MySpace still the leader of the bands: While Facebook is the big name in social sites, MySpace uses music to stay vital.
Jan 01, 2010 (The Salt Lake Tribune) — Now that everyone on the planet — including your 84-year-old mother — has a Facebook page, why are cool local musicians still flocking to MySpace? MySpace.com was a revolutionary social-networking tool when it was launched back in 2004, but over the past several years a competitor, Facebook.com, has attracted more users. In response, MySpace has aimed to revolutionize itself by becoming the ultimate go-to site for music. More than 5 million MySpace sites have been created by bands and musicians hoping to create buzz and connect with potential audiences in ways that concert tours can’t.
Customization is key, said Pravity, of the Salt Lake City rap group The Commission. “MySpace is really important now,” he said. “A flashy page catches the eye. It’s free advertisement. We’ve been offered shows, we’ve made friends out-of-state wanting to buy our albums.” Band members of the Salt Lake City-based Fictionist spend time on social-networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, yet the benefits of MySpace make it still vital for the band, said keyboardist Jacob Jones.
When venues search for bands to book, they look at the bands’ MySpace sites first, Jones said. In addition, streaming songs and videos is easier on MySpace, and when the band’s new album comes out in late January, the musicians plan to customize their MySpace page to match the design of the album cover.
“MySpace started as a social network, but the ease of using the site made it extremely popular among bands and musicians,” said MySpace co-founder and president Tom Anderson in a Tribune interview. Anderson, by the way, has more than 270 million friends on his MySpace site. “[MySpace] brings together … an existing vibrant, music-hungry social network. We provide artists with the necessary tools to actually succeed and make a living as an artist.” According to online-site tracker Compete.com, MySpace has 53 million users, compared with nearly 130 million (and growing) users for Facebook.
But even as Facebook has grown, MySpace company officials believe its service will be distinguished by becoming the Web destination for buying, selling and listening to music.
Many casual users of Facebook only use plain text, instead of the site’s new custom design tools. MySpace’s customization tools are arguably more user-friendly, making it easier for musicians to design attractive pages that stream music and videos. For example, Salt Lake City band KISS Thiss uses fiery flames as the background of its MySpace page, which isn’t yet possible on Facebook.
As a business tool, MySpace has proven helpful for new bands and musicians, as Googling both the words “MySpace” and the band’s name instantly allows a user to listen to the artist. “If I hear about a band I want to hear, the first place I go is their MySpace site,” said Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson.
Other prominent artists, such as Los Lobos saxophonist Steve Berlin, agree MySpace and other networking sites are changing the way commercial music is sold. “Up until this moment, access to distribution was controlled by multinational corporations not known for their beneficence,” he said. “MySpace is more of the radio station [when I am] doing research on a band.” Undoubtedly, Facebook will develop more tools to allow fans, bands and musicians to easily play music and post videos. (Coldplay and Rihanna are two notable artists who actively update their Facebook sites and use multimedia on the sites.) But currently, MySpace has a further reach in the music world. The company is taking steps to become even more involved in the music business, with the recent launch of MySpace Music, a partnership between the company and several music labels.
Company co-founder and CEO Chris DeWolf hopes users will find it to be “a vast, more in-depth offering.” “We’ve developed strong relationships with music artists over the years, so often they come to us to premiere their new music,” said DeWolf in an interview. “They realize that debuting new music on MySpace Music instantly taps into millions of users nationwide.” Since its launch in late 2008, MySpace Music has premiered new albums and singles by Bruce Springsteen and Guns N’ Roses, while Madonna allowed MySpace to stream her entire album days before the disc went on sale.
