The Revival of MySpace: Is It Here to Stay?
Let me tell you a story: Before Facebook became the popular and well-oiled social media machine that it is now, there was a website called MySpace. It was all the rage. You could pick your “top friends” and have them prominently displayed in their own box, like some sort of exclusive Internet club. You could even customize your profile to include flashy gifs and loud blaring music! But then, one day, MySpace died.
The end.
Wasn’t that a splendid tale?
MySpace Rises Again
Oh but wait! Just as a new generation of Internet surfers is being born, MySpace is now resurrecting itself as a social media website with an emphasis on music. We won’t get into why the original MySpace eventually failed (that’s another blog post in itself), but the main thing is that this new venture is really showing some promise. Headed up by Justin Timberlake, the refurbished site recently launched its new look, with a few notable features that make it stand out from other websites of its genre.
Creativity
MySpace is unique from other social media sites in that its music-focused approach provides an easy way for bands, singers, songwriters, and the like to share music and garner more publicity. Its set up also allows for users to post photos, videos and links in a scrolling feed (think a horizontal version of Pinterest) to encourage a more personal feel. MySpace is also partnering up with other brands to allow for behind-the-scenes videos of big concerts and even television shows.
Convenience
There are a few other top-of-the-list music sites around already (think Spotify or Pandora), but MySpace is looking to be a strong competitor with its advanced streaming capabilities and the handy music bar on the bottom of the page. Users can listen to full albums over and over without having to pay, navigation is simple and easy, and there are unlimited capabilities for networking and connection to other music lovers and artists.
Content
MySpace is working hard at adopting the usage of thoughtful content with its new design. The “Featured” tab is chock full of interesting articles (trust me, I just accidentally read five of them while doing research for this blog post) related to music, pop culture and other various up-to-date topics. This tab also links to videos, trailers for television show premiers, new songs and so much more.
I never thought I would see the day, but MySpace is coming back with a vengeance. With a plethora of features like video and music streaming capabilities, interesting and relevant content and social media connectivity (and Justin Timberlake backing it, because let’s be honest, he’s never done anything I haven’t loved), MySpace is back with millions of new users just in the past few months. And you can bet that I’m a committed user now, too!
Caralee Culpepper – Writer and Message Board Specialist
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