I didn't see any topics relating to this, so I thought I'd bring it to light as it might apply to some of you. And maybe it's a bit of old news but oh well...

I've been in a hip hop group since about 2004. Our group started putting our music on myspace around 2005, and i felt it was great nonetheless. The notion that anyone on the planet can look you up with a few simple clicks or stumble upon you along with the service being free was amazing. I remember getting positive comments and messages from actual people, and thinking to myself "wow, someone out in california likes our music. nice!" or "cool. this guy who mainly listens to progressive death metal connected with one of our songs." On top of actually getting personal reactions from fans, there was the opportunity to network with other musicians that make similar music. This was another eye-opening element that myspace had. For me, networking on myspace was certainly refreshing because I live(d) in a farm town/college town where an alternative hip hop scene (let alone hip hop scene) does not exist nor have any of the peers really heard of alternative or underground hip hop. Shit, without myspace our latest album wouldn't have happened. We had instrumentals from people living in Australia to Denver.

So to those of you who have either abandoned myspace for a while or have never been on myspace (i don't blame you) you might be asking "How has myspace ruined music for musicians?" From my experience with myspace; other artists' spam and overabundance of music.

I remember Sage Francis griping in one of his myspace blogs a while back about getting spammed to hell on his page by shitty musicians. And I agree with him...

Today (and for the past few years even), when anyone goes onto myspace they're expected to get 20 band friend requests and comment spam along the lines of "New exclusive track for free download. Please download" or "YO! HOT NEW MIXTAPE FROM YA BOI!" in which both are usually accompanied by some space consuming image. I can't remember the last comment I received from a fan nor a person I network with that was actually personal. It's almost all comment/message spam now. For the past few years, I've dealt with the comment spamming and an overabundance of band friend requests as long as I could network with other musicians through messages, but now we just get bombarded with spam through messages now. That obviously pisses off people with personal profiles, so they have seemed to migrate over to facebook and other social networks. While groups like us are actually trying to make good music, actually want personal feedback, network through the internet and locally, actually play shows, and make a name for ourselves for more than a fucking month. Then you got assholes that just sit on their ass, make horrible music, buy a friend blaster in hopes that their 'career' will sky rocket because of it, never play shows, or never seek local recognition. I'm not trying to sound cocky or like I'm better than anyone, but I and other musicians put in their effort instead of sitting in our underwear typing up the newest comment that we can spam across the globe. And yes our band does send out a good amount of friend requests, but we don't follow that up with endless pleas for people to listen to our music until they block us. But it's not solely the comments. I've heard from multiple people that they left myspace because they would get so many band friend requests every day. How does one have time to listen to all of this music? Shit, I don't. To quote my band mate, "everyone and their grandma has a myspace nowadays." Although that statement is a little exaggerated, it's not far from the truth. Everyone now has the ability to have their music be heard, but who has time to listen to it? How can we as listeners filter the good from the bad? How can we as musicians be heard beyond local grounds? I'm not sitting here banking on myspace to launch my band to stardom or anything, but I just remember the potential myspace once had in reaching new fans. That potential is now pretty much lost.

So to get back to my original question. Myspace: What has it done for today's musicians? Again, Myspace musicians have over-flooded the market of music. So the next question is where does that leave musicians in the future? The declining records sales due to the power of google has been beating down record companies which offer promotion. What will happen to record companies? Will anyone need them? I'm off topic, but it is in line with today's and tomorrow's musicians.

I done.

I think that there are so many inspiring musicians on Myspace, that unless you are exceptionally good or exceptionally lucky, it doesn't really make much of a difference. I have heard some truly amazing singers on Myspace, some who have been trying for years without getting a break.

Yes, Myspace can be an extremely good thing for musicians, but unless you are exceptionally talented, it doesn't make much of a difference.

I think it takes connections to make it in today's music business. Places like Myspace can be a great place for exposure, but you really need to know someone to make it. Look at that Colby Caillat girl. Yes, she started out on Myspace, but her father was also a famous person in the music business.

I have heard many talented artists on myspace as well. It seems like from when myspace first got big, I could find nothing but good artists but now I can't seem to find much talent over so many artists...but I think maybe my perspective has just changed. I've heard so many artists out there that I just demand something new and original; something that will stick out.

That's true that you need to have connections in order to make it in the music business. I understand that, and I've surely looked beyond getting heard or getting connections through myspace. But it's a tool for independent artists that has become almost worthless because there are so many independent artists nowadays. That's all.

Myspace has made amateur artists become overrated.

I can agree with Dodge. In fact, I'd argue that most people cannot discern good music from bad music--basing much of their so-called taste in a band's overall image. Commentators cite MySpace as the great leveler--an outlet that takes power from the record companies, allowing true artists to come through to the top... But I think what we're finding out now, as grade-A acts share the stage with wanna-be pop bands, is that music (or art in general, for that matter) does not work as a democracy. The system worked well with aristocratic benefactors, and it held up with record companies and critics filling in that gap--but now, when anybody with a chunk of change can both record and publish a record, the public basically decides everything... I'm not saying it's the end of good music--far from it--but things have changed. The flow of cash has been disrupted.

