Myspace in the modern era

If you’re like me, you grew up on Myspace. It was the first social network aside from maybe Livejournal that we millennials were gifted in such a profound way. I mean, come on. Top eight. Custom HTML. Music and videos auto-playing you into insanity every time you clicked on a profile. It was a musician’s dream and a fan’s dream. How often can you say that?

By now you’ve heard that Myspace is expecting a resurgence. The new owners say they want to bring back creativity and connection to social media. You know, the thing that got us all interested in the first place?

So yeah. Same.

And I can’t argue with them. Remember how satisfying it used to be to scroll through the original eleven Instagram filters and send a photo of your lunch out into the world? Remember how happy you were with five likes? Remember feeling like you knew and cared about the people you followed…and they felt the same?

It’s something we’ve talked about a lot here. But easier said than done, right? Still, if anyone can help reignite the creative spark and sense of community that we’re all missing so much right now, why shouldn’t it be the OG?

In the meantime, here are three things (and one bonus!) you can do to replicate the community feel of Myspace in the modern musician era.

In the world. On the internet. At your shows. What made Myspace so special wasn’t a cookie cutter approach. It was exactly the opposite.

We poured time into our pages. We took pride in flagging who we were through our photos, our song choice, our top eight.

What we put onto our Myspace mattered and it was very, very intentional.

I think a lot of that intentionality has been lost over time to stress, life, and the never ending plight of trying to outsmart the algorithm.

Myspace used chronological timelines so that you were seeing things happen in real time. There was no algorithm to contend with, at least not in the same way. There’s not a lot you can do to fight the social media sharks of today but you can create a space for your VIP fans so that they’re never missing anything you do.

Newsletters. Patreon. Buy Me a Coffee. Close friends lists on IG.

There are many, many ways to do this.

The way a VIP fan interacts with your content is totally different than how a casual fan does. So make it easy for them. Create a space exclusively for them and then deliver on it.

Or top fifty or top one hundred.

One of the most lusted after bits of nostalgia with Myspace is the absolute agony of choosing a Top Eight. Would your bff be upset if you pushed her out of the number one spot for your new boyfriend? Would the cute guy that you placed at number six (not too eager!) get the hint? Would the band sitting pretty at number two understand you were their BIGGEST fan and maybe return the favor?

Figure out how to bring a little of that Top Eight tension into your own world by rewarding your most loyal fans. Shout them out on socials. Say hi to them at shows. Comment on their posts. Send them a surprise next time they order merch. Send them a surprise even without them ordering merch.

Let them know they are #Top8ForEva (so sorry, I had to)

One of the most under talked about things with Myspace is the sheer optimism it fed us. I was in my late teens/early twenties at the height of the platform’s success and I’ll never forget the dopamine hit I got every time I logged in. For this introverted gal, it sure did feel good to know that my people were out there waiting for me.

Myspace was a place of endless possibilities. Of love and friendship and it turns out, career growth. My very first band interview for my music blog came from a Myspace message. (my first real boyfriend too, but I’ll let you guess which one lasted longer!) I made friends on there—in person friends that I went to shows with and watched have children and get married. I found some of my favorite bands. I got to express myself and, most importantly (and I think this is fully missing from social media today) I really was myself.

Not a curated version. Not a polished replica. Actually me.

And people liked me anyway.

It’s easy to lose that feeling. Especially as we get older, the magic just sort of…dies. We see behind the curtain as it were, and we lose that spark.

It happens all the time.

But maybe we can reclaim it.

My advice to you, and if I’m honest, to myself, is to find a way to approach each new project—music or otherwise—with that same sense of wonder that you had when you were younger.

Try to remember what it felt like when you did something simply for the fun of it. Yeah, it’d be nice if it worked out but if not? That’s ok. It’s just an experience. It’s just being alive. You’re making music because you love it. Because you’re called to. But don’t forget this is supposed to be fun.

Don’t forget why you started it all in the first place—and how far that optimism and magic has already taken you.

Still my favorite carefree song of the era. Warped Tour, late nights, and stupid decisions forever.