Most people find their favorite social networking spots for their personal needs quite easily. The socialites go to Facebook and the business networkers go to LinkedIn. But the search for the musician’s perfect online home is becoming just a little bit harder these days.
While MySpace was once the hottest place for bands to settle, promote their music and even create a name and fan base for themselves, it is slowly becoming more and more difficult, simply because the real people (ie, the fans) are finding a new home for themselves on Facebook. That’s not to say MySpace has completely diminished. Although it is quickly becoming less and less active by many, it still provides the best tools and features for musicians such as the ability to upload mp3s to a respectable and prominent music player, posting tour schedules and creating personalized band banners/logos by customizing your profile page.
So while nearly everyone is shifting over to Facebook, bands feel the need to follow. But the problem is, Facebook is not shifting with them, or even making the musicians’ needs much of a thought. Facebook does not yet offer personalized and user-friendly features for bands apart from being able to create a “page” and gather “fans.” Sure, you can upload a few mp3s using iLike’s application, but the process is clumsy and looks much less slick than MySpace’s music player.
As MySpace continues to decline, there will be more and more homeless bands. Facebook could easily pick this one up and fill the gap, but will they?
Image credit: hellogeri
Ayelet Noff is a partner in Socialmedia.biz and founder and Co-CEO of Blonde 2.0, an award winning digital PR agency with branches in Boston and Tel Aviv. Contact Ayelet via The Blonde 2.0 website , email, or follow her on Twitter and Google Plus.
ReverbNation
There is much more available to musicians than being described here. There are discographies that can be posted, songs that can can be displayed and played in a clean looking player, pictures, videos, places for calendars and listing of events … True, it's not as easily modified, but there are Facebook apps that can help spice up Facebook pages to be original. All without the help of iLike, if they so choose.
If musicians will flee from Myspace to Facebook, I would surely love that.
Because as what I have seen from the rankings of the World's visited site
Facebook is more visited than Myspace, so why not musicians flee to Myspace.
I think it would be a good choice for them.
I've been making music long before this social networking crap. Though I have a Facebook account, I rarely use it. And Facebook really doesn't seem to give a damn about musicians anyway.
I'm keeping my Myspace page. If people want read a summary of what Tom or Jane had for breakfast, or their favorite American Idol, they can go to Facebook. If people want music, Myspace is still the best place to hear music and discover new bands. Until Facebook is more musician friendly, I have little use for them.