Myspace relaunch remains only a plan as owners eye a return

A Myspace relaunch is again on the table, but investors and users should view it as an intention rather than a scheduled product launch. Tim and Chris Vanderhook, who own the brand, said in the Tommy Avalone documentary Myspace that they plan to bring it back, according to CNBC. No launch date has been announced.

The distinction matters. A recognizable name can generate attention, but a renewed service would still need to win advertisers and hold users’ interest in a market dominated by established services. Viant Technology, the advertising-software company co-owned by the Vanderhooks, told USA Today on Aug. 5 that it had no relaunch details to share.

When will Myspace relaunch?

There is no public timetable. CNBC reported that the Vanderhooks did not outline a rollout schedule, and neither CNBC’s reporting nor Viant’s response to USA Today provided product features or a formal strategy for the proposed return.

In the documentary, the brothers said they were waiting for the right time to relaunch the brand and would try again if an effort failed, CNBC reported. That leaves open basic questions about what users would get, how the service would work and when it could become available.

Why a return would be difficult

Myspace was founded in 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. It reached 115 million monthly visitors in 2008, according to CNBC, before Facebook overtook it. The Vanderhooks acquired Myspace in 2011 and previously tried to rebuild it with a new version of the service. That effort did not succeed; Chris Vanderhook said in the documentary that it lost more than $150 million, CNBC reported.

The proposed comeback arrives as some users show fatigue with feeds shaped by algorithms, software systems that rank and recommend posts. Kate Winick, a principal analyst at Forrester, told CNBC that enthusiasm around Myspace reflects nostalgia for a period when algorithms had less influence over people’s online lives. She pointed to interest in smaller, more private online communities.

But nostalgia does not settle the product question. Winick said Myspace would have to combine its old identity with the cleaner interfaces, easy content discovery and short-form video that users now expect. An experience resembling the original highly customizable platform could feel labor-intensive to younger people accustomed to TikTok and Instagram, she said.

Winick also said the company would need a meaningfully different product and would have to appeal beyond the adults who remember Myspace, many of whom now have careers and families. CNBC reported that the central business hurdles include attracting advertisers, sustaining user interest and meeting evolving regulatory requirements.

What the Myspace relaunch would need to prove

• Whether familiarity with the Myspace name can translate into a service that users choose to use regularly.
• Whether the platform can offer a distinct experience while meeting contemporary expectations for design and discovery.
• Whether it can attract advertisers and operate amid changing rules for social-media companies.

For now, the confirmed news is narrow: the owners have said they want to relaunch Myspace. The timing, design and commercial plan remain undisclosed.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.