MySpace Becomes Even MORE Engaging

Hopefully by now we've all heard that Myspace is going to allow independent bands to sell MP3s from their myspace pages. If you haven't, there's a good overview in the Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/03/AR2006090300275.html

Of course, the main reason MySpace is leaping into this market with its 106 million users is to try to compete in some small way with iTunes. Perhaps more important, though, MySpace is responding to that indy music trend of musicians going their own way. Rather than be relegated to CDs and the corporate behemoth of iTunes, musicians are seeking ways to reach out directly and personally to their bands. Having the ability to sell MP3s directly from their myspace profiles offers bands that direct connection they're looking for.

Some musicians are taking these connections a step further in a phenomenon that Wired Magazine is referring to as "The Rebirth of Music" (see the article at www.wired.com) Leading musicians like Beck are experimenting with new ways to release music to the public (online, on CDs and in other formats). Some, like Bare Naked Ladies, are releasing all the individual tracks of their songs and inviting fans to remix however they want.

It's all part of a growing trend encouraging consumer involvement and definition of the products they use. In other words, of engaging customers in the process of creating widgets and processes that they actually like and will use on an ongoing basis.

What lessons can we learn about making our products or services more engaging? Can we use MP3s for training, for example, for those individuals that like to have someone walk them through a process verbally? Can we ask them to rate what’s most useful (and not useful) about our products and services, as myriad social network sites do? What other lessons can we learn from the indy music scene to engage our own “fans” from the get go?