Myspace

Myspace
	File:Myspace logo.svg Logo used since 2013
Company type	Private
Industry	Social networking service
Founded	August 1, 2003; 23 years ago in United States
Founder	Brad Greenspan, Chris DeWolfe, Tom Anderson, Josh Berman
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Social networking platform
Number of employees	1600 (2009)
Website	myspace.com

Myspace (previously branded as MySpace and currently styled as myspace) is a social networking platform based in the United States. It was introduced on August 1, 2003, becoming the first social network to achieve a worldwide reach and leaving a notable impact on technology, popular culture, and the music industry. The platform was instrumental in the early development of companies like YouTube and provided a foundation that supported the emergence of businesses such as Zynga, RockYou, and Photobucket. Between 2005 and 2009, Myspace held the position as the largest social networking site globally.

In July 2005, News Corporation purchased Myspace for $580 million. By June 2006, it had overtaken Yahoo Mail and Google Search to claim the title of the most visited website in the United States. During the 2008 fiscal year, Myspace generated revenues of $800 million. At its height in April 2008, the site attracted 115 million monthly visitors, a figure comparable to Facebook, which at that time had a broader international user base. By May 2009, Facebook had exceeded Myspace in unique visitors within the U.S. Despite several redesign efforts, Myspace’s user numbers continued to fall; by 2019, it maintained around seven million monthly visitors.

Around June 2009, Myspace’s workforce numbered approximately 1,600 employees. In June 2011, Specific Media Group partnered with Justin Timberlake to acquire the company for roughly $35 million. On February 11, 2016, Time Inc. bought Myspace along with its parent company for $87 million. Subsequently, Time Inc. was acquired by Meredith Corporation on January 31, 2018; later that year, Meredith divested Myspace by selling it to Viant Technology LLC on November 4, 2019.

2003–2005: Origins and expansion

In August 2003, a group of employees from eUniverse who were users of Friendster recognized potential in its social networking features and rapidly created the initial version of MySpace using ColdFusion, launching it within ten days. This initiative utilized eUniverse’s existing resources including finance, human resources, bandwidth, and server infrastructure. The project was headed by founder and CEO Brad Greenspan, who oversaw CEO Chris DeWolfe, president Tom Anderson, Josh Berman, and their development team. Around this period, Jeffrey Edell joined Intermix Media as chairman.

The earliest adopters were eUniverse staff members incentivized through contests designed to boost sign-ups. Leveraging its base of 20 million users and email subscribers helped accelerate MySpace’s rapid growth, quickly establishing it as a dominant social network. Key technical figures included Toan Nguyen, who ensured platform stability, alongside co-founder and CTO Aber Whitcomb, who enhanced the software architecture by taking advantage of ColdFusion’s fast development capabilities compared to competitors such as Friendster’s JavaServer Pages. MySpace offered extensive user customization options that increased engagement.

MySpace gained popularity by making user communication easier than traditional Instant Messaging platforms in metropolitan areas. The domain MySpace.com was acquired from YourZ.com, Inc., transitioning from an online data storage service to a social networking site by late 2003. Although CEO DeWolfe initially suggested charging users for basic access, Greenspan insisted on maintaining free service to rapidly expand the user community. By early 2005, MySpace had become especially popular among teenagers and young adults.

In February 2005, DeWolfe turned down an offer from Mark Zuckerberg to buy Facebook for $75 million. Several early MySpace team members including DeWolfe and Berman received equity stakes before the acquisition of MySpace and its parent company eUniverse (later renamed Intermix Media).

2005–2009: Acquisition by News Corp. and Period of Maximum Growth

In July 2005, News Corporation purchased MySpace for $580 million, marking one of its earliest significant ventures into the online sector. At that time, MySpace boasted 16 million monthly active users and was experiencing rapid expansion. Outbidding Viacom, News Corp viewed the acquisition as a strategic effort to leverage internet advertising opportunities and funnel traffic towards its broader media holdings. Within twelve months, MySpace’s valuation had tripled.

Following the acquisition, user growth surged dramatically, with daily sign-ups reaching 200,000 by January 2006 and climbing to 320,000 per day the next year. It overtook Yahoo! to become the most frequented website in the United States, fueled by high engagement levels averaging over 660 page views per user each month. Early in 2006, Fox announced intentions to launch a UK-specific version, while localized editions appeared in 11 countries spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas—including MySpace China through a partnership with Solstice. By then, international users accounted for 30 million out of the total 90 million.

