Indie artists to bail from Myspace

[Don]

Looks like Facebook might get some business

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7643827.stm

There will be an "exodus" of music artists from MySpace in a row over the website's new music download service, a record label boss has warned.

Independent record labels have cried foul after failing to reach a deal for their acts to appear on MySpace Music.

"MySpace has been floundering lately already, and people have been moving toward Facebook and so on," said Tom Silverman, boss of Tommy Boy Records.

MySpace said in a statement it remains "committed" to independent music acts.

"We believe that all artists will be able to enjoy the benefits longer term. In the meantime we invite and welcome discussion with artists, labels and independent representatives at any time," it added.

MySpace has joined forces with the four major record labels for their stars to appear on the service.

But many in the independent sector feel that much of MySpace's success has been built on the presence of new and indie acts.

That has led Mr Silverman, who signed De La Soul, Queen Latifah and Coolio, to comment that "our lovers were cheating on us".

"Now we need to hire a great divorce lawyer," he told the Los Angeles Times.

He added that the latest developments would "accelerate the exodus" of acts from the site.



MySpace is widely seen as the top destination for new and established artists to showcase their songs and keep in touch with fans. An estimated five million acts have MySpace pages.

The new ad-funded service, which has just launched in the US, lets MySpace members listen to streamed tracks for free or download them through partner site Amazon.com.



The four major labels have been given a stake in the new site and the independent labels want a similar deal.

They say that is not currently the case, although MySpace said it had provided everyone with the "same opportunities".

The indie labels include Beggars Group, which has Radiohead, MIA and Vampire Weekend on its roster.

Beggars chairman Martin Mills said: "We believe that independent music and artists are worth every cent as much as that of the majors, and will not be supporting this potentially exciting new service until we see fair play."

Other companies not signed up include Domino, home of the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand, as well as rock label Epitaph, dance hothouse Warp and Koch, the largest independent label in the US.



Koch president Bob Frank said: "Our issue is not with the majors having equity, but with MySpace believing that we would accept this without similar terms.

"MySpace continually states that it is embracing the independents. It's a pretty listless and cold embrace."

Indie rights body Merlin is negotiating for its 12,000 labels, which have a 9% share of the US music market - roughly the same as the smallest major, EMI.

In a statement when the service launched, MySpace said: "We have offered Merlin a relationship that provides the same opportunities to Merlin's labels and artists that we have provided to all labels and artists."

A UK version of MySpace Music is expected to launch in early 2009.

[Voyager]

Indie artists to bail from Myspace

Good. Let them go back to India. See if MySpace even cares!

[iceberg]

the myspace fad is over for indie artists and in my own opinion, it's a good thing. far too many relied on going to myspace and posting a bulletin and saying "there, promo work done for our show!"

myspace does NOT replace feet on the streets and active networking. not even close. it made many lazy to me. hell, i got lazy for awhile counting on myspace to take me where i wanted to go. then i realized i had no idea where that was so i just go buy pets there now and check mail.

the networking there is no longer valid or even looked at that way. facebook is just new cheese.

be interesting to see what comes along next.

[wastingbeerz]

the myspace fad is over for indie artists and in my own opinion, it's a good thing. far too many relied on going to myspace and posting a bulletin and saying "there, promo work done for our show!"

myspace does NOT replace feet on the streets and active networking. not even close. it made many lazy to me. hell, i got lazy for awhile counting on myspace to take me where i wanted to go. then i realized i had no idea where that was so i just go buy pets there now and check mail.

the networking there is no longer valid or even looked at that way. facebook is just new cheese.

be interesting to see what comes along next.

Eh, ever since they changed the whole damn layout, facebook has been a pain in the ass to use. Myspace, not so much. Easier access to music on myspace too. Facebook is just... too much of a pain in the ass anymore.

[bluejeangirl76]

Eh, ever since they changed the whole damn layout, facebook has been a pain in the ass to use. Myspace, not so much. Easier access to music on myspace too. Facebook is just... too much of a pain in the ass anymore.

Totally. That's the one big reason I hate Facebook. I consider myself pretty damn technologically apt and even I can't naivigate Facebook. No click takes me where I think it will or where I want it to and all those stupid widgets, WTF is that all about?! I don't bother much with that crap anymore anyway, but occasionally there's something I want or need to see... (message from family or friend, etc... whatever) and I can never get to the things I want. Pisses me the hell off.

[wastingbeerz]

Eh, ever since they changed the whole damn layout, facebook has been a pain in the ass to use. Myspace, not so much. Easier access to music on myspace too. Facebook is just... too much of a pain in the ass anymore.

Totally. That's the one big reason I hate Facebook. I consider myself pretty damn technologically apt and even I can't naivigate Facebook. No click takes me where I think it will or where I want it to and all those stupid widgets, WTF is that all about?! I don't bother much with that crap anymore anyway, but occasionally there's something I want or need to see... (message from family or friend, etc... whatever) and I can never get to the things I want. Pisses me the hell off.

Especially when you see that someone added a new app, click on the link with their name on it, and it takes you to the fcking app instead of the profile, which as one would normally deduce would be gotten to by clicking on a person's name, that is in its own separate hyperlink, I might add!!!

Myspace has always just been so much more efficient. And I really don't dig all the snobby college kids trying to shove facebook down my throat either, like its soooooo amazing, and the fact that they use it and throw a link in their IM program profile that says "facebook me!" and think that makes them so witty & trendy... just makes me want to puke. Anyhow, I use both, but I stand by my original statement... myspace is efficient!!!

