If you thought MySpace died a horrible death a very long time ago, well, you probably aren’t alone.
MySpace was once the largest of the social networks, but Facebook quickly took the crown and relegated MySpace to the dust bin of social networking history. Nevertheless, MySpace has been chugging along – even though its user base has shrunk significantly in recent years. Of course, that hasn’t stopped MySpace from launching its redesigned site this week.
The new MySpace conducted internal beta testing in July and previewed a few months ago in September. However, the so-called new MySpace was only available on invite basis, with the doors now open to the masses. Unsurprisingly, the public availability for the new version of MySpace was apparently timed to coincide with the release of the new single from investor/actor/singer Justin Timberlake called Suit & Tie, which features none other than Jay-Z.
If you don’t have a MySpace account, you can sign up for one using your Facebook, Twitter, or your old MySpace credentials. The emphasis of the new site redesign is music and music discovery. Every page of the site has an audio deck on the bottom allowing users to play and add songs to their queue. The site also boasts a Discover function that brings up a menu of trending music stories which are described as being displayed in a Pinterest-like square layout.
MySpace users who prefer the old layout can revert to the previous UI simply by clicking the grey bar at the top of the homepage. Apparently, MySpace hasn’t made an official announcement concerning the launch of the redesigned page to the public, but odds are one will be coming.
Of course, it’s rather difficult to imagine that a redesigned page launching alongside a new single from an artist who has been laying low for years will be enough to bring MySpace back into the social networking game.
