Youtube is the future, MySpace is the past

The managers of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber say they now focus their energies on YouTube and believe MySpace is finished as a vehicle to promote music. Lady Gaga manager Troy Carter says he will now specifically "create music videos for YouTube". Carter's statement breaks from tradition because music videos have historically targeted MTV and foreign markets.

Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun told the audience at the TechCrunch conference that Bieber's career is typical of the way YouTube is shaping music. Bieber was discovered on YouTube and the strategy to promote him centred around creating more online content. Bieber's videos hit 55m views before he was signed by Universal Music. Braun says the process took so long because record companies thought that "without a TV show, you can't break a teenage star".

Carter points out that Lady Gaga began her career via MySpace four years ago, but Braun quickly added that "nobody does MySpace anymore". Both managers agree Twitter is a vital promotional tool because it helps break down barriers between the artists and fans.

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