Recently a video popped up on the internets that got a lot of people talking. MySpace, it appears, is making a comeback. Slick and stylish the video (check it below) looked like a promising update to MySpace. But what is the new MySpace going to do for artists? That’s where Scott Vener comes in. He’s the new lead music editor and curator for MySpace and he’s the guy who picked the music for Entourage, How to Make It in America and 90210. And he’s charged with bringing music and musicians back into the fold. Wired caught up with Scott and I’ve distilled what musicians need to know:

“We all know this is expected to fail,” Vener said in an e-mail to Wired, in which he discussed Myspace’s latest makeover. “With those low expectations comes a lot of freedom. Cool is what happens when you get creative and have nothing to lose.”

-Wired: What can you tell us about the new Myspace? What kind of features can we expect?

Vener: A simple design with a persistent music player that allows you to create, discover and consume playlists no matter what else you happen to be doing. Easier ways to find and create mixes. Plus, I had no idea how large the music and video catalogs were prior to coming over here. The new site will make it much easier to tap into them.

The analytics. There’s a lot of focus being directed to recommendations and insights. For example, there’s a metric (Affinity) that shows people to what degree they’ll like something, making it easier for people to discover the things they’ll actually enjoy. Top 8 is back.

-Wired: Obviously you picked out the music for the new promotional video (embedded above), which you’re also featured in, but what else does your job entail?

Vener: Helping curate the artists featured in our various music programs and recruiting artists back to the site. Beyond that, as we’re building the new site, my job is to speak on behalf of the unsigned, up-and-coming artists and represent their voice and needs within Myspace.

…I can’t wait to use this platform to identify emerging artists and help fans connect to their music. Who knows, maybe their stuff will end up on the upcoming Entourage movie soundtrack (shameless plug). (Read the full article here.)

http://youtu.be/IOi6Z_y0_9s

Music Consciousness
Voyno