MySpace Music Plan May Be More Than A Me Too

from the virtual-merch-table dept

Tue, Sep 5th 2006 8:05am — Joseph Weisenthal

These days, every company from your cell phone carrier to Wal-Mart has a music download store. So it was only a matter of time before MySpace joined the game. But while many of these music stores are simply iTunes clones, MySpace is trying something different. It's going to offer a way for bands to sell music directly to fans from their MySpace pages. Furthermore, the songs aren't DRM'd so they're not tied to a particular device, and the band controls the price at which they're sold. Bands are already building up followings on MySpace, but have lacked a way to turn popularity into commercial success. This store will try to solve this problem. Predictably, there's already talk of whether MySpace can unseat the dominance of Apple in the digital music space, but that misses the point. It's the record labels themselves that should feel threatened. Not only has MySpace already given young bands an avenue to reach the masses, without a label to pay for their promotional campaigns, but now it's giving them more control over their distribution as well. The value added by signing with a label is clearly diminishing, and their fortunes are likely to follow.

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Sanguine Dream, 5 Sep 2006 @ 8:23am

Aw hell yeah...
It's good to see that someone is trying something different. With all the bands that have MySpace followings this sounds like a good idea and allowing the bands to manage their own prices is even better. That way fans won't feel like they are being overcharged for sub-par music. And if the fand do they will just stop buying the music of said band and that will send the message to the band that if they want to boost sales they have to shape up or ship out. This will be all fine and good until about 1 1/2 yr. down the road when someone will sue MySpace for some trademark/copyright/pantent infringment...
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Gabriel Tane, 5 Sep 2006 @ 8:32am

You bet your....
...yeah... that I'd buy this over iTunes or CD's or whatever. In a freakin' heartbeat.

Let me get this straight... I can preview music to see if I like it, then pay an amount chosen by the artist, directly to the artist, without the RIAA getting one red cent?!?

Oh FUCK yeah!

I can't wait to see the headlines: "MySpace rapes major record labels."

Now I'm having a happy day! Heeee!
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Andy, 5 Sep 2006 @ 8:57am

Why do they need Myspace for this
They could already offer their music to fans though a web-site. I don't see anything revolutionary about doing something in Myspace that they could have done anyway.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:07am

Re: Why do they need Myspace for this
Building your own website to sell downloads is hard. MySpace will make it easy. It's revolutionary cause it will enable more artists to do it.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:10am

This will help "artists" ... but not most bands
Most bands get their big breaks while doing covers. but you can't actually redistribute the recordings of your covers unless you are licensed (from the copyright holder of the song you are covering) to redistribute it.

So bands that are actually artists and are actually making new material will definitely be able to use this as a portal to completely bypassing the RIAA and its consortium. But if they are looking to make a record deal, then this is a perfectly wrong approach.
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Ethan B., 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:20am

Re: This will help "artists" ... but not most band
This is the most ridiculous B.S. I've ever heard.

1. You do not need a license to record a cover version of a song. You just need to pay the composer of the song the statutory mechanical royalty.

2. Playing covers is not a good way to get a record deal or sell records. Hence the genre of "Cover Bands," usually equated with dive bars and frat parties only.

Have a good one,

Ethan
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Alli, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:20am

please
MySpace needs to make their website better and add some bandwidth before adding more new features which are going to clog down the site.
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Happy Guy, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:20am

This is one of the best things to happen to the music industry. Bands don't need record lables, they don't need records or CDs. If a band is good, they'll get out there and sell a whole bunch of music on their MySpace.

This will also push for MUCH better music since the Lable is presurring them to write a bunch of quickie filler songs to fill up a CD. They can now take their time and release good complete songs one at a time as they finish them.
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Ethan B., 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:22am

If only MySpace actually works
I don't know about anyone else, but I have a burning fast connection and a super reliable powerbook, and half the time, MySpace doesn't work; that is, the music player doesn't work. Usually it will just sit there and say it's "buffering" for 10min.

Anyways, selling downloads is great, but what artists really need is some differentiation. The very nature of the fact that your band is on MySpace says nothing about your band.