The milestone of the 100 millionth registered user was achieved in August 2006 in the Netherlands. That same month, MySpace finalized a landmark $900 million advertising agreement with Google over three years—valued at 55% more than News Corp’s initial purchase price—in exchange for exclusive rights to search and sponsored links on the site. By October 2006, monthly revenues had soared from $1 million to $30 million, evenly split between Google’s contract and internal display ad sales. In November 2006, a collaboration with SoftBank facilitated MySpace’s entry into the Japanese market.

By mid-2007, MySpace dominated social networking in Europe where it had localized operations. According to Nielsen//NetRatings data, MySpace’s active audience reach was between 10 and 15 times greater than Facebook’s in Spain, France, and Germany; in the UK, its reach was double that of Facebook’s. That year also saw a partnership with Sony BMG to embed music content directly within MySpace’s platform, capitalizing on its community of 110 million users and strong music affinity.

On November 1, 2007, MySpace became part of the OpenSocial initiative led by Google alongside platforms like Bebo—an alliance aimed at establishing shared standards for social network developers to compete more effectively against Facebook.

Throughout late 2007 and into early 2008, MySpace maintained its position as the top social network by traffic volume, outstripping Facebook which was then primarily focused on university students. At its peak during merger discussions with Yahoo! in 2007, MySpace was valued at $12 billion with a registered user base exceeding 300 million.

2009–2016: Decline and Divestiture by News Corporation

On April 19, 2008, Facebook surpassed MySpace in Alexa website rankings; by May 2009, Facebook led uniquely in U.S. visitor numbers. The decline of MySpace was largely attributed to its "portal strategy" centering on entertainment and music content, while rivals such as Facebook and Twitter continuously refined their social networking capabilities. Although the $900 million advertising deal with Google provided immediate revenue benefits, it constrained MySpace’s ability to enhance site functionality and user experience—contrasting with Facebook’s streamlined design improvements. CEO Chris DeWolfe acknowledged internal disputes regarding monetization focus, as News Corporation emphasized short-term revenue generation over long-term product development.

MySpace also suffered damage to its reputation due to investigations into inappropriate material and persistent issues with spam, phishing scams, and malware that discouraged users. Its primary teenage demographic began migrating toward Facebook, which successfully attracted older age groups as well. Rupert Murdoch expressed dissatisfaction as MySpace failed to hit $1 billion in revenue targets or effectively distribute Fox content through the platform. Leadership changes ensued in 2009 including DeWolfe’s replacement by former Facebook COO Owen Van Natta alongside a workforce reduction of approximately 37.5%.

The shift in user base was partially due to MySpace’s comparatively limited feature set relative to Facebook’s innovations. Former CEO Tim Vanderhook attributed part of MySpace's downfall to Google strategically undermining music content via YouTube and search algorithms that diverted traffic away from MySpace.

Efforts to redesign the platform in 2009 did not succeed in recapturing lost users who generally resisted major changes on social networks. By early 2011, MySpace experienced a loss of 10 million users within a single month and recorded a year-over-year traffic decline of 44%, causing advertisers to hesitate on long-term commitments. In February 2011, News Corporation announced plans to sell MySpace with an estimated value between $50 million and $200 million amid losses totaling $156 million during late 2010.

No offers surpassed the $100 million minimum bid by May 2011. On June 29, 2011, Specific Media completed acquisition of MySpace for an undisclosed amount rumored near $35 million—significantly less than News Corp.’s original purchase price of $580 million in 2005. Murdoch later described the acquisition as a “huge mistake,” comparing it unfavorably to Time Warner’s AOL purchase. Although commercially unsuccessful under News Corporation ownership, many former executives went on to achieve success elsewhere after their departure from MySpace.

2016–2019: Ownership under Time Inc. and Meredith Corporation

On February 11, 2016, Myspace along with its parent organization was acquired by Time Inc.. Subsequently, on January 31, 2018, Meredith Corporation completed its acquisition of Time Inc., after which it divested several assets originally owned by Time Inc. A significant transaction occurred on November 4, 2019, when Meredith sold its ownership interest in Viant, the holding company behind Specific Media, back to Viant Technology Holding Inc.

