FEATURES | The MTV generation has all grown-up and has been replaced by cyber friends who get their music fill online - watch this space . . .

TUNE out, turn off and log on. Generation My-Space is ditching MTV and going online to feed its voracious appetite for the latest sounds.

The American music bible Rolling Stone maga-zine has even released the top 25 MySpace bands as millions of music fans wave goodbye to passive TV viewing and take control of their very own WebTV.

Since its launch in 2003, MySpace's rise to fame has been meteoric. It has gone from zero to 43m users and is the king when it comes to social networking websites, leaving the likes of Bebo (which only has a paltry 30m) in its shade.

During this time, it has helped launch bands, such as the Arctic Monkeys, allowing them to achieve mega success while circumventing the traditional route of press, radio and television in their audience-building endeavours.

Welcome to the new era of low-cost, mass-market, musical freedom. This is where budding musicians can write, record and distribute music without signing a record deal, and immediately connect with potential fans.

Bands have realised they no longer need the major labels, expensive marketing or even radio or television air play. My-Space offers a hardcore community of loyal devoted fans that can quickly convert electronic word of mouth into the hottest marketing strategy since the advent of MTV.

MySpace band sites feature songs, videos, downloads, exclusives, picks of the week and lots more. Fans can listen to their favourite tracks and leave messages for band members.

The emergence of MySpace has ushered in an era where the distance between audience and artist has been greatly diminished. Bands and musicians reach current and future fans by inviting them to their MySpace page to be 'friends'. This enables them to then build a massive mailing list to send updates for tours, new albums and to sell merchandise.

Even major acts, such as U2 and Coldplay, know that My-Space is now an essential promotional platform. If you have a favourite band or musician, you can bet they are on MySpace.

And why do they love it so much? Well, it's simple - MySpace is the new rock'n'roll.

It is more about attitude than technology. It's a state of mind, a community of sub-cultures. And, just as rock'n'roll used to be, its spirit is independent and rebellious.

But it's much, much more than the music, man. For the millions of users, it has become the bedrock of social life. They make contact with friends, find new ones, arrange get-togethers and extend themselves into cyberspace for the whole world to see (well, at least the parts of themselves they want the world to see).

QUIRKY

Some are crazy, some funny, some interesting and quirky, others just downright sad as in any community, MySpace has its winners and its losers. But is this all just one big fad? Will it all implode? In a few year's time will the next generation ask "what the f**k was MySpace?"

Who knows? But one thing is certain social networks, such as MySpace, will morph and develop to become much more than a bunch of websites created by members given the freedom to colonise their very own part of cyberspace.

Since MySpace was bought by Rupert Murdoch for a tidy $580m in 2005 there is little doubt that the commercial side of the site will be increasingly exploited.

This week, independent music labels around the world banded together to create Merlin, an innovative licensing agency that has signed a major deal to make their artists available in MySpace's new music download stores.

This is just another signal of the increasing need for the site to begin to pay back Murdoch's millions.

Indeed, such commercial pressure could see MySpace simply become a virtual shopping mall. Could MySpace turn into this generation's own version of the Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, where loyal fans are simply used and abused all in the name of the dollar? Only time will tell. But for the time being log on and enjoy - there's a whole new world out there at www.myspace.com .

PIMP MY SITE

IF YOU don't have a MySpace site - get one. It's easy and you don't have to be a technical whizz. If you can use the internet you can create a MySpace site.

But once you've gotten to grips with the phenomenon, you'll definitely want to give your site a make-over. So, here's some tips to get you started.

1. Change your background

You can change your colour or use an image in the background. Visit: www.backgrounds archive.com.

2. Flip it

The standard template puts your personal information on the left, but you can switch it to the right. Stick this code into your "About Me" field:

Astyle type? "text/css"Btable {direction: rtl;}table table table {direction: ltr;}A/styleB

3. Add music

Log yourself in and click the "Music" link in the MySpace navigation toolbar. From here, find the Profile page of the band whose music you want to add to your page and then click the "Add" button next to the song you want to use on their MP3 music player.

4. Create a slideshow

Visit www.slide.com /arrange to see how easy it is.

5. Create a Zwinky

Zwinkies are kookie little cartoon creatures that sit on your MySpace page. Visit www.zwinky.smileycentral.com and choose your very own.

6. Pinch someone else's

Have you ever been on someone's site and been totally wowed? Well, you can steal the code they have used to create this look. Log onto www.killerkiwi.net/ myspace/layout-snatcher.

7. Codes and hacks

Here are some useful sites to help you further along the road to pimping your site. One word of warning, do not accept any applications or plug ins offered as downloads from these or any sites - they could contain viruses and other nasties.

CHECK OUT

www.doobix.com
www.freecode source.com
www.gamespot.com
www.myspace pimper.com

*Source: Evening Herald (Dublin), January 2007