Guest post by Alex May (@AlexmDrums) of sidewinder.fm, a music and tech think tank.
MyMusic aims to create an online music magazine, but it’s unclear as to who the readers and subscribers should be. The site offers the ability to bookmark content to be stored inside of a “Magazine” that others can easily browse. Dedicated fans can share important or buzz-worthy music items with his or her friends and followers.
What MyMusic offers, then, is a hybrid of Tumblr and Facebook. While this is a convenient idea, it doesn’t differ enough from rival services or present anything truly compelling. A single Tumblr account can post anything, as it’s not limited to music. But since there’s so many Tumblr blogs, it’s easy for people to find specific ones that match their musical taste.
In other words, it’s not exactly clear what problem MyMusic solves, or if fans would be compelled to participate. Searching for a favorite artist shows tour dates, recent performances, YouTube videos, and chart data, among many other things that can already be found through various sources. While it’s convenient to view “Pinned” content neatly organized into the site’s magazines, it simply isn’t enough to replace the numerous social platforms that people are already familiar with and use daily.
Even if the MyMusic experience improves, once the inability to comment on “Pins” and interact with other users is factored in, the social aspect is forfeit to any other social platform. Content sharing works best as a two-way street, and it benefits users to know which posts receive the most attention. The reliance on pop-ups to display the content grabbed from other sites further cheapens the experience, as it’s a reminder that you’re just viewing already dated content.
MyMusic presents a well-executed idea, geared towards music lovers, but what it offers is not different enough from other social platforms to keep people coming back. The site is mostly music, so it won’t have the same impressive user base of other networks, which alienates casual browsers. MyMusic users are likely fanatics if they have an account, and chances are they’re regularly keeping up to date with music news that interests them. Since MyMusic provides content that fanatics are already offered elsewhere, it’s difficult to see the need for readers to come back on a regular basis, or if casual fans would even be interested.
If there were official artist magazines, which are apparently coming soon, the site could become a place where users can quickly receive the top news from their favorite artists. However, in MyMusic’s current state, it doesn’t offer much more than an artist’s Facebook page, and that isn’t enough to convince people to register for the service. Although MyMusic offers a newer and, perhaps, more visually appealing way to find music content, the idea has been done before to a lesser degree, and many will have a hard time being convinced to subscribe.
—
Sidewinder.fm is founded and edited by Kyle Bylin of Live Nation Labs. If you would like to contribute a post to be featured on the site, please reach out.