Ethan
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:29am

Re: This will help "artists" ... but not most band
"Most bands get their big breaks while doing covers" Totally not true. A lot of bands start out doing covers, then begin writing their own material, but I don't know a single cover band that has gotten signed to a label. Labels want bands that can write music, seriously anyone can just learn a song someone else wrote Working in the music industry for 10 years now, I think this myspace things is a great tool, and really helps out the smaller local bands.
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anthony, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:30am

heh
every once in a while a band will post a bulletin about a new song being posted on their myspace in a week or so. whenever they do this it creates a huge buzz among everyone who listens to this band. sometimes this is a previously released song but most of the time it is an unreleased song. i hope that bands will sell those unreleased songs when the do things like this, i'm sure they would make a killing if they sold the new song at $2. i know i would buy it, if it was good.
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Blaise, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:31am

Re: Re: Why do they need Myspace for this
Also, the thing is, as crappy as MySpace is, it has the community. Making your own website is kind of like putting a restaurant in a middle of nowhere, whereas having a MySpace profile is like having an kiosk downtown. People have to know about your website/restaurant already in order to go there, whereas there are already millions of people listening to music on MySpace already.

Not to say that this should replace websites, for for many artists it can. As an artist myself, I try and get my music wherever I can, so having another option for a place to sell music can't be a bad thing.
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obilesk, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:31am

nice dreams
Unfortunately, we all know that the RIAA will find a way to sue Myspace to keep their monopoly up and running...
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Sanguine Dream, 5 Sep 2006 @ 9:35am

Re: If only MySpace actually works

Anyways, selling downloads is great, but what artists really need is some differentiation. The very nature of the fact that your band is on MySpace says nothing about your band.

You're right it doesn't. But hopefully bands will realize this when trying to sell their tunes on MySpace and will put real effort into making their music the best it can be. Since there are so many bands/groups/artists on MySpace already they just can't say "I'm on MySpace." and hope to stand out. What I would like to think would happen is this:

The ones that have good music but can't afford their own website or are afraid of getting raped by the RIAA will use MySpace for distribution. The ones that have sucky music and depend on saying, "My music is on MySpace." to make them indie superstars will fall by the wayside.
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Scott, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:02am

Re: If only MySpace actually works
Uh, I beg to differ with you on that statement about it not meaning anything when your band is on myspace.com... IT MEANS THEY PROBABLY SUCK COCK!!!! myspace.com is nothing but a huge fiasco of donkey raping ass masters!! Any "artist" who would release an album on their myspace page would suck a dick!!
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Ben C, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:03am

Re: nice dreams
you have to remember that myspace is now owned by Sony, so even if the RIAA tries to come knock on the door, Sony will be right there to make them go away!!
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:06am

gasp...
MYSPACE HAS A BUSINESS MODEL? ;)

In other news, I like the idea. Makes me tempted to start recording some more of my music,
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:10am

Re: Re: If only MySpace actually works
Yeah! Cause You Know ALL ABOUT IT I'm Sure. Please! Tell Us More! We All Want To Know About The Intelligent Comments You Are Sure To Engage Us With.

dork.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:12am

Re: Re: nice dreams
Yeah, which means that eventually they're find SOME way to screw it up. Hrm... I wonder if they'll find a way to install their root-kits when you visit user pages?
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Motopsycho, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:16am

The RIAA has no pull over those musicians or myspace in this instance. I would say a majority of the musicians who will be doing this either are unsigned or are on an indie that is not affiliated with the RIAA. Therefore, since none of the RIAA property's are being sold, there's nothing they can do about it, and they can suck a big one. :)
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evil, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:17am

Re: Re: nice dreams
Sony doesn't own myspace Rupert Murdoc does; if you did't know he is the owner of the Fox conglomerate.
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Dave, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:31am

Re: Why do they need Myspace for this
When was singing in a band, I would have killed to have something like this. Back then, the distribution medium was CD. We forked over thousands of dollars to have 1000 CDs produced and we only sold about 150 of those thousand. The other 850 were given away at live shows because we realized that (obvious statement alert) exposure was the only way that we were going to be successful.

MySpace is a free, easy, extremely fast way to gain valuable exposure. They also have boat-loads of money and the technical expertise to develop a service that poor independent bands can't afford on their own. This gives independent artists a chance to capitalize on their product in such a way that doesn't cost them thousands of dollars up front making their success (if they're good, of course) more attainable.

I used to say that if I was still in a band today that I would give my music away DRM free just to be heard because the real product is the band; the music is just the advertisement. With this MySpace offering, I'm changing my tune (pun intended) a bit.
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Denfro Licious, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:33am

Cool Idea
I've actually been introduced to a few bands that I very much like on MySpace. I think this will be an excellent avenue for artists to explore. I'm interested in seeing what the RIAA is going to do about this...

