Who’s Still Using MySpace?

March 1st, 2010 by Lior Shamir

Is your MySpace profile still important to you?

What are your thoughts on MySpace Friend Adders?

Would you pay for this?

Leave me your comments please.


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26 Comments

  1. Shelly Hartman Says:

    I actually don’t use Myspace much other than to look up artists. Generally they are still the first place I go to in order to check out their information. I often go there more frequently than the artists website.

    I would not pay MySpace adders. This is a type of communication that should come from the artist, otherwise, it’s not authentic and the “friends” are not quality friends that might actually buy a ticket to the show or merch to support the band.

    Shelly Hartman
    Label & Artist Relations
    310-266-4715 cell

    Jojo Reply:

    I agree with Shelly, that “This is a type of communication that should come from the artist, otherwise, it’s not authentic” because I have made all of my friends on MySpace through my personality and creativity, not a “machine.” In this techno age, humans are more than ever needing real communication between one another; it helps us feel special, of which we all are. Besides, as we have seen through the decades, those who are personal with their fans/friends have a much better chance at success than those who do not interact with the public.

    I feel that there are way too many “apps” and so on to “help” people generate business, yet in observing my friends, all they get from these “apps” are less time, less money, and less rewarding relationships.

    It’s just my opinion, that’s all. Power to those for whom it works for, and power to those who do the legwork themselves!

    Make a beauteous moment last a lifetime!

    Cheers!
    Jojo the drummer chick+

    ~AURORA STARRS eXPLOSION~

  2. Omri Says:

    We are using Myspace as one of the main tools for promotion. not much for establishing fan base, although it is still effective as such, but more as an awareness/profile tool with some contacts or oppertunities capabilities. for those purposes I think the fan tools are somewhat pointless, although Im not closed minded and if I will have the extra dollars I might check it out. it worth the sacrefice, even if for the sake of experience.

    Lior Reply:

    I think that’s a good attitude. With most of these services, you can usually cancel your subscription on the fly.

  3. bob wright Says:

    I still use Myspace for promotion.
    And would probably not pay for friend adders.

    I still think it’s a good tool for listing shows, bulletins, and targeting friends in your local area. And I do research other groups. And I occasionally offer a free download.

    Reverb Nation has done a good job of catching up, and very easy to use. I also use Sound Click.

    I think a lot of Myspace users have or are switching to Facebook for communication.

    Lior Reply:

    ReverbNation seems to be taking the lead in everything “indie artist” related…

    tony leudy Reply:

    I agree! RN has help me in more ways then I ever thought possible. From distribution to my own domain name. It is a great tool to say the least.

  4. tony leudy Says:

    I still use Myspace and find it to be a great networking tool. I do find myself using it a little less then I have in the past though. I check it weekly where I used to check it daily.

    Lior Reply:

    That’s how I now feel about Facebook… Twitter soon :-)

  5. Rose Moore Says:

    Yes – people still take time to visit an Artist’s MySpace page because they’ve heard something good, or it’s been recommended by a friend or another trusted M/S user.
    It’s easier to change info daily, upload songs, post bulletins and reach more Friends through MySpace – much more of a 2-way process than our web site has been.

    Friend Adders? No thank you. Seeing a huge number of friends on an unsigned band’s profile is suspicious, as is a hugely-inflated number of plays. Read the Comments bits of these pages and you’ll often see loads of spam.
    I’ve taken a long time finding people who might be interested in our music, reading what they have to say on their page and sending a personal message along with any requests. It’s disrespectful to these “friends” to consider using automatic friend adders. And the facility to not accept “add requests from Bands” is used more and more in my experience – presumably as a result of all the automation that abounds on MySpace.

    Lior Reply:

    But what if the Friend Adder tool is not about quantity but rather quality? Meaning, it helps you target likely fans as opposed to any old fans… surely there’s some value in that?

  6. Mandy Says:

    I still keep MySpace page active b/c it allows streaming music (good for booking) and FB does not. But I never check it otherwise unless I’m told I have a comment or message. Unfortunately the “comments” are usually some idiot with a gigantic ad for their own gig or (worse) their business. I delete such comments immediately and block the sender. I have not received a “real” comment in many months (a comment on my own music) not because of less interest but because most of the people I know are now using FB. I do still get some “hits” on my site, of people listening to my music and I have a new CD so I’ll probably upload a couple of new tunes. Sometimes I check friends’ MySpace pages for their gigs. But the process of posting my own gigs is so cumbersome I’ve stopped bothering to post them there. Also it was a real drag when they stopped the streaming photos, that was a very nice feature and I don’t know why they stopped doing it — stupid!!

    Lior Reply:

    Visit the MySpace App page for a number of options for dynamic photo displays.

  7. Chuck Williams Says:

    Myspace is still important simply because it is another ‘presence’ on the web that ahs the potential of getting listeners for my music. The activity level has decreased overall in the past 6 months however, if I post something I get responses, listeners, comments and messages so there are people out there that pay attention.

