The projected launch date of MySpace Music has changed a lot lately, but is still expected to launch before the end of the month. That gives us about one more week. It could launch anytime until then, but it’s starting to feel like they’re going to wait until the last possible minute.
Reasons for Delay
MySpace Music still does not have a CEO, and has still not reached a deal with EMI, the fourth major label they’re trying to get on board. These are two issues that have both been discussed as possible reasons for the launch’s delay. Another speculated reason was a possible antitrust issue as reports surfaced about indie labels not being able to upload music to the site.
It seems now however, that this isn’t so much an issue after all, at least at this point. Silicon Alley Insider reports that “indie heavyweight IODA, which distributes 1.5 million tracks for several thousand labels” is currently in negotiations with MySpace Music, and the negotiations are going well. A MySpace Music spokesperson also gave Bruce at Hypebot a statement:
“We are not aware of any antitrust complaint or inquiry pending against either MySpace or MySpace Music. MySpace Music welcomes indie artists and is not blocking content from them or other labels. Our goal is to provide the indie community with powerful tools and monetization channels to enable them to access revenue streams previously unavailable.”
It’s Coming
So it looks like lack of CEO and EMI Holdout are the top two reasons that MySpace Music has yet to launch. I’m sure the advertisers are just as eager as the rest of us, but if we can just be patient for a little while longer, we should all have our curiosity satisfied within the next seven days. In the meantime, TechCrunch scored some screenshots of the service from an anonymous source, which may or may not be authentic.
