MySpace Launches Record Label


By GARY GENTILE
The Associated Press
Thursday, November 3, 2005; 9:14 PM

LOS ANGELES -- The social networking Web site MySpace.com has launched its own record label in a joint venture with Interscope Records hoping to capitalize on its broad reach among music-savvy consumers.

MySpace Records will feature independent and unsigned artists as well as compilations that include top groups from other labels, the company said Thursday.


The label's first release will be a compilation of tracks that have become popular among the sites 36 million registered users and will feature songs from groups such as Weezer.

"MySpace Records: Volume I" goes on sale Nov. 15 at major retail locations.

The company was recently bought by the media conglomerate News Corp. Executives said the new record label would take advantage of its parent company's reach.

"We have marketing power reach at our fingertips," MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe said Thursday. He said the relationship with News Corp. could get bands it signs into movies developed by 20th Century Fox and on television shows on the Fox network.

The label has already signed its first artist, a group called Hollywood Undead.

The label will be owned by MySpace and records will be distributed by Interscope. But Interscope has the option of increasing its stake in the partnership if a band makes it big and needs more of the management and marketing resources Interscope can provide, the company said.

MySpace has ballooned since it was created in 1999. The site has struck marketing deals with major Hollywood studios, TV networks and record labels to promote programs, films and musical acts on its site.

But it has been in music that the site has made its biggest mark. The site has premiered new CD releases from such artists as R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Black Eyed Peas.

MySpace is expanding its brand in other areas as well, including a satellite radio channel that will launch in the next six months. The company is also considering starting its own film imprint, DeWolfe said.

Here is a very well crafted (but dubious) article promoting MySpace --Wired

I would read it as an expose on what MySpace once was/could have been rather than what it actually is/will be. You wouldn't know it from Wired's glowing slant they gave MySpace, but folks, MySpace sold-out to tha man. It's hey-day and usefullness I fear is now in the past.

"MySpace.com has launched its own record label in a joint venture with Interscope Records", owned by Vivendi/Universal.

Get your music on Fox -- the no-spin zone.

Ha! That's a good one George.

I’ve said this before-----I wish DM would consider a label.

Talk to furiousball

I think I will...

Would the artists know about them using their music on this compilation or would Myspace be making money from nothing?

"Talk to furiousball"

Why not you, Larry?

Cause I aint shipping no cd's.

At least he's honest.

"Cause I aint shipping no cd's."

Drop me a note leflaw. RE: the Boycott-Riaa CD's.

(Do you want me to handle manufacture/shipping instead of Dmusic? I think I can figure out a way, but it'll raise the price to the customer quite a bit because I don't have the funds to order in bulk.)

Well, that would explain why they just disabled people who have pages there from using codes for media players that use "embed"and will not allow Flash of any type.

The claim is that they are protecting people from "malicous code" that allows embed codes to be used to read cookies amd do ill will.

But a growing number of folks think it's about forcing people who have pages there to use the music that they promote, and not allow people to play anything they want

myspace is crap. DMUSIC should have its own label.

Yea!! *starts making picket signs*

no contracts, contracts are evil....
a contractless label is an idea.
What type of contract does MySpace sign artists to?
What does a label do anyways?
I kinda tell band members what to do when recording at home with Cakewalk...("plug in this way" "lets just do a rythem track first") so I dont need a producer...
Id trust a label formed by Dmusic more then one backed by the RIAA anyday