In May 2016, information from close to 360 million Myspace user accounts—including email addresses, usernames, and poorly encrypted passwords—surfaced on the dark web marketplace TheRealDeal. This security breach is believed to have taken place around 2008–2009 but was only disclosed publicly years afterward.

Since 2019: Ownership by Viant Technology Holding Inc.

A server migration error in March 2019 resulted in the permanent loss of all Myspace content uploaded prior to 2016. Following this event, Viant Technology Holding Inc., which owns the platform, has maintained the existing terms of service without changes; the privacy policy was last revised in June 2024.

As of October 5, 2024, Myspace functions exclusively in a read-only capacity, with no new content added since early 2022. The majority of images no longer display correctly and most music tracks are unplayable, demonstrating a marked deterioration in platform performance.

Features

From the time YouTube launched in 2005, Myspace users had the ability to embed YouTube videos directly into their profiles. Viewing this as competition for its newly introduced Myspace Videos feature, Myspace imposed a ban on embedded YouTube videos late that year. This decision triggered user backlash that eventually led to the ban being revoked shortly thereafter.

In early 2006, mobile carrier Helio released devices featuring Myspace Mobile, enabling users to manage profiles and communicate while on the move. Furthermore, Myspace collaborated with UIEvolution to develop a mobile-optimized version for carriers such as AT&T, Vodafone, and Rogers Wireless. August 2006 saw the launch of classified advertisements on the platform, which experienced a growth rate of 33% by the following year. Additionally, Myspace offered an instant messaging service known as MySpace IM and utilized Telligent Community software to power its forum discussions.

Music

Following its acquisition by News Corporation in 2005, Myspace established MySpace Records with JD Mangosing appointed as CEO to identify emerging talent through Myspace Music—a platform allowing artists to upload songs, EPs, and albums. By June 2014, more than 53 million tracks from over 14.2 million artists had been uploaded. Artists such as My Chemical Romance, Nicki Minaj, Lily Allen, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry gained prominence via Myspace. By 2010, the site hosted upwards of eight million musicians. In 2007, Myspace introduced The MySpace Transmissions, a series featuring live studio performances by popular artists.

On March 18, 2019, it was disclosed that a catastrophic server migration failure had caused the loss of all user-generated content from Myspace's inception through 2015 due to absence of backups—resulting in over 50 million songs and more than a decade’s worth of data being erased. In April 2019, the Internet Archive recovered approximately 490,000 MP3 files spanning from 2008 to 2010—dubbed the "MySpace Dragon Hoard"—as part of an anonymous academic research project.

Since early 2022, uploading and playback of music tracks have been disabled across the platform.

MySpaceTV

On May 16, 2007, Myspace formed partnerships with National Geographic, the New York Times, and Reuters to supply professional-quality visual content on its social platform. Following this, on June 27, 2007, Myspace unveiled MySpaceTV as its entry into the competitive online video arena.

By August 8, 2007, Myspace had teamed up with the satirical outlet The Onion to deliver a range of audio, video, and print materials. Later that year, on October 22, 2007, it premiered its inaugural original web series titled Roommates, designed to blend traditional TV narrative styles with interactive internet elements.

On February 27, 2008, TMZ launched a dedicated channel on MySpaceTV. Shortly after, on April 21, 2008, Myspace inked a content agreement with Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios, introducing syndicated shows such as Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, Entertainers with Byron Allen, Beautiful Homes and Great Estates, and Designer Fashions & Runways onto the platform.

Redesigns

March 10, 2010 marked the introduction of new Myspace features including a recommendation system that suggested games, music, and videos tailored to user behavior. Security improvements also allowed users to manage content visibility with settings like "friends only," "18 and older," or "everyone."

In October 2010, Myspace initiated a beta redesign aimed at transforming the site into a music-centric platform appealing primarily to younger demographics rather than directly challenging Facebook. CEO Mike Jones focused on increasing both user base and engagement levels; however, analyst Richard Greenfield voiced doubts about the company’s ability to regain its footing.

A fresh logo was revealed in November 2010 alongside the redesign, showcasing "my" in Helvetica font followed by a space character. That same month saw integration with Facebook Connect—branded "Mash Up with Facebook"—acknowledging Facebook’s prevailing position in social networking.

