The possibility of a MySpace comeback is stirring nostalgia among former users who remember the social networking site as a more personal and less polished corner of the internet.
For Monticah Hawkins, a 31-year-old real estate agent in Atlanta, MySpace was more than a website. It was part of her daily routine and a place where people could share photos without worrying about filters or online judgment.
“You could be authentic on MySpace,” Hawkins said, recalling a time when users freely posted imperfect, unedited pictures.
MySpace, once the world's leading social networking platform, is now being considered for a relaunch by its owners, brothers Tim and Chris Vanderhook. However, they have not announced a specific date or provided details about what a new version of the platform might look like.
A spokesperson for Viant, the company that owns MySpace, said there were no updates to share at present.
The prospect of its return has nevertheless revived memories of the site's heyday more than two decades ago, when users created highly customized pages filled with music, photos and personal touches.
Melissa Kristin, a TikTok creator with more than 900,000 followers, also remembers MySpace as a more individualistic online space. She said users could create their own small “corner of the internet” rather than simply consuming content selected by algorithms.
Kristin believes a revived MySpace should focus on personal connections instead of the performance-driven culture found on many current social platforms.
MySpace launched in 2003 and quickly became a major part of internet culture. It helped emerging artists, including Arctic Monkeys, Adele and Nicki Minaj, reach early audiences.
But its heavily customized pages, autoplaying music and crowded layouts eventually became less appealing as Facebook gained popularity with a cleaner and simpler design. MySpace subsequently went through several redesigns and ownership changes before losing its mainstream audience.
Marketing experts say any revival would need to learn from those mistakes.
Dr. Alexa Fox, a marketing professor at the University of Akron, described MySpace as a social media “first mover” that eventually became too complicated for many users. She said its focus on music, creativity and individual expression could still attract people if those elements were presented through a simpler, more accessible design.
Social media strategist Alex Mills, who has worked on campaigns for Spotify and Adobe, said MySpace's lack of an algorithmic feed was once an advantage but ultimately contributed to its decline. He said users still want feeds but are increasingly frustrated with platforms that prioritize sensational or divisive content.
Kevin McClary, head of performance marketing at Gorilla 76, said MySpace should avoid trying to directly compete with Meta, TikTok or X. Instead, he suggested building a niche platform around 2000s culture and its original association with music.
He also believes younger users could become part of the audience, noting growing interest in retro technology such as point-and-shoot cameras, MP3 players and film cameras.
Experts also see an opportunity for MySpace to offer users greater control over what they see online and a less overwhelming experience than today's highly algorithm-driven platforms.
For longtime fans such as Hawkins and Kristin, however, the attraction goes beyond technology. They want a revived MySpace to recreate the sense of personal connection and excitement they experienced more than 20 years ago.
The challenge, they say, will be whether a new MySpace can bring back that feeling while adapting to today's digital world.
Source: BBC