MySpace vs. Facebook

by Cosmo Lee

Have you switched from MySpace to Facebook for music?

Recently I spoke with a touring band who said that “MySpace is dying.” They said that their rate of new friend adds was plummeting, and that their fan action had moved to Facebook.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that MySpace is dying. Although this particular band is very much up-and-coming, perhaps it has already captured the majority of its potential MySpace friends. Or perhaps the band’s fan demographic is the type to switch to Facebook. An NPR story last year suggested that MySpace and Facebook may be dividing along racial or class lines.

MySpace is still my first destination for music, simply because it offers instant streaming sound. If I open a press release in my inbox, I immediately skip all the text and look for the MySpace link. Additionally, the comments/top friends system allows for fluid movement in the network. I’ve learned about many bands by looking at comments and top friends.

However, in all other respects, MySpace is awful. It looks bad, it takes forever to load, and messaging on it is a chore. You’d think that its mega-corporate backing would throw money at and solve these problems.

Facebook is just as bad for music. The lack of instant streaming sound is a dealbreaker for me. Although the interface is prettier, it’s much harder than MySpace to move through its network. MySpace works visually through comments and top friends. Facebook is more text-based and doesn’t reward “clicking around” as much.

Also, creating a band page on Facebook is a major pain. Facebook has a confusing profile/page/group architecture that few can figure out. Thus, while Facebook may have more users than MySpace, it’s still behind in tapping their potential. In this respect, MySpace has an advantage by being first. It will be a while before the gazillions of connections made on it transplant themselves to Facebook.

This is just my perspective, though. As a music fan, have you switched from MySpace to Facebook as resource? As a musician, have you switched from MySpace to Facebook as a promotional tool? Whether fan or musician, have you noticed trends in MySpace and Facebook usage? I’d like to hear your perspective.