By January 2011, ongoing declines in user activity led to a workforce reduction of 47%.

Another redesign was unveiled in September 2012 with an emphasis on enhanced visual content and better optimization for tablets. The public rollout occurred on January 15, 2013, offering users until April to switch to the updated interface. However, an update in June 2013 removed all previous blogs from the platform, sparking significant user dissatisfaction due to loss of valuable archival content.

Key executives


Name	Position	Tenure
Chris DeWolfe	Co-Founder and CEO	2003–2009
Tom Anderson	Co-Founder and President	2003–2009
Aber Whitcomb	Chief Technology Officer	2003–2009
Josh Berman	Chief Operating Officer	2003–2008
Travis Katz	Senior Vice President, International Division	2005–2009
Amit Kapur	COO / Vice President of Business Development	2008–2009 / 2006–2009
Jamie Kantrowitz	Senior Vice President of International Marketing	2004–2009
Shawn Gold	Senior Vice President of Marketing	2006–2007
Jeff Berman	President of Sales & Marketing / VP Communications & Policy	2007–2009 / 2006–2007
Dani Dudeck	Vice President of Communications	2006–2010
Steve Pearman	Senior Vice President of Strategy	2005–2009
Tom Andrus	Senior Vice President of Product	2007–2009

International editions

Starting in 2006, Myspace rolled out localized versions tailored for specific regions. These editions featured automated content delivery systems, language localization including regional dialects and spelling variations, thereby improving user interaction and advertising effectiveness within key global markets.

MySpace Developer Platform (MDP)

Introduced in early 2008, the MySpace Developer Platform allowed external developers to build applications utilizing the OpenSocial API, positioning Myspace as a competitor to Facebook’s developer network. At its public beta release, the platform featured approximately 1,000 applications.

Myspace server infrastructure

By 2008, Myspace operated an extensive infrastructure comprising over 4,500 web servers running on Windows Server 2003 with IIS 6.0, complemented by more than 1,700 caching and database servers powered by SQL Server 2005 and a proprietary distributed file system based on Gentoo Linux. The system managed data throughput reaching 100 gigabits per second. Beginning in 2009, Myspace incorporated SSD technology into its servers to optimize space usage and reduce energy consumption, reflecting a strategic focus on scalable infrastructure to accommodate expansion.

Revenue model

As of September 2019, Myspace’s revenue stream is derived solely from advertising, with no paid features available to users. The platform gathers user information through its website and associated ad networks, applying behavioral targeting techniques to customize advertisements for visitors.

On August 8, 2006, Google secured a $900 million agreement to supply search and advertising services for Myspace, significantly boosting the platform’s monetization capabilities.

Third-party content

Companies such as Slide.com and RockYou introduced widgets on Myspace that enhanced functionality and increased user engagement. Furthermore, independent websites offered customizable layouts for Myspace profiles, generating considerable income for numerous young entrepreneurs.

In November 2008, Myspace collaborated with MTV and its affiliates to monetize copyrighted content uploaded by users by redistributing it with embedded advertisements, establishing a novel revenue channel for all parties involved.

Acquisition of Imeem

On November 18, 2009, MySpace Music acquired Imeem for less than $1 million. Subsequently, MySpace migrated Imeem’s user base and playlists into MySpace Music, initiating playlist restoration efforts on January 15, 2010.

Mobile application

In June 2013, coinciding with a website redesign, Myspace released an updated mobile application on the App Store. This app included features for creating and editing gifs, posting updates to streams, and streaming live concerts. New users could register through Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Availability

Location	Size	Available	Price	Version	Device requirement	Last update
App Store	15.6 MB	No	Free	3.6.2	iOS 6.1 or higher	February 8, 2014
Google Play	16 MB	No	Free	3.1.0	Android 4.1 or higher	April 17, 2015

The Myspace mobile application is no longer available on either the Google Play store or Apple’s App Store. However, the mobile web version remains accessible via Myspace.com but offers reduced functionality compared to the desktop experience—for example, it does not display user bios.

Radio

Previously, the application enabled users to listen to Myspace radio stations categorized by genre, featured selections, or user and artist channels, allowing up to six skips per station. However, as of early 2022, the radio streaming feature on Myspace.com has been discontinued.

External links