I also believe this will divide the lame bands from the great bands on MySpace.
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Jay, 5 Sep 2006 @ 10:59am

Excellent!!!
It's about time unsigned artists get the chance to show off some of their stuff and get some money back in the process. And just because bands are promoting themselves doesn't mean they suck, they just have almost no chance in the real world to be discovered by huge record labels because huge record labels have enough talent already knocking at their door. They can only listen and ultimately sign so many artists in such a saturated market. And "making it big" is like winning a lottery -- the chances are about the same -- almost zip. Myspace is a great way to allow some talent to be heard and appreciated. Ultimately the listener (and buyer of music) will decide whether a band "sucks" or not.
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Gabriel Tane (profile), 5 Sep 2006 @ 11:02am

Re: Re: This will help
"Most bands get their big breaks while doing covers" Totally not true. A lot of bands start out doing covers, then begin writing their own material, but I don't know a single cover band that has gotten signed to a label."
-Anonymous Coward

"Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies". They do nothing but punk-version covers of old songs. And they have a hell of a discography. But, then again, that's thier schtick. If a record company is looking for that, and a band has a MySpace page that says "this is what we do"... then sure, they may land a deal.
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Gabriel Tane (profile), 5 Sep 2006 @ 11:16am

Re: If only MySpace actually works
"Anyways, selling downloads is great, but what artists really need is some differentiation. The very nature of the fact that your band is on MySpace says nothing about your band.
"
-Ethan B

That's actually a problem that will fix itself. Those artists that stand out will be the ones that sell.

If the band/artist is another cookie-cutter clone of Limp Bizkit, then no, they will be (rightfully) lost it the blur of all the other mediocrity. If your band has a marketable appeal to any crowd, that crowd will find you and buy your stuff.

And, sorry, Fred and Fred-Clones... "creative" spelling (read: illiterate retardation) doesn't constitute "standing out".

Currently, the industry finds the most marketable crap and promotes it for sales, not for art. Now, with an idea like this, bands will have to stand on their own merit and earn their own way. I'm sure some people will still buy the "mainstream" drivel, but since they're all alike, no one artist will rise out of that. But for the most part, if your band doesn't have something that stands out and appeals, then no one's going to buy it.

No rockin' the suburbs for you.
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VPR, 5 Sep 2006 @ 12:44pm

Bash MySpace all you want but the fact is they have, and will continue to have the ideal target audience to pull this off.

I also want to know how the RIAA is going to sue MySpace. If they're making arrangements directly with unsigned bands the RIAA has zero involvement. Sue them for what? Having an idea better than the old system?
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Dennis, 5 Sep 2006 @ 12:45pm

Democratizing music
Everything is right for independent music to bring down the record industry. It's economics. There's a huge supply of music because it's so easy and cheap to create using inexpensive software and recording tools. There's a huge demand for independent music because mainstream music has sucked for so long. Now, with MySpace making it easy to promote music to a huge, connected audience, the last essential piece is in place - democracy. People can find good music and tell their friends, who can listen to it immediately instead of loaning CD's or, worse yet, counting on the radio to find new music. MySpace's tools to sell downloads is a major step in the right direction. Great sites for musicians are popping up all over the place. I sign up at every one and build audiences for free. I went on Broadjam.com, got a website and started selling my downloads in under an hour. That should make the RIAA wet itself. What's going to happen when fans only listen to bands that have been endorsed by their friends? First off, the small number of super popular musicians that control the airwaves will be replaced by many more less popular bands, although far more legitimate, and the record industry will have a lot harder time running the music industry by spending money.

Oh what a sad day when real talent is allowed to rise to the top without financing...
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Noni, 5 Sep 2006 @ 12:48pm

I really hope that it works out, I think it is an excellent way for fans to show support of small bands
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Eric Williams, 5 Sep 2006 @ 5:01pm

I forsee.... Issues
Now this would be a great thing... if nothing but the amount of bands on MySpace (and arguably quality) stays the same. The important thing to remember is MySpace somehow has to turn a profit off of this. FTA:

Unlike iTunes, where all tracks are 99 cents, musicians set their own prices. MySpace and Snocap say they will take a cut just large enough to cover the costs of the materials and provide a tiny profit; the lion's share of the sale goes directly to the artists.

