Just in case there's any doubt about the matter, the independent sector remains mightily pissed off about MySpace Music.
As previously reported, the social networking firm launched its actually-a-bit-disappointing new music platform in the US last week, but without many of the key independent labels on board. The indies object to the fact that the all-new MySpace Music is run by a new subsidiary of the Rupert Murdoch-owned social networking company in which each of the four major record companies have an equity stake, which they were given as part of the licensing deal between the labels and the web firm. The indies argue that it is unfair that they are not being offered a similar albeit proportional equity stake in the new service in return for access to their catalogues, especially given that it was the indies who initially embraced MySpace and helped it become the primary social network site used by bands to communicate with their fans.
The newish global body established to negotiate digital rights for indie labels - Merlin - issued a statement on the day the new MySpace Music launched, remarking that: "It is incredibly disappointing that MySpace will launch their new service without having finalised a deal with the world's most important independent labels and artists. It certainly makes [MySpace co-founder] Chris DeWolfe's public statements, that the "indie bands are really the heart of MySpace", ring extremely hollow".
MySpace themselves yesterday moved to play down the growing anger in parts of the indie community, insisting that independent label music remained an important part of their music agenda. They also denied Merlin's claims that indies were being offered a bad deal, and stressed that there was some indie label content already available via their new service - via the indie distribution arms of their major label partners, and through a deal with independent aggregator The Orchard. But a string of other indie label execs quickly lined up to respond to MySpace's latest statement on the matter, and to share their concerns with the social network's expanded music preview and download offer.
Bob Frank, President of Koch Records, the US's market leading indie label, told CMU: "Koch Records, the number one independent in the US for seven years running, has not been offered anything. MySpace has done a horrible job analysing the independent landscape. They can continue with their 'Orwellian' approach to their statements and press releases but that does not change the fact that they have given equity to the majors whilst treating the Independents as second class citizens in a seriously anti-competitive and arrogant manner".
Tom Silverman, the high profile founder and boss of Tommy Boy Records says: "Our lovers were cheating on us. Now we need to hire a great divorce lawyer. MySpace has been floundering lately already, and people have been moving toward Facebook and so on. This is going to accelerate that exodus. We can make a decision where we promote an artist, and we don't have to do it with MySpace. We've had a great relationship for a long time, but times change, and new technology comes along".
Back in the UK, and Simon Wheeler, chief digital man at Beggars Group, echoed comments made by Beggars boss Martin Mills last week in criticising the new service. He told reporters: "'We find the MySpace statement misleading at best, whatever MySpace has offered Merlin, and I am not party to those negotiations, it was not an equal opportunity to that which has been offered to the major labels, specifically on the point of equity in MySpace Music. MySpace has not made any offer to unsigned artists either as far as I am aware... If the opportunity that they refer to is to make your music available to stream for free, then that offer is open to anyone, if it is to include getting compensation for streaming of your music, then that is not open to anyone except the major label partners, their distributed labels and a token indie [The Orchard] at this point in time".
And elsewhere in Europe, the boss of German digital distributor Finetunes, Oke Gšttlich, said: "We embrace the idea of monetising online usage of music but can not understand why once again the majority of people who make music have been excluded from a global music deal. Although most of the musical content on [the existing] MySpace [music website] is from independent and unsigned artists, renumeration will be first spread... to the major labels. This is hardly fitting with the fact that it was mostly unsigned and independent artists who helped to build MySpace and turn it into the huge and vibrant community we know today. We'll see how sustainable the shared equity business of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and the major labels really is. Perhaps artists will soon be telling their fans: "get the real me...not at MySpace".