Bands and fans singing a new tune on MySpace

A place for the big boys
Signed bands that already have a large fan base and the marketing power of a record label have also been drawn in by the DIY appeal of MySpace.

“It’s this great new place for instant gratification,” said Chris Carrabba, lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Dashboard Confessional, which is signed with Vagrant Records.

Carrabba logged onto MySpace for the same reason Anderson created the site: to connect with friends. Carrabba, who spends much of his time touring, said the site provides a central meeting place, anonymity, and a chance to connect with new fans.

“We’ve become a fairly popular band, especially among Web-savvy kids,” Carrabba said. “I do believe that’s what made us. But there are plenty of people that haven’t heard of us, or heard us yet.”

Dashboard Confessional’s nearly 169,000 online fans have translated into concert patrons, as Carrabba found out when his band performed at a special concert in Los Angeles in October commemorating the second anniversary of MySpace.

“The MySpace anniversary party was kind of a reunion between bands, and probably the same thing for ‘civilians’ on MySpace,” he said. “You had people from everywhere there.” 

Branching beyond cyberspace
The L.A. concert also coincided with MySpace’s latest music venture, a new record label. The site has partnered with Interscope Records to form a label featuring both well-established and breakthrough acts. A MySpace Records compilation album released last fall put the music from more than a dozen bands, including Dashboard Confessional, into the hands of millions of consumers.

“Honestly it’s just something I wanted to do,” Anderson said of the label. “It seemed like a fun way to support bands. It’s not a huge part of the business. It’s a completely separate venture and in no way will it affect what we do with bands and labels. Maybe we’ll sign three or four bands a year.”

While MySpace Records might be seen as an extension of Anderson’s affinity for indie music, his site has become its own animal. Murdoch’s acquisition of MySpace is evidence that major media companies are more than willing to throw big money at sites to “test the waters and see what they can do,” music analyst Lewis said. At the same time, record labels that have relied on traditional promotion schemes — radio play, street teams and magazine write-ups — are also wading into new Web waters.

MySpace.com/Vagrant Records Chris Carrabba, lead singer and songwriter of Dashboard Confessional.

“Labels understand people are spending more time online than on other mediums. Radio is more constrained. MTV is down to about 10 videos a day,” said MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe. “MySpace has become the place for awareness of new music and exclusive content. We can point music out ahead of its official release in a very organic way.”

Last year, Nine Inch Nails, Beck and Queens of the Stone Age each enjoyed their biggest-ever album releases, according to Interscope. The albums were featured prominently on MySpace and streaming previews were available on the site days before they hit store shelves.

Catching fire or bound to fail?
DeWolfe maintains that even more rewarding than major acts finding success on MySpace, is that the site is removing some of the traditional barriers that have confronted up-and-coming artists.

“Big labels in the past were the gatekeepers that would allow a band to make a living or not, but labels are signing fewer bands,” he said. “Along with new production tools, MySpace allows a band to reach 43 million people. It allows a band to make a living and to fill up shows.”

Lewis sounds a cautious note over the potential for MySpace or other social networking sites to revolutionize the music landscape. Online trends can arrive with a flourish only to fade into obscurity, he said.

“I’m not convinced (media companies) know how they’re going to make use of these sites. It’s really anyone’s guess how the new world and the old world will come together,” he said. “We’re hearing stories of people being paid to stay up all night and add friends to a band’s MySpace page. There’s a potential for it to burn out if it’s not managed correctly.”

‘Almost without thinking about it, people put their entire biography on their MySpace page — their favorite bands, their likes and dislikes.’ — Toby Lewis Music industry analyst

Ultimately, social networking sites may be a boon to investors even if they fail to directly impact record or concert sales. The key, Lewis said, is online advertising and the data-mining potential offered by MySpace and its rivals.

“Almost without thinking about it, people put their entire biography on their MySpace page — their favorite bands, their likes and dislikes,” he said.

Media companies will have to be careful how they use such information, Lewis cautioned.

“It could go wrong if it starts to be abused by record labels and marketers.”

It may be hard to put the genie back in the bottle. New users are flocking to MySpace every day and Internet surfers expect to find bands on the site. Some bands have stopped promoting their own Web sites in favor of a MySpace profile. Some, like Coppermine and Dashboard Confessional, maintain a presence across multiple Web communities. Both musicians Buck and Carrabba said MySpace has become a key piece of their bands’ promotional ensemble.

“It’s absolutely a great tool,” Buck said. “Any kind of band out there that is trying to get something done is using MySpace.”

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