I remember the days before myspace - when it was more fun to discover a band through their custom website. Agreed that myspace provides a good facility to host music and network with people witjh similar tastes, but the myspace phenomena has its downsides.

In case you havent fallen asleep reading this far, here are some ideas I have for my own myspace page with regard to the topic. Thought Id share it with others.

1. Avoid customized myspace layouts, or keep it as simple as possible.
My suggestion is to keep the default template, or at least go easy on the graphics.

2. Disable other people putting up pictures/animated gifs (especially the "THANKS 4 TEH ADD" type of shit) in the comment section

Most of the pics on the comment section are just useless promo shots of their stuff, gig flyers or some non-work safe type of stuff.
They clutters up the page and makes your profile look like a free for all bulletin board. Even worse, these things cause the page to take way too long to load (at least for people who have slow connections) and I dont have too much time to spare for no-name bands that have managed to catch my attention because of a cool name or logo on someone elses profile.

As for the "friends", Ill keep deleting anyone who uses my page for their advertising. Its like spam, except from real people. Id be looking for people interested in my music, not some cunts who add me so they can use my page for their advertising.

3. Use the myspace profile to link back to the REAL website, with customized graphics and layout.
Even if its a geocities site... it will go miles in presenting an image of the band. If you are spending serious time on your music, it would really pay off if you spend real time on the imagery.


4. Mention your genre in your profile pic.
-Instead of just having an indecipherable logo or a band pic. Add the type of music you play. For example - reading 'Industrial Black Metal' on your profile pic in someones friends list would immediately interest a fan of that particular genre. This would REALLY help in establishing your identity on myspace.

5. To give the listener an idea of your music, upload songs where the music starts off ASAP.
I dont think anyone has the patience to sit through long intros (movie samples, ambient sounds etc) unless done exceptionally well. If one of your good song comes with such an intro, then just edit out the intro for a myspace version of the song.


6. Leave your youtube videos on youtube.
Just post a link to your vids or see if you can use a smaller size for vids.

...

Thats it for now I guess. Feel free to add to this.

These are both really good points. Not every band has their own website, but it's important to not piss off possible fans with annoying myspace layouts and huge amounts of pictures/comments loading on a page.

Now if the myspace player weren't so buggy...

Definitely turn off HTML in the comment section. I agree with you wholeheartedly on that. Even more confusing is the retarded virus-laden images that people insist on posting to everyone once they add them...who actually does that?!

I, too, remember the days of old before myspace (angelfire, geocities, homestead) where it actually required skill to get your name out. Todays influx of bands has it way too easy. You have made quite a few good points. I am going to refer a few in terms of professionality. I am assuming at this point that your musical prowess is well established. These suggestions are to simply reflect that musical prowess and aid in the exposure area.

1) I suggest working professionally to get artwork or photography done by people who know what they're doing or if you know how yourself - do it (using MS PAINT or how to add a layer, dim or black/white photos on Photoshop DOES NOT COUNT). I cannot stand seeing crappy indecipherable band logos or images stolen from google with the band name slapped over it - just avoid that. Any credibility you had is completely lost.

2) When posting music that is poorly self-recorded, always edit out the 20 seconds of your members talking beforehand. Make your music start right away. As stated in the OP, avoid long intros, spoken dialogue, and instrumentals from playing first on your page - you want to grab the listener instantly!

3) While a default layout might be too simple, do not overload on page graphics and make your page hard to navigate. Keep it flashy but don't overdo it.

4) Check your grammar! Spelling, punctuation, contractions all should be used correctly! How do you expect to be taken professionally if you cannot even type?

5) Keep picture folders low and stocked with PROFESSIONAL photos (whether live or promo). Some off a digital camera are okay but a huge influx cheapens your image.

Don't be too rash and give yourself away if you do not have an established foundation. Patience is key and the more prepared you are - the more professionally you will be taken. If you do not have money - save up! There are many ways to do this plus you can always create your own! For example - my band saves any money received from gigs (we DO NOT spend it on beer, boobs, or food), we also have a change jar, and fully utilize bottle deposits - all which help us in merchandise print costs.

This is a good point.
The artwork really, really counts. Its the visual representation of the music and is art that complements the music itself. Once you have great artwork for an album, you automatically have a great T-shirt design or a website banner in your hands.

And no, presenting yourselves professionally doesnt make you less "kvlt" or "underground" or whatever. Presenting yourself in a creative ways only brings your band attention, at least to the point of checking your music out, if nothing more.

Am I the only one who thinks this thread deserves a sticky?

Yes, you probably are, since it's not directly music-related, and no relevant.
It is an interesting topic nonetheless. If more people read it, we could prevent heaps of eye-cancers.

I think it's better if people either make MySpace pages as a gateway to their primary website (as the OP briefly mentioned), or foregoes them entirely. I loathe MySpace with a passion, and haven't had a MySpace of "my own" for several years now.

And a sticky sounds good, especially if this topic expands a bit. Surely there is more that can be covered, the authoritarian, uptight bastards that we are?

Also, stop your music in that musicbox thing from autoplaying everytime the page loads.


That's really fucking annoying.

Definitely some things in here that have helped me. I completely agree with the putting genre/info next to the logo, as this will help those interested not think it's just another generic bm/etc band.

What exactly has turned you off to myspace?

damn dude great points i highly agree with the comment section and free plug in ad space

I cant count the number of bands that make a Myspace within a day of making a new band and then try to get something written and recorded as fast as possible to they have something to put on it. If you're a new band, don't do this! Noone wants to hear the shitty song you wrote in an hour and recorded in less time using your Spider II and MIDI drums. Unless you're going to really dedicate yourself to home recording, just wait until your band actually gets some studio time before you put some songs up. Chances are, the first impression the average browser gets of your band might also be their last.

It really annoys me when bands put up half finished songs, sort of what invoked said. Its not that hard to just wait for abit until the finished versions are done.

I have unfinished songs on my myspace, but, first it is represnetative of upcoming material and second, yes it will definitely take some time to get it finished.

Well if you are already established with releases out, such as yourself, then its not as bad. Its as invoked put it that newly formed bands will just rush anything and put it up straight away.

Ah yes. Like some acoustic stuff, and the phrase "not representative of current material" hehe.

I'm always turned off by bands that have tons of images that take forever to load (e.g. 20 items remaining...gimme a break).

Official Band Myspaces that are rarely updated are quite annoying as well...suggests that the band does not really care.

I'm always turned off by bands that have tons of images that take forever to load (e.g. 20 items remaining...gimme a break).

Official Band Myspaces that are rarely updated are quite annoying as well...suggests that the band does not really care.

that shits me to no end. Don't put something on unless if you're proud of it; you'd think it would be kind of obvious..

Hem, that's not incompatible: you can evolve and still be proud of your material... can't you ?

hmm, yeah I guess so. But if your current material is different, then upload some of that, too. Give us some of the evolved stuff. Especcially if your early stuff is useless Bedroom Black Metal with no drums

Current material is up, mate. Been a week, but no one bothered checking. Not that I mind heh.
So, you heard the early demos haha?