MySpace was an inevitable change, however, to which the market would have been forced to adapt sooner or later. From 10-cent record shops to trading mix tapes to CD burners, online publishing been a long time coming.

I totally disagree. It may be that image is what's selling music the most, but how is that different from pre-myspace? Record companies and critics filling the gap of "aristocratic benefactors" really didn't work at all, it meant that loads of trash got released and stuffed down the throats of every generation of kids who had no idea there was even anything else to listen to besides what was on the local radio stations or MTV. Millions of albums were sold on the basis of one smash radio single and then everyone discovered all they had was that single and 11 tracks of garbage. (This is generously assuming the single itself isn't garbage anyway that they thought they should like because there were a lot of tits and cars in the music video or something.)

Image may still be selling a lot of music, but the newfound popularity of indie rock is evidence that the tide is turning. The internet is definitely putting the idea in people's heads that finding music, rather than having it handed to them, is the best way to go about things, and that means that the chances of people breaking out of that image feast mindset are much better. And at the very least, it's giving artists a chance to try to sell based on their own self-created image; I'd rather have people liking music for shallow reasons and giving their money directly to the creators than have people liking music for shallow reasons and making a bunch of scheming fat cats who did nothing but draw up a contract rich off of it.

My band had music on myspace. I ended up deleting the account because a) since I'm not in Kansas anymore, there is no more band and b), none of the songs worked anymore for some reason.

Buttsex was the only one that worked, but it was a goofy song created after having a few drinks and didn't reflect the music that we would write normally. I like the idea that you can put your own music on myspace for the world to listen to without having some kind of record deal (though it would be nice). But I've only heard of I think 2 or 3 different times where someone who posted music on myspace got signed...because of the music on their myspace.

Myspace: What has it done for today's musicians?

Exposure.

I have learned of MANY good artists through Myspace. But that's what Myspace is for: networking and advertising. If even one new consumer is drawn in, then Myspace has fulfilled it's function.

IT HASN'T DONE ME JACK SHIT. Personal testimony. It's given me exposure, sure, but, I'm no millionaire nor am I signed. :P

I happen to see loads of bands and musicians having an account in Myspace but I wonder if it can help now considering that facebook is much more famous nowadays...But I guess it can help you known by fans and who knows you can also get some gigs through myspace

Myspace has made amateur artists become overrated.

Well yeah and with the help of MTV/VH1 and general radio too. I have came across excellent musicians on myspace or facebook once in a while. Social networking is kind of like punk rock, everyone with a instrument thinks they are a musician suddenly.

I have a Myspace music account and on my personal profile i have some celeb friends so i'm sure a music account would work out well ! i mean just look at some of the artists and where they started out and look at them now . BTW if you want to fan me on Myspace it'shttp://myspace.com/MikurotoroMusic i currently don't have anything on there yet

It gave the metal scene Job For a Cowboy. Myspace owes metalheads and general music fans around the world an apology.

bandcamp is a cool thing though

bandcamp is a cool thing though

That it is riot. it's where i listened to the entire Super Mario Kart Album before deciding to buy it, i would definitely use bandcamp if i was in a band but if i was in a band, i would certainly use it! :)

Myspace has made amateur artists become overrated.

I would say the opposite, Myspace kinda made amateur artists become underrated, because you can easily compare huge commercial bands with the crap amateurs like myself make. And then you realise how far away you are from it and stress about it.

Therefore, the whole purpose of myspace is to show:

"Why amateur bands cannot rival with the Omega Famous LadyGaguesque bands."

:p

anyone, who is good enough to play gitar or drums, finally finds himself under impression of beeing born to become a metal musician:) heh, that's to say I've got lots of friends who play in different undeground metal bands, but there's only one, who felt like having his own profile at myspace - here are them http://www.myspace.com/allmyfears

LULZ at me for getting mad over myspace.


I totally disagree. It may be that image is what's selling music the most, but how is that different from pre-myspace? Record companies and critics filling the gap of "aristocratic benefactors" really didn't work at all, it meant that loads of trash got released and stuffed down the throats of every generation of kids who had no idea there was even anything else to listen to besides what was on the local radio stations or MTV. Millions of albums were sold on the basis of one smash radio single and then everyone discovered all they had was that single and 11 tracks of garbage. (This is generously assuming the single itself isn't garbage anyway that they thought they should like because there were a lot of tits and cars in the music video or something.)

Image may still be selling a lot of music, but the newfound popularity of indie rock is evidence that the tide is turning. The internet is definitely putting the idea in people's heads that finding music, rather than having it handed to them, is the best way to go about things, and that means that the chances of people breaking out of that image feast mindset are much better. And at the very least, it's giving artists a chance to try to sell based on their own self-created image; I'd rather have people liking music for shallow reasons and giving their money directly to the creators than have people liking music for shallow reasons and making a bunch of scheming fat cats who did nothing but draw up a contract rich off of it.

Best post in this thread.