MySpace and Toyota Launch “Rock the Space” Competition for Unsigned Artists to Win a Record Deal

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MySpace, the world’s premiere social portal, in partnership with MySpace Records and Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., today announced the official launch of Rock the Space, an exclusive competition encouraging unsigned bands or solo artists to submit an original song for the opportunity to score a recording contract with MySpace Records, the company’s full-service independent label. Beginning today through July 1, 2009, aspiring artists across the country can enter to win the chance of a lifetime by visiting Toyota’s MySpace Music profile for submission details and contest rules http://www.myspace.com/toyotamusic.

“Rock the Space will create an organic and loyal fan base with a vested interest in these artists and their careers by allowing users to participate in the process from the beginning”

“MySpace’s origins are in connecting new and emerging artists with music fans. We designed the Rock the Space competition to take that idea to new heights,” said Kim McCullough, Corporate Manager, Marketing Communications, TMS. “Toyota is thrilled to bring unsigned musicians and the MySpace community this unprecedented opportunity.”

To enter the Rock the Space competition artists must submit an original mp3 demo. All entrants will have the opportunity to create a viral music widget with an easy embed code to help them spread their music across MySpace and the web. MySpace users can share in the experience by adding the music widgets to their profiles and posting comments on the Toyota Music profile.

In July, MySpace Records will select five finalists who will be featured prominently on the Toyota Music profile and the MySpace community will vote to select the winner. The five finalists will receive a media allocation to promote themselves with My Ads targeted advertising throughout MySpace.

“Rock the Space allows the MySpace Music platform to do what it does best - enable new music and new artists to be discovered,” said Jeff Berman, President of Sales and Marketing for MySpace. “MySpace is excited to offer these artists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to take part in their journey from the very first step.”

The Rock the Space winner will be announced in September and will receive a recording contract as well as a $10,000 musical instrument prize package provided by Fender, the world’s leading guitar manufacturer. The winner’s song will also be available for download on the MySpace Music Home Page. The four runners-up win a MySpace Records Development Deal friends package.

“Rock the Space will create an organic and loyal fan base with a vested interest in these artists and their careers by allowing users to participate in the process from the beginning,” said J. Scavo, GM of MySpace Records. “This interactivity between artist and fan has always been a fundamental and differentiating factor for the MySpace Music platform and has led to the success of many of today’s most popular artists.”

For more information or to submit and original song for consideration please visit http://www.myspace.com/toyotamusic

About MySpace

MySpace is the world’s leading social portal for connecting people, content, and culture. MySpace empowers its global community to experience the Internet through a social lens by integrating personal profiles, photo sharing, professional and viral videos, blogs, mobile, instant messaging, and the world’s largest music community. MySpace is the highest trafficked website in the United States and includes an international network of more than 30 local community sites throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corporation. (NYSE:NWS)(NYSE:NWS.A)(ASX:NWS)(ASX:NWSLV).

About MySpace Records

MySpace Records is an extension of the company’s incredibly successful music platform. MySpace Records taps into the thriving independent music community both online and offline in search of new and developing talents and operates as a full-service independent label, structured with its own marketing, sales, and A&R departments. MySpace Records has a growing roster of artists that run the gamut from rock to singer/songwriter to punk to R&B and everything in between including artists like Pennywise, Christina Milian, Kate Voegele and Mickey Avalon, among many others.

About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs more than 34,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2008.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

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