My Space Music has reached Europe
The social networking community My Space and its in-house music service My Space Music also landed in Europe, more precisely in the UK, on Thursday.
After the service, which allows users free and unlimited use of music streams, was launched in the USA over a year ago, the launch date was repeatedly postponed due to licensing disputes between the news corp platform and the music industry's copyright administrators. "My Space Music is designed to be a one-stop shop for music lovers to discover new music and connect with their favorite artists," MySpace Music President Courtney Holt told the Guardian. Users can also watch videos, purchase songs via iTunes or listen to special playlists created by musicians. The repertoire also includes a database with current concert and event dates and a charts section, in which the hit lists from a total of 27 different countries and 22 genres are summarized.
Strong competition in the UK
It remains to be seen whether the online social network will celebrate great success with its music service in Europe. In the USA, where the service has been available since September 2008, the number of unique users has doubled since the launch date. In the UK, however, My Space Music faces strong competition from the streaming websites of Spotify and We7. However, My Space Music boss Holt is relaxed about entering the UK market. "There are only a few places on the web where you can enter the world of music so easily and directly," emphasizes Holt. He does not want to accept the comparison with conventional streaming services. "We're not just providing users with a passive tool for streaming music, we're combining a streaming service with tons of helpful information," says Holt.
It is not yet clear when other European countries, such as Germany, will be able to enjoy My Space Music after the UK. "The service is currently only available in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The launch in Germany is dependent on an agreement with GEMA," says Wappmann.
Strong competition in the UK
It remains to be seen whether the online social network will celebrate great success with its music service in Europe. In the USA, where the service has been available since September 2008, the number of unique users has doubled since the launch date. In the UK, however, My Space Music faces strong competition from the streaming websites of Spotify and We7. However, My Space Music boss Holt is relaxed about entering the UK market. "There are only a few places on the web where you can enter the world of music so easily and directly," emphasizes Holt. He does not want to accept the comparison with conventional streaming services. "We're not just providing users with a passive tool for streaming music, we're combining a streaming service with tons of helpful information," says Holt.
It is not yet clear when other European countries, such as Germany, will be able to enjoy My Space Music after the UK. "The service is currently only available in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The launch in Germany is dependent on an agreement with GEMA," says Wappmann.
