China Discovers It Can't Block All Online Talk Of Contaminated Milk

Is MySpace Music For Big Record Labels Only?

from the that-would-be-a-mistake... dept

Mon, Sep 22nd 2008 4:20am — Mike Masnick

We've already questioned the strategy for MySpace Music, and now even more concerns are popping up, as various independent labels claim they're being blocked out of the offering altogether. While it's true that most of the focus for MySpace Music has been with the majors, MySpace's success in the music world came out of its usefulness for independent or unsigned acts, who used the site to build up a community. To ignore that side of the market, or even to treat indies as second-class citizens in the endeavor seems like a huge mistake.

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Filed Under: big labels, independent labels, music, record labels, social networks
Companies: myspace

19 Comments

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some old guy, 22 Sep 2008 @ 5:04am

It's all second class
Everything about myspace has always been second class.

What you are seeing now, however, is myspace trying to turn into a first class site. To do that, it's casually ignoring second class citizens as a result of trying to recruit first class talent.

The indies have always been second class. The indies always will be second class. This is as it should be. This is not a problem.

The real problem with this situation, is that the second class citizens feel that myspace should remain a second class website, simply because it started out a second class website, and second class citizens are directly responsible for its rise to fame.

Many people will give this action a stupid label like "selling out" or whatever. That's fine. This is exactly what occured, and was always the intention. Myspace was not a garageband. Myspace was a business. It's there to make money, and if they can make more money by "selling out" then that is exactly what they will do.

Myspace is currently the ghetto of the music industry. There isn't any money to be made as the ghetto. Myspace wants to make money. Myspace must change. The second class citizens are only going to drag them down now. It's time to find a new second class site.
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lim, 22 Sep 2008 @ 5:15am

Its Newscorp?
Isnt Myspace owned by newscorp, they are pretty famous for thier synergistic marketing, I wouldnt expect to find much on myspace that didnt come from some other newscorp owned property.
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J.Locke, 22 Sep 2008 @ 5:23am

Re: It's all second class
"Myspace is currently the ghetto of the music industry."

I remember when punk was the "ghetto" of the music industry. Out of that ghetto came bands like the Clash, the Pretenders and the Police. Bands that went on to generate alot of money (just think of what Sting alone has generated). I remember when hip-hop was the "ghetto" of music, yet people like Russel Simmons and JayZ seem to have done very well from that ghetto. I remember when Grunge was the "second class music scene" in small dank clubs with no cover charge, etc etc etc

What you call "first class" is really just yesterdays news. What you call "second class" is really where all the money will be made. You can copy the last big thing over and over (as is the general rule of the entertainment industry) and watch your returns get smaller and smaller or you can try to find the next big thing. The "second class" music scene is where the next big thing will always be found.
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some old guy, 22 Sep 2008 @ 5:37am

Re: Re: It's all second class
I'm sorry, but I must have spoken in too many metaphors for you to understand, as your response doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with what I said.
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PaulT (profile), 22 Sep 2008 @ 5:44am

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest. If you look at the sales figures for the last few years, you won't simply see a decrease in CD sales. What you will see is that a larger proportion of sales are going to independent labels. Most of these aren't RIAA members, so the RIAA can still get away with reporting falsely reduced figures by ignoring these independent sales, but it's happening.

Now, the main reason why the RIAA have maintained such a large majority share in the first place is because they control most media outlets. Most TV, radio, newspaper and other outlets are own and/or controlled by the same corporations who comprise the RIAA. MySpace is part of that corporate structure, so of course they're going to try and block independent labels from having a level playing field...

The labels are still running scared, and they have shown many times in the past that "playing fair" with the competition is never part of their agenda.
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Chronno S. Trigger, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:04am

Re: Re: Re: It's all second class
Well since you were saying that indie bands were second class and indie labels were second class and suppose to be that way than I'd say that his post has a lot of relevance to yours.

Remember when Rock and Roll was "second class" music? I figure you would relate to that reference better Mr. Old Guy. Remember when Elvis was considered a bad influence on your children and was treated as such?

So if we consider that indie bands and labels aren't second class than it invalidates your post completely.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:20am

This is almost (only more minor) than eBay making it difficult for the people who made it huge in the first place. There's no point in selling on eBay now. It's not an auction site anymore - they're competing with Amazon.

What happened to the US anyway?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:24am

Re: Re: Re: It's all second class
"I'm sorry, but I must have spoken in too many metaphors for you to understand, as your response doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with what I said."

Maybe so, you appeared to be saying that Myspace was going after only big artists and labels, becuase thats where all the money is. I guess thats not what you were saying . . . ?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:28am

Re:
"What happened to the US anyway?"

