Myspace For Music. A Dense Jungle Of Suckage.

I've discussed recently how I think Envinity has failed you, and what we plan on doing to correct things, in the blog entitled, "How We Failed You". Today, I'd like to expand upon a specific area of that blog, by talking about how we failed you through Myspace, and vicariously, how much I hate it.

Sound like fun?

WHERE WE LEFT OFF

At one time we had a full website where I posted updates, (however sporadic), a message board for people to discuss.... something (it was more wishful thinking than anything else) and even a guestbook for fans of the Japanese Envy to write angry, scathing, and immature insults to us. Added to that were other external sites like the old mp3.com (we miss you), and a site you may have heard of called Myspace.

But over the last few years, I turned the Envinity website into a one-page-only graphic as to not have to deal with updating the news anymore, I let the guestbook and message board drift off into the cold, silent void of space, and mp3.com, the original good version, died a horrible death almost 7 years ago.

Which left only one website on the entire internet for Envinity.

Myspace.

THE NEW MP3.COM

Myspace is home to millions of artists, musicians and bands. After the death of Mp3.com, which was once the bright beacon of the independent online music world, bands were desperate to find another place to call home.

That home eventually became the just burgeoning Myspace.com.

At the beginning, it seemed to be a good transition for hosting mp3s, finding new fans, and communicating with them.

The site offered some decent upfront features, and, unlike the old Mp3.com, individuals could have their own personal profiles on the site, making it much more of a social site, than just a promotional site.

At least at the beginning.

SO WHY IS THAT SUCH A BAD THING?

I'll sum up the main reason I hate Myspace for music:

Communication.

Or more aptly, lack thereof.

Communication is absolutely vital to keeping people interested in what you have, and what you are doing.

And trying to communicate on Myspace is like trying to talk to someone on speakerphone during a sellout teeny-bopper concert at the Pepsi Center, as your ears begin to bleed from the amplified shrill screams of 17,680 prepubescent, hyperventilating girls.

Let me just boil it down: not so good.

So, you may ask, why is communication so challenging?

ENDLESS FIELDS OF SPAM

Are you by chance friends with any bands, musicians or promoters on Myspace?

If you are, you may have noticed the wonderful, yet touchingly-personal way in which they get their messages out.

That's right, spam!

Spam in your emails, "Vote for Shitband in this pointless online competition that won't benefit you at all!!"

Spam in your comments, "Check out Shitband's new single on iTunes and download the video for Shitband, 'Tritesong'!!"

Yes, it has become the common language of most musicians and promoters to simply spray a smattering feces-laden advertisements all over your personal page as a thank you for adding them as a friend. What a great, reciprocal relationship.

And herein lies the the problem for us. How do we effectively communicate our ideas and information to those patient few who actually want to hear what we have to say?

Without a non-spamy way to instantly update everyone who is interested in what we have to offer, we are reluctantly relegated to yell into the proverbial speakerphone, along with millions of other bands, artists and general egotists who also desperately want your attention.

There must be a better way.

ONLY THE CHOICEST FRIENDS

Another thing, and probably not the last, that adds more well-crafted nails to the Myspace coffin is the way most people deal with the concept of friends.

As I've seen, the general rule on Myspace is quantity over quality. Many people, not just bands, have well over a thousand friends. Sometimes several thousand. I've personally talked to a few of these people who seem to treat the gathering of friends on Myspace as a pure numbers game. I'm guessing who ever has the most wins.

Honestly, do you personally know a thousand people?

As for Envinity, we fell into the quantity-based numbers game as well, which I've come to regret.

If you check our page, you'll see we have over 21,000 friends! Damn. That's a lot, isn't it? We must be pretty popular!

Well...

The real question is how many of those people are genuinely interested in Envinity? Sadly, I'd say not many, as the bulk of the ten-tons are likely made of other bands, and promoters, completely uninterested in who we are, and what we are doing.

But I bet they have a million impersonal products to tell me about! Sweet!


THE SUM

One of the many mistakes I've made over the years with this band, which I take full responsibility for, was to leave Myspace as our primary means of communication for such a long time, swamping us in a mire of advertisements, spam, number wars, and general noise.

I'm learning from my mistakes by creating direct and focused channels of contact for those of you who actually want to hear what Envinity has to say. This blog being the main source, and Facebook being another. I hope that those of you who followed us on Myspace, will come with us to our new destinations online.

Though there are more reasons to dislike Myspace, I hope I've showed a few of the major flaws in the site and why I personally, and therefore Envinity, have been trying to move away from it.

If you're still in the mood to bash Myspace from a more personal perspective, check out my essay entitled, "Myspace. A Place For Barely Acquaintances".

NIKO