Are They Really Bringing Myspace Back? Here's What We Know

Myspace ruled the early 2000s, with over 22 million users at its peak in 2005. What started as a college project ended up being the ultimate online social hub, with customizable profiles, a Top 8 friends list, and the ability to connect with users from all over the world. When it started to fade away in 2008, it felt like a huge piece of internet history was dying along with it. 

However, Myspace is making a comeback. The owners, Tim and Chris Vanderhook, have a relaunch plan with a new vision. They didn't share too much, but noted it will be different from other social media platforms, which the brothers feel rely too heavily on algorithms and doom-scrolling. 

In a new documentary from Tommy Avallone, "Myspace," the brothers mentioned that the "heartbeat" of Myspace was the artist community, which seemed to diminish when the site was purchased by News Corp. This could be a possible angle for the site's relaunch, which currently has no