MySpace, bigger than I thought!



I knew I had really been enjoying MySpace.com's heavy music aspect, but never knew they were quite worthy of an article like this!

You can check out my MySpace profile here: http://www.myspace.com/rogerzender


Bands Embrace Social Networking 
By David Cohn
Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,67545,00.html
02:00 AM May. 18, 2005 PT

In the absence of radio play, garage bands all across America are establishing a presence on MySpace, a social-networking site popular with young adults.

According to MySpace, more than 240,000 artists of every kind -- from unsigned amateurs to international rock stars -- are using MySpace as a way to market themselves and build a fan base.

Artists are using the site to build massive social networks and spread the word about upcoming shows and CD releases.

Startup bands like My Chemical Romance have launched careers exclusively through MySpace, collecting more than 100,000 fans through the service.

As the seventh most popular domain on the internet in terms of pageviews, according to February numbers from comScore Media Metrix, MySpace gives bands the chance to be seen and heard in a way never before possible.

Traditionally, bands toured cities and played dive bars to create buzz about their music. But with MySpace, bands can host demos of their songs, announce shows and connect with fans without spending weeks on the road.

"We've developed communities for unknown bands really quickly, which would take a lot longer a few years back," said Alan Miller, co-founder of Filter magazine, which last month teamed up with MySpace to develop The Booth, an online promotion featuring a different band each week.

"It's a medium where people can go and hear new music and develop an attachment to the band," said Miller.

MySpace is aimed at teenagers. It claims more than 15 million members, and even established acts like Weezer, Beck and Billy Corgan are starting to realize the potential of social networking.

Weezer's new album, Make Believe, is prominently featured on the band's MySpace page, and was featured exclusively in the Booth a week before the album was available in stores.

For a smaller band like We Are Lions, MySpace has proven to be a good way to spread the word about its album, Eight Arms Made This, which was released in May.

Without the backing of a PR agency, the band was able to market the CD to more than 2,000 fans.

"Indie doesn't get big radio play," said Jamie Kantrowitz, vice president of marketing for MySpace. "So all these bands that are punk and indie have really seen success through MySpace. It's a place to discover new music and for artists to get their music out there."

For fans, MySpace allows them to keep up-to-date on bands in an intimate way. Fans that have declared an allegiance, who are known as "buddies," can leave comments on a band's site, letting them know what they think of their music or how they performed at their last show.

"Being MySpace buddies with a band is a way to stay in contact, check out new stuff and pledge your allegiance," said David Berezin, a college student in Oakland, California.

And band members often respond to fans, creating a real dialogue between artists and their followers.

Even established artists like Billy Corgan use the service as a way to interact with fans.

"It's really Billy Corgan (on the site) and he is absolutely in love with being able to communicate back and forth with that fan base," said Miller.

MySpace caters to bands by creating a unique member template specifically designed for artists who want to maintain an online presence. The service lets the bands post songs and lyrics, tout their influences or who they sound like, and promote upcoming shows.

"It's great because you get different kinds of people giving you feedback on your music that wouldn't normally hear it," said San Francisco Bay Area rapper GoodWord.

The Portland, Oregon-based synth-pop group Workout uses MySpace not only to get a free website, but to network with MySpace bands in other cities.

"There's no better introduction than, 'Hey, you are in a band in City X and I am in a band in City Y, let's trade off playing shows together,'" said Jason Langdon, Workout's keyboard player.

Posted: Wed - May 18, 2005 at 11:46 AM           |

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