MySpace has completely revamped its brand and is planning to launch a new beta website and new products in order to refocus itself as a social entertainment hub.
MySpace has been under pressure to compete with Facebook and Twitter in the social-networking realm, and it hopes to re-establish itself as a place for entertainment fans to discover new content and connect with other fans.
Users will soon be able to engage with MySpace’s array of programming, which will include originals, exclusives and content from the web, be able to display their creations and interests on their profiles, and connect with others with similar tastes.
The site will promote “curators,” who will be a part of its user base, who are influential in topics about culture and entertainment, and will support them with resources and tools to expand their reach within the community.
Brand
The logo has been redesigned, placing a bracket in it. According to a statement from MySpace, the bracket represents “a space where people can express themselves,” reflecting how they can personalise their MySpace.
Beta
The beta site, which can be previewed here, is completely different than before, from its visuals to its product features. The welcome page shows new content in real time and once a user logs in, this page will instantly populate with content based on a user’s interests.
Users can toggle between three versions of the homepage: list view, which is the traditional view, grid view, a magazine-styled layout and play video, a video format which lets users watch and forward updates.
There will also be a mobile version of the beta, which will hit iPhone and Android devices later this year.
Products
Along with a new site, there’s a slew of features to allow users to discover, collect and display entertainment content.
There will be more than 20,000 entertainment-based pages which aggregate information on certain topics from news sites and blogs such as MTV, the New York Times and Access Hollywood.
Content Hubs will offer destinations dedicated to movies, television and celebrities. These hubs will combine programmed editorial content and news articles from content partners.
Each article within the hubs will recommend other content. Hubs focused on fashion, gaming comedy and sports will be revealed in the next few months.
‘Right now on MySpace’ will show trending content, showing users what’s new on the site and lets them listen or watch right from an interactive chart.
A personalised stream will base itself on users’ interests and a discovery tab will show users what friends are watching along with what’s trending in real time on MySpace.
The My Stuff Tab shows a user’s profile, photos and videos, and badges are graphical rewards, which will recognise curators and fans for social activity around topics on the beta site.
The beta site will begin rolling out today and will be available for everyone worldwide by the end of November.
