If you followed my guide for How to Get Rocksmith 2014 Custom Songs (PC), but you still aren’t having any luck, then don’t panic. This guide will show you some common problems encountered when trying to import Rocksmith custom DLC, and how to solve them.

1. You MUST open Rocksmith 2014 from Steam in order for Rocksmith custom DLC to work.

If you bought the PC version on a physical CD, then you can use your product key to Activate Rocksmith 2014 on your Steam account.

2. The Rocksmith Custom DLC Package ID is Incorrect

When you purchase a song from the Rocksmith 2014 shop, there is a “package ID” associated with it. This package ID acts as a master “key” that is attached to custom songs and allows them to be recognized and opened by Rocksmith 2014.

You might remember from my previous guide that I recommended to purchase Smashing Pumpkins-Cherub Rock from the Rocksmith 2014 Shop. The reason is because this is the most common package ID attached to Rocksmith custom DLC.

If you chose to purchase a different song, then this is probably the main reason why your Rocksmith custom DLC isn’t opening in the software. You can confirm this by viewing the records page of your CustomsForge Rocksmith custom DLC, which requires uploaders to specify which package ID they used for their custom song. We’ll look back to my previous example below:

Sure enough, the package ID used to open this custom song is Smashing Pumpkins-Cherub Rock-248750.

If the package ID on the custom song you downloaded doesn’t match the song you purchased from the Rocksmith 2014 shop, then you have two options:

Purchase the song that matches your Rocksmith custom DLC package ID

This one is pretty straightforward. Simply go back to the Rocksmith 2014 Shop and purchase whatever song is listed on your Rocksmith custom DLC’s package ID, and assuming you followed the 4 Steps from my previous guide correctly, then your new Rocksmith custom DLC should open correctly.

Change the Rocksmith custom DLC package ID to match the song you already purchased

This is the free alternative for those of you who don’t want to spend another $3.00 on perhaps a song you don’t even like, and I can’t say I blame you.

The good news is that we can change the package ID on the Rocksmith custom DLC file to match whatever song you did purchase from the Rocksmith 2014 shop. This will require downloading additional free software and walking through a few more steps, so let’s get started.

1.Download and install the Rocksmith Custom Song Toolkit

2. Open the software and click “Import”

3. Open your Rocksmith custom DLC p.psarc file and specify a file location for the new file.

4. Once your file has been imported, select the package ID of the song you purchased.

5. After you’ve selected the correct package ID, click “Generate” and your new CDLC file with a matching package ID will be created.

6. Paste this new p.psarc file into the Rocksmith 2014 DLC folder.

7. Launch the Rocksmith 2014 program, and your Rocksmith custom DLC should now be shown on your songs list.

3. The Rocksmith Custom DLC File Type is Incorrect

Songs uploaded to the CustomsForge database can be compatible on four different platforms: PC, Mac, PS3, and Xbox 360. If the user has uploaded multiple versions of the same file, then it’s crucial to download the correct one.

For PC Users: Download the p.psarc file.

For Mac Users: Download the m.psarc file.

Download the correct file type and be sure it’s saved in the Rocksmith DLC folder.

4. Problems with the Application Extension File

If you have the D3DX9_42.dll extension file saved in the correct location and working properly, then a command window should appear when you launch Rocksmith 2014 from Steam. If not, then there could be three possibilities:

The file name is incorrect.

Be sure that the file is named exactly D3DX9_42.dll

The file is saved in the wrong location

Be sure that the file is saved in the Rocksmith 2014 root folder and NOT the DLC folder.

The file is corrupt

There are two source locations to download the D3DX9_42.dll extension file, and sometimes one file just simply might not work for some users. In that case, delete the existing D3DX9_42.dll file from the Rocksmith 2014 root folder, and download and replace it with the other link instead. Here are the two downloads you can try:

Original

Alternate

If you’d like to try to create your own Rocksmith custom DLC, then check out Create Rocksmith CDLC-Guide 1: Download & Setup.

If you’re new to Rocksmith 2014 then be sure to check out the Rocksmith 2014 Review first!