Hey all--Christian here enjoying the Via trip back to London with a beverage and checking our MySpace account.
We’re playing at Norma Jean’s next Thursday night, and I was corresponding with Crystal who books the Indie night to confirm our time (10:30 for those interested...). As I was typing my message, I was thinking about how we use MySpace, and how it has changed over time.
Originally, we had thought that MySpace was a great way to connect with new audiences. Maybe that is true for some acts, but we have not found this to be so. It has been great for connecting with venues, for connecting with other acts we’ve performed with, exchanging shows etc, but when we dissect the composition of our MySpace friends, many of them are bands in the same situation as we are. Event postings on MySpace rarely cited as the source of information for our actual audience.
Our Facebook group, on the other hand, seems to be a much more effective way to keep in touch with people who actually come out. Let’s face it—if you asked ten non-musicians if they had a MySpace account, what percentage would have MySpace accounts? In my experience, very few. On the other hand, the vast majority of people I ask have either a Facebook or Twitter account (or both). Obviously our mailing list is very direct, but the Facebook interface lets us post more interesting stuff and gives everyone an opportunity to comment.
Twitter, although not something I use, seems to have a near-poetic conciseness that allows people to maintain contact in a manner that is easily manageable. We can be connected without a huge investment in time. Hey, people are busy, and having a way to make a quick, sitcom quote is very appealing.
On the other hand, a blog is a commitment of time. If you’ve read this far, clearly you’re an exception—someone looking for a deeper insight, or just really, really bored...
Speaking for our band, in almost every case, if we accept someone as a MySpace friend, one of us has checked out their page. I love seeing what other artists are doing, listening to their tracks, checking out their artwork and thoughts. It is both inspiring and scary to get a glimpse of how much great music is out there and not receiving the attention it so richly deserves. But am I an exception?
So--is MySpace still relevant, at least as a tool for truly connecting with an audience? In my opinion, no. Without our audience as members (which they are not), they can’t comment. Without their input, thoughts and opinions, we are not connecting through this vehicle. Perhaps they read the blogs and listen to the music, but without their feedback, I just don’t feel connected. The communication is one-way.
I think there are people out there who are looking for new music and use MySpace to find it. With all credit to the MySpace crew, they are adding new functionality, but frankly, LastFM is a more intuitive way to find new music that I like. I would think that the new Myspace email functionality is an effort to connect beyond the limits of the Myspace login, but is it too-little-too-late?
Hey—I’ll admit that I’m busy and don’t blog or update as often as I should. Frankly, sometimes it feels tying a message to a balloon, or the gold record on the Voyager spacecraft...sent off, into the ether. Maybe someday someone will find it, but without any response, we’ll never know...