MySpace to offer music downloads

By Steve Malone

Posted on 4 Sep 2006 at 09:57

In what is probably the least surprising move of the year, social networking site MySpace is to introduce its own music downloads service.

MySpace intends to start the service with the bands already offering their music through its pages. The site intends to offer non copy protected MP3s of the unsigned artists' music for download. Although the exact details are not yet clear, it appears the bands will be able to set their own price per download with MySpace taking a fee.

MySpace recently took over from Yahoo as the most visited site in the US, is the hangout du jour of US teens and young adults - although not so much in the UK. A move towards capitalising on the site's popularity with the biggest music buying constituency is a logical next step in monetising the site.

MySpace hopes that once the downloads library becomes established alongside the likes of iTunes, the site hopes to draw more established artists onto the service. However, it is unlikely that the established performers and their handlers in the music industry are likely to add their material in a non-copy protected format.

However, copy protection is unlikely to be an issue with those joining the MySpace service. Following the highly publicised breakthroughs from the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen, there are apparently some three million bands who are touting their music through MySpace in the hope of becoming the Next Big Thing.

According to reports, digital licensing and copyright management services will be handled by Snocap, the company formed by Shawn Fanning, the founder of Napster and former bete noir of the music industry.