First off - who defines "a tiny profit"? Secondly, and this is the problem that's most likely to occur, is tiered service:

MySpace: "Want your band advertised professionaly? Want faster download speeds and a better layout? Want uncapped download bandwidth? Sign up here!" For the small fee of $XXX dollars a month, you can have your MySpace premium service. And any time you have direct recurrent expenses, you lose out on the quantity of bands that will sign - especially the little guys that don't want to take that risk. This won't be the open forum of music everyone's probably dreaming about.

I also agree with the posters that are saying MySpace's current framework isn't capable of handling the added loads - code-wise and bandwidth wise. Even if the offload hosting of the music, it still has to be routed through them - and they're already one of the slowest sites around (simply due to the sheer massive userbase).
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Gabriel Tane (profile), 5 Sep 2006 @ 8:37pm

Re: I forsee.... Issues
"MySpace: "Want your band advertised professionaly? Want faster download speeds and a better layout? Want uncapped download bandwidth? Sign up here!" For the small fee of $XXX dollars a month, you can have your MySpace premium service. And any time you have direct recurrent expenses, you lose out on the quantity of bands that will sign - especially the little guys that don't want to take that risk. This won't be the open forum of music everyone's probably dreaming about."
-Eric Williams

Wait... that's a bad thing? I think it's great. It allows the artists the ability to chose MySpace's level of involvement.

As it stands now, the terms of a regular music contract from a major label are dictated by the label. "Hey kid. We like how you sound. Here's a recording 'deal'. Take it or leave it."

I think this is another positive selling point for this service. It will allow those artists who are capable of spreading the word on their own to use MySpace as a sales and bulletin service. While the artists that don't have that great a network yet can pay a little extra to get the help they need. How's that bad?

"First off - who defines "a tiny profit"?"
-Eric Williams

Why is it that whenever a company says the word "profit", people envision truckloads of money just rolling in? You want to know the definition of a tiny profit? How about State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance, the largest auto insurer in the US. Certainly falls under the definition of "large company". The profit margin they aim for is approximately 2.5%. Anything over that goes back to the policy holders. So yeah... huge profit there.

The "trick" is that 2.5% of the billions of dollars they take in premium adds up for them. 2.5% of the few hundred dollars you pay is a drop in the bucket compared to your other household expenses.

Same with your other bills and payments. Most companies know that if they start raking in high percentages of profit, which can be verified by their financial statements every year, they are going to start losing customers.
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Jeff, 6 Sep 2006 @ 6:59am

(c) 2006 MySpace Records Inc.
This is just step #1 at creating Record Labels 2.0.

And yes, this could be a VERY GOOD thing.

MySpace is already a host of great content. It's the CONTENT that matters there, and MySpace obviously "gets it".

MySpace has already released a best-of-MySpace CD of some sort a while back, I forget the actual title. It shouldn't surprise anyone then that individual bands will start setting up shopping carts there -- any more than it should surprise anyone when MySpace starts offering pressed CDs for home delivery, or when you see a band's album appear in your local Wal-Mart and you see (c) 2006 MySpace Records Inc. appearing on it.

Ok, I'm done with than rant now, time to get out my strat and record somethin' buyable... lmao!
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Kelly, 6 Sep 2006 @ 2:12pm

Burn Lounge is better...
This is a great tool for artists...but My Space is actually 2 steps behind... what is even better and ALREADY available to artists and their fans is Burn Lounge... Not only can they license and sell their music (and Burn Lounge charges them NOTHING to do this)...but they can then own their own customizable digital store and make 55-70 cents on the dollar...they can feature their OWN and make the retailer cut of not only their own tracks, but everyone elses ...and then their fans can own stores and sell their music along side all of the major artists and have even more incentive to promote them because they make the retailer cut..it's a beautiful thing..all an artist has to do is put a link from their myspace to their Burn Lounge.. check it out! https://reg.burnlounge.com/BLCommercial/default.aspx?storeId=28848 -kelly RiceOwlett@gmail .com
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Loud Is Relative, 12 Sep 2006 @ 7:28pm

Re: Re: If only MySpace actually works
Uh, I beg to differ with you on that statement about it not meaning anything when your band is on myspace.com... IT MEANS THEY PROBABLY SUCK COCK!!!! myspace.com is nothing but a huge fiasco of donkey raping ass masters!! Any "artist" who would release an album on their myspace page would suck a dick!!

