition Search Engine on the site to find specific songs, artists, or genres.
Registration: You must create a free account to download files and use the search features.
Song Variety: Content spans massive discographies from bands that never officially licensed music to the game, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Muse. Setup & Requirements
To use CDLC, you generally need the PC/Mac version of the game and a specific "trigger" song.
The Ecosystem of Rocksmith Custom Downloadable Content (CDLC)
Rocksmith Custom Downloadable Content (CDLC) refers to user-generated song files that allow players to expand the Rocksmith 2014 Remastered library far beyond its official catalog. While Ubisoft discontinued official support and delisted the game from storefronts in October 2023 due to expiring music licenses, the CDLC community remains active, maintaining a library of over 80,000 songs. Core Mechanisms and Technical Requirements
CDLC works by leveraging the game's existing DLC framework. Because Rocksmith requires a valid license to play any song file, custom songs are "packaged" with the application ID (AppID) of an official song the user already owns. What's the difference between DLCs and CDLC . : r/rocksmith
Rocksmith Custom Downloadable Content ( ) is widely considered the "lifeblood" of the Rocksmith 2014 community, exponentially expanding the game’s library with over 50,000 community-charted songs from nearly every genre. The Verdict: Essential but Variable For most players, CDLC is the primary reason to stick with Rocksmith 2014 over the subscription-based Rocksmith+
. It transforms a practice tool with a limited library into an infinite jukebox. However, because it is community-made, quality is inconsistent—some tracks are studio-perfect, while others are "best guesses" or unfinished. CustomsForge Key Strengths
What it is
Who uses it
Pros
Cons and risks
How CDLC works (brief)
Installation and tools (PC-focused)
Quality checklist before using a CDLC
Playing and learning tips
Ethics and legality
Community and resources
Verdict
Here’s a key feature related to Rocksmith CDLC (Custom DLC) that stands out:
🔹 Massive, Community-Driven Song Library
Unlike official DLC, CDLC allows you to play virtually any song — from underground indie tracks to rare live versions or mainstream hits not available in the Ubisoft store. Users create and share custom arrangements for lead, rhythm, and bass across all difficulty levels.
Additional notable features include:
Would you like a step‑by‑step guide on how to install and use CDLC in Rocksmith 2014?
CDLC (Custom Downloadable Content) for Rocksmith 2014 Remastered
refers to user-created songs that are not part of the official game library. While Rocksmith 2014 was delisted from digital stores in October 2023, a dedicated community continues to support it through platforms like CustomsForge. Playing CDLC
To play custom songs on the PC version of Rocksmith 2014, users generally need to:
Own Official DLC: You must own at least one official DLC song (the community standard is "Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins) to serve as a base for the custom files.
Install a Patch: A specific .dll file (often referred to as the CDLC Enabler) must be placed in the game's root folder to allow it to recognize custom files. Launch Rocksmith 2014 via Steam
Manage Files: Custom songs (in .psarc format) are placed in the /dlc/ folder within the Rocksmith installation directory. Creating CDLC
Creating your own custom tracks is a multi-step process involving several specialized tools: My 2600 article - Rocksmith Remastered - CustomsForge
The Rebellion of the Strings: How CDLC Saved Rocksmith When Ubisoft released Rocksmith 2014
, it was hailed as the "fastest way to learn guitar." However, for many players, the official library—while extensive—eventually hit a wall of licensing fees and mainstream safety. Enter Custom Downloadable Content (CDLC)
, a community-driven phenomenon that transformed a piece of commercial software into a limitless digital archive of musical history. The "CustomsForge" Underground At the heart of this movement is CustomsForge
, a dedicated hub where thousands of amateur and professional "charters" transcribe songs into the game’s format. Unlike official DLC, CDLC is free and spans genres that corporate licensing might never touch—from obscure black metal and anime themes to intricate classical pieces like the "Bachmas" collection. A Double-Edged Sword for Learning
While CDLC offers a "limitless" library, it introduces a unique pedagogical challenge: Variable Quality
: Unlike official tracks vetted by professional musicians, CDLC can sometimes feature "wonky fingering," incorrect notes, or bad timing. The Habit Trap
: Beginners are often warned that learning from poorly charted CDLC can instill bad habits or "weird fingerings" that are difficult to unlearn later. Flexibility
: Experienced players often use CDLC as an interactive backing track, sometimes ignoring the on-screen fingering suggestions to play the song "correctly" as the original artist would. Preservation in the Face of Delisting The importance of CDLC has only grown since Ubisoft began delisting Rocksmith 2014
from digital stores in October 2023. As official DLC packs slowly disappear due to expiring licenses, the community-maintained CDLC library has become the primary reason players remain tethered to the 2014 Remastered version rather than migrating to the subscription-based Rocksmith+
In essence, CDLC represents a rare moment in gaming where the community didn't just play the game—they took ownership of its future, ensuring that the "fastest way to learn guitar" wouldn't be limited by what a legal department could authorize. required to enable CDLC on your PC?
5 things Rocksmith will never teach you about guitar - Christy Bannerman
To use Custom Downloadable Content (CDLC) in Rocksmith 2014 Remastered, you need to bypass the game's official DLC check using a specific patch and have a "base" official DLC song to anchor the custom tracks. 1. Prerequisites
Owned Game: You must own Rocksmith 2014 Remastered (Steam version).
Base DLC: Purchase the official song "Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins. Most CDLC uses this song's ID to function. If you own a different official DLC, you will need tools like the Custom Song Toolkit to change the song's ID. In simple terms, Rocksmith CDLC is user-created content
CustomsForge Account: Create a free account at CustomsForge to access the song database (Ignition) and required patch files. 2. Setup the Patch (PC/Mac)
You must place a specific file in your game's root directory to enable custom songs.