Did you hear the big news? Most likely not. Myspace.com has opened to the general public, what they are calling the New Myspace. Does the revamped social network stand a chance against sites like Facebook? As of now, probably not. The redesign of the archaic social networking site began when pop superstar Justin Timberlake came on board. During the initial public launch, Timberlake’s ads blanketed the website for his latest song ‘Suit & Tie’.
The Ordinary Guy Network (TOGN) recently upgraded our profile to the new platform and we were immediately disappointed. As far as I can tell, all of the fan base (50,000+ people) that we spent years building up, is nonexistent in the “new” Myspace. That might be something bands and brands will want to keep in mind before upgrading.
The new layout of Myspace is a very fluid one that utilizes a horizontal scroll versus the traditional vertical one. At first, it is very awkward to navigate. It took around an hour for me to get used to the new flow. If visitors are not willing to spend a decent amount of time learning the in’s and out’s of the new site, it could spell disaster for this rendition of Myspace.
One thing the New Myspace is doing right is the limited advertising (likely to increase over time) and the large music player that is always along the bottom of the site. It features the traditional control buttons of a player, but also adds a music search bar.
While Myspace is one again trying to become the leader in the music profile world, I feel they are simply too late. So many other websites offer the tools musicians need, and the no brainer navigation that listeners want. Who knows… I could be wrong. Try it out for yourselves and let me know what you think!