Six years of repubican government and 8 years of Bush Administration leadership, sent America to a very costly war against the wrong country and may have completely bankrupt the entire world financial market. Thats what happend.
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some old guy, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:45am

Re: Re: Re: Re: It's all second class
No, again, thats nothing of what I was referring to.

By second class, I mean "not first class" where first class is posh for the sake of posh.

By second class, I mean "art, not mass production".

By second class, I mean "music created by artists, not music created by entertainment professionals".

By second class, I mean "music without the intention of maximizing profits".

Better now?
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some old guy, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:49am

Re: Re: Re: Re: It's all second class
Maybe so, you appeared to be saying that Myspace was going after only big artists and labels, becuase thats where all the money is. I guess thats not what you were saying . . . ?

That is what I am saying. You don't make money by recruiting talent that is only trying to make music. You make money by recruiting talent that is only trying to make money.

There is a HUGE difference in revenue potential between the real artists and the entertainment professionals.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 6:57am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: It's all second class
"There is a HUGE difference in revenue potential between the real artists and the entertainment professionals."

To some extent we agree, although I would still argue that going exclusively after what is big now, ensures that you will always remain behind on the big money trends. Personally I could care less, dont use MySpace and never have (I think I would be 3rd or 4th class on your chart), but they arent doing themselves any favors by focusing exclusively on "yesterdays news" in terms of music trends.
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Pope Ratzo, 22 Sep 2008 @ 8:28am

MySpace is so 2002.

Yawn.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 9:07am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: It's all second class
You don't make money by recruiting talent that is only trying to make music. You make money by recruiting talent that is only trying to make money.

There is a HUGE difference in revenue potential between the real artists and the entertainment professionals.

You can make a lot of money by recruiting talent only trying to make music, just like you can make money by recruiting talent that is only trying to make money. There are many avenues to making money and not all of them require everyone involved to be focused only on the money. Any difference between what you classify as "real artists" and "entertainment professionals" is at best short term and at worst limiting. Some "real artists" will become (or already are) "entertainment professionals", and the reverse also holds true.

If you make one million from three artists or one million from 1000 artists you have still made one million. Don't assume that big money must be pursued only by those looking for big money.
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Richie Frieman, 22 Sep 2008 @ 9:15am

The best source for independant artists
Independent and/or unsigned artists have found a new home for promoting themselves and their work at www.PensEyeView.com. An e-magazine that features a different, unique and talented artist/musician/entertainer/visionary etc., every 48 hours. If you want good artists or if you are an artist that wants people to see your stuff than check us out and email me!
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cake, 22 Sep 2008 @ 9:40am

Re: Re:
Wow, because that has everything to do with Bush's presidency and not a partisan congress not listening to Greenspan years ago.... from both parties. Way to go totally off base. By the way are you a huge apple fanboy also? (I have to imagine you are, and own signed copies of everything Michael Moore has ever directed) Myspace has already been quickly replaced by facebook for most users and facebook appears to be watching myspaces' mistakes and decline and attempting to avoid the same pitfalls.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 11:09am

Re: Re: Re:
"Wow, because that has everything to do with Bush's presidency and not a partisan congress not listening to Greenspan years ago.... from both parties. Way to go totally off base. By the way are you a huge apple fanboy also? "

Yeah the Democrats have been extremely vocal and persistent about their support for deregulated secondary credit markets . . . oh no wait, that’s mainly been republicans? It’s pretty sad that some people are still bamboozled by weak republican propaganda, even after the last eight years of corrupt, catastrophic leadership that party has given America and the obvious and undeniable effects of its vacuous (and frankly moronic) ideology on our country and on the world? People believe what they want to believe I guess, no matter how much concrete evidence smacks them in the face. Well there truly is a sucker born every day and no one counts on that more than the RNC.

To your pretty silly ad-homonym part, no actually I work in visual studio and don’t own anything Apple, not even an iPod (I’m one of the few who has a Zune though LOL)? I don’t own any Michael Moore movies either (I’m more of a Black Adder fan myself)? I’m not sure what insult was intended by those assumptions, but as it turns out you were wrong about them too . . . it would make me chuckle if it weren’t so sad.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 11:32am

Re: Re:
Oh wait. Was it all setup by president before him? Yes, it was. Let me hear some emotional arguments about politics, because that seems to be the only way democrats can share their ideas. Please shout down everyone else. It clearly makes you correct.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2008 @ 11:52am

Re: Re: Re:
"Oh wait. Was it all setup by president before him? Yes, it was. Let me hear some emotional arguments about politics, because that seems to be the only way democrats can share their ideas. Please shout down everyone else. It clearly makes you correct."

LOL do Republicans ever take responsiblity for anything? Well it is the party of cowardice I guess. The Bush administration has become the "dont blame me, I didn't do it" presidency LOL, "it was like that when I got here" . . . come on thats funny.
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