Monday, February 13, 2012 - 11:00am
After a "free fall," MySpace is reportedly signing up new users again and seeing an increase in traffic -- developments one investor attributes in part to new music offerings.
The New York Times reports the social media service has signed up one million new users since December. Additionally, data from comScore reportedly shows "monthly traffic on MySpace rose in January, the first increase in almost a year."
December saw the launch of a new streaming radio service from MySpace (pictured). It allows users to listen to a continuous stream of music either from a specific artist or for a genre (RAIN coverage here).
One of the investors who purchased the social network service from News Corporation in June 2011 for $35 million, Chris Vanderhook, says the growth is due in part to MySpace's music offerings and its 42 million track library ("several times more than Spotify or Rhapsody," writes NYT).
Vanderhook plans to continue "emphasizing [MySpace's] role as a music and entertainment hub," aiming "to be the conduit for music and other forms of entertainment that can be shared through other networks."
The New York Times has more coverage here.