I think Scott here must work for the RIAA and sounds a little bit bitter about getting sideswiped by what could be the "future of music distribution"

Don't get me wrong, I think MySpace is a horribly coded site that has more bugs than (insert joke here), but the ability for independant artists to attempt to sell their music without having to wait/pray/hope to be picked up by a label is simply amazing and will {crossing fingers} open the door to a multitude of new artists that may get the recording industry out of it's current slump... In the end I think the RIAA will be kissing myspace's ass, but only time will tell...
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myspace layouts, 24 Sep 2006 @ 9:38am

myspace.com gets ahead in this game straight away as they have probably one of the largest user database which are say over 70% of music clients
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A.C.E., 2 Oct 2006 @ 12:08pm

RE: SAME CONCEPT
this is the same concept as burnlounge, just like myspace every "SERIOUS" artist has a burnlounge! myspace a great tool for marketing, someone stated in their comment any artist willing to sell an album on myspace....dude shut TFU!! independent artist has far better concepts and music than most major artist today!! visit my store today* www.burnlounge.com/BAX
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miss_pierced, 3 Oct 2006 @ 4:19pm

myspace music
why would people even pay to download tunes from unsigned, independant artists when MP3artistsonline.com do the same thing for free?
Artists and downloaders pay NO CHARGES on mp3artists
its another sell out scheme by myspace to get more money to throw away on without updating servers and getting rid of technical problems while at the same time pushing out unsigned bands and solo artists in to the cold.
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Rachie Grave Prediction, 5 Oct 2006 @ 7:33am

Selling music on Myspace
This sounds like a great idea, especially for my band, it is quite difficult to get people onto sites like overplay, where we tried sell our music but on myspace this will be perfect our 'friends list' has over 400 people on it, to be able to have the way of selling our songs to these guys would be amazing, hey sell a our music to someone in the USA or Australia without having to have a rediculous postage charge is amazing.. When is this going to happen I want to get another recording done specially for it!!
WOWOWOWOW go MYSPACE!
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matt, 13 Oct 2006 @ 8:05am

won't sound as good as a real cd though will it?
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Bob Hope, 30 Nov 2006 @ 8:49pm

Question
Does anyone know why the artist with record labels seemed to have suddenly switched off the add button to their songs? This is making some people's myspace boring because they can't have a cool new song on theirs to listen to!
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nytasha, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:43am

hey.
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shanelle, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:45am

Re:
heygurl.howyoudoingimdoingood.bffloveyabye.
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steveo, 25 Apr 2007 @ 8:53am

none
what are three pets is
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bcffffffffvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv, 1 May 2007 @ 11:46pm

Re: This will help "artists" ... but not most band
vc xzffffdddb
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We have just launched a website that does this!, 7 Sep 2007 @ 1:35am

Re: Aw hell yeah...
Hey guys
We have just launched a store that does exactly what you are talking about above. We are really excited about it. It has heeps of features that sites like myspace don't have.
Anyone can join and sell their music from it. (as well as other things such as band merchandise)
Check it out at http://www.tunestart.com
best of all its free!
Hope we will see you all on their
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Lonk, 8 Oct 2007 @ 2:50pm

Re: Re: Why do they need Myspace for this
Plus, think of how hard it would be to visit 20 sites by finding the URL vs. going to a site like DiscoverOurBand.com or MS. ...not as easy to hear new music quickly if you have to figure out where their site is.
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Lonk, 8 Oct 2007 @ 2:53pm

Re: Re: This will help "artists" ... but not most
I second Ethans opinion. C'mon- really? Successful bands start as cover bands? Name a couple for us if you can. ...coverbands are for weddings and cheesy bars. Oof!
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Lonk, 8 Oct 2007 @ 2:59pm

Re: Re: If only MySpace actually works
What's up troll? Not enough boy bands on myspace for you? You seem to be speaking out of your arse. I've found MANY great bands on myspace. With that said, there is a certain quality of lameness to myspace. Doesn't mean I won't listen to good artists on MS or DiscoverOurBand.com.
...I don't even know why I feed the troll.
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Deriv, 8 Oct 2008 @ 5:27am

New file serch engine
If you need to find some file in the internet, you should do it no longer by yourself, just visit http://newfileengine.com. It is a very interesting and useful file search engine. This search engine gives you opportunity to find all things you need, such as games, movies or soft. Enjoy it!!
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