    I still get my gigs posted there through artistdata.com as a way to get the word out.

    Friend Adders are for those folks with huge ego’s attached to the numbers generated by the process. Personal networking is far better and much more rooted in reality that a program. I would not purchase it.

    I currently use Reverbnation, Facebook with My Band page, Sonicbids, Folkshow (in Great Britain) and of course Myspace

  8. Julie Says:

    Myspace is still very important to me. I have two accounts and utilize them often (daily) to interact and to promote. Myspace has been invaluable to me and my business.

    Julie Day

  9. Jonathan Says:

    It seems myspace does help with SEO. I have had a page since 06 and have 2 now. I don’t monitor it much but get emails when someone is trying to contact me. It definitely has it’s uses but has essentially been replaced with all the others mentioned above. It would be interested to see their demographics but I have noticed that many teens still use it while my 20something buds are on facebook and think MS is silly. At the same time, almost every band out there has a MS site…
    Jonathan
    Drop by and say hi :^)
    http://www.myspace.com/jcazmusic
    http://www.jcazmusic.com

  10. jeffshattuck Says:

    I confess, from the first day I saw MySpace I was appalled. Such an ugly, cheap thing, built truly without love.

    BUT… it was the only game in town for an easy way to post music, so up some songs of mine went.

    But THE MINUTE I read about bandcamp, I fled MySpace. My page still sits out there, like a cockroach after a nuclear war, but it is dead to me. Worse, when I read about a band and get sent to MySpace, I question the band’s judgement, its commitment to quality and its artistic sense.

    When MySpace finally croaks, the world will be better off. Wait, MySpace already did croak!

    Jeff

    Lior Reply:

    I’m a big fan of Bandcamp.

    Mike Venti Reply:

    Bandcamp is fantastic. It truly is the best place for your music on the internet.

    As for Myspace, I think it is still important to have a simple profile for people to check out your music. However, as a social website it has become less and less important.

    Myspace is still the place people seem to go to check out a new artist and from there you should funnel them to your website.

    Use Twitter or Facebook for more personal connections with fans.

  11. Wicked D Says:

    My Myspace profile is now nothing more than a business card that directs potential artists/clients to my website.
    My status is updated via ping.fm, my blog is imported via rss. I only visit when iGoogle sends me a comment, friend, or message alert.
    Following a band link is the only reason I ever visit the site. I would much rather a band be on Reverbnation.com

    Friend adders are a waste of time. It is supposed to be about targeted fan management, but Myspace bands lost that years ago!

    Lior Reply:

    I use Ping.fm too. It’s a great one-way syndication tool for all of your social network pages. Check out ArtistData.com also.

  12. Vic Stathopoulos Says:

    I use Myspace as my main profile because my personnal site is not up to scratch. I plan to update it. I like Myspace because it gives you an opportunity to make friends, but there is no use in collecting friends unless they are real friends that will listen to your blog. So far I have a few members who have joined my blog and they seem to be the real people that are interested in my music. I also think myspace is great in the sense if your looking for a band you can look them up and see the lastes and greatest on them.

    Since we are writing about Myspace, I might as well be checky and promote mysite.

    http://www.myspace.com/vicstathopoulos

    Feel free to read my blog and I’d be intersted to hear in how you feel about Myspace.

    Vic Stathopoulos

  13. Lesley Says:

    Hi Lior,

    This is a great question and I’m sure the answer will come in all shapes and sizes. I’m surprised by the number of negative comments so far. For me it has been a an invaluable tool to use myspace for networking across the pond. I booked a couple of tours using contacts I made through myspace. I still connect with friends and venues all over the world, though traffic has slowed down quite a bit since facebook appeared. I still prefer myspace because the music player and band profile are a better format for me as a networking musician. As for grabbing fans, I have a made a few. They follow my blogs from overseas, but no earth shattering results on that front.

    Lesley Young

  14. Scott Fetters Says:

    This debate is popping up more and more these days. I wonder if Myspace’s whole re-branding campaign will bring new life? We think the problem musicians are running into at Myspace is that the objective may have become unclear. Don’t get me wrong, we think Myspace is still one of the leaders in the industry and a great source for music but as far as helping musicians market themselves, get discovered, and distribute their music, we believe musicians need and want more. I would love to get all of your feedback on our site we launched this Tuesday- http://www.webceleb.com

    We spent 2 years developing it as a way for musicians to form partnerships with their fans. We believe @joe ’s comment above (i believe it was the 2nd comment) is spot on. Musicians want a way to grow authentic relationships with their fans. Webceleb is a next generation social music store where everyone makes money. We believe that by helping fans and musicians make money together, we can create a positive global impact through a community that embraces legal downloading. Check it out for yourself and see how it works here- http://bit.ly/cdftk9

    Cheers,

  15. Sean Says:

    I use friend adders and run my own. Your Myspace profile can be a great marketing tool.

  16. jerry congdon Says:

    i use myspace for promoting the band and for putting some new practice recordings for friends to hear.No way there is a need for us to pay for a friend adder.ps i really love this website