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

the myspace fad is over for indie artists and in my own opinion, it's a good thing. far too many relied on going to myspace and posting a bulletin and saying "there, promo work done for our show!"

myspace does NOT replace feet on the streets and active networking. not even close. it made many lazy to me. hell, i got lazy for awhile counting on myspace to take me where i wanted to go. then i realized i had no idea where that was so i just go buy pets there now and check mail.

the networking there is no longer valid or even looked at that way. facebook is just new cheese.

be interesting to see what comes along next.

yup. that is what I have observed too. there is no substitute for good old fashioned shoe leather and elbow grease. it's hard. that's why it is called work.

I think these sights are a tool of value and should be used to the fullest advantage but not as the all in all for advertising. artists should still get their peeps to talk about them and prop them--it works. and hire professional blabbers. yup, they cost money but ya gotta spend some to make some in business. besides, it is advertising, which is a bonafide expense and it's deductible!! they will need the deductions when they start raking in the big bucks.

imho. sorry to rant. guess you hit a tiny nerve with me. I manage a sales unit and I preach this over and over. work don't whine. tell somebody whatcha got and stay off the computer. nose to nose, in person, one on one networking is tried and true.

i can't comment on the topic cuz I haven't read too much about it.

[iceberg]

the myspace fad is over for indie artists and in my own opinion, it's a good thing. far too many relied on going to myspace and posting a bulletin and saying "there, promo work done for our show!"

myspace does NOT replace feet on the streets and active networking. not even close. it made many lazy to me. hell, i got lazy for awhile counting on myspace to take me where i wanted to go. then i realized i had no idea where that was so i just go buy pets there now and check mail.

the networking there is no longer valid or even looked at that way. facebook is just new cheese.

be interesting to see what comes along next.

yup. that is what I have observed too. there is no substitute for good old fashioned shoe leather and elbow grease. it's hard. that's why it is called work.

I think these sights are a tool of value and should be used to the fullest advantage but not as the all in all for advertising. artists should still get their peeps to talk about them and prop them--it works. and hire professional blabbers. yup, they cost money but ya gotta spend some to make some in business. besides, it is advertising, which is a bonafide expense and it's deductible!! they will need the deductions when they start raking in the big bucks.

imho. sorry to rant. guess you hit a tiny nerve with me. I manage a sales unit and I preach this over and over. work don't whine. tell somebody whatcha got and stay off the computer. nose to nose, in person, one on one networking is tried and true.

i can't comment on the topic cuz I haven't read too much about it.

by all means use myspace but don't expect it to be more than it is. a whore machine. no label gives a shit you signed up 1000 friends yesterday because tomorrow 999 of them won't give a damn about you, they just accept and go on. i've got 4200 some odd friends and one time i put up a post saying "$5 to the first person to tell me they read this".

didn't cost me a dime. people are too busy promoting to be promoted to. i ain't got time for you i gotta get me out there.

you can't cross-promote or build your own communication network on it. the music isn't and won't ever be portable. sales are diverse and without a foundation and just another widget. it's a modern day 80s arcade. nice fad, we'll get some cool stuff out of it, but in a few years myspace will be hanging out with pacman and bellbottoms.

[FishinMagician]

ya, i used to prefer facebook because it was more organized. now myspace seems to be more organized and easier to navigate.
signed "college student"

[Sarah]

MySpace has gotten a little more organized over the years but it's still a mess. Facebook is taking a nosedive, though.

[G.I.Jim]

I think I'll personally be sticking with myspace. Unlike most musicians, I have made a lot of connections to people out there, and I actually respond to each and every one of my messages and friend requests. I have a lot of regulars that are wonderful people, and I wouldn't have known them if it weren't for myspace. I end up spending TOO much time on there sometimes, but I like to keep it personal with people who like my songs. Just my two cents...

[iceberg]

I think I'll personally be sticking with myspace. Unlike most musicians, I have made a lot of connections to people out there, and I actually respond to each and every one of my messages and friend requests. I have a lot of regulars that are wonderful people, and I wouldn't have known them if it weren't for myspace. I end up spending TOO much time on there sometimes, but I like to keep it personal with people who like my songs. Just my two cents...

like i said, myspace is a tool and can be a good one. i never used facebook because there's only so many places i really feel like blogging and even that has died down and for the longest time i just blogged lyrics i liked to write. i even setup my own networking site and the biggest feedback i got was "oh shit, another one?"

then i looked around and yea, there were a lot of those out there now and it's just the new fad. it will die and fade and while the top sites will always have their following, they're just band aiding on top of things and adding a feature here and there and seem to lack overall mission or objective.

i like to use it when i find new bands to get in touch with them but if i work with them on a regular basis, i get other contact info also. outside of that like i said, i can post away on the bulletinboard but nothing will really result from that and that's life. when you have 4k friends the board goes by fast and you'll miss the messages. if you have 100 friends and a few are active, all you see is their advertising so you tune it out anyway.

for networking and "band surfing" it can be cool but not well laid out for that. i can't subscribe to calendars pre se of venues or bands and i can't create my own network inside the network and it's ultimate failing will be that it can't compete w/itunes for sales, so the music will never be portable as that would be an entirely different license set and in the end that's what's going to happen to music.

my vision anyway. in 1982 while playing my atari 2600 i wondered how long it would be before music was on a cartridge or chip like that for your car stereo. 2008 was that answer.

after awhile i imagine you'll buy rights to a library, not a song, and single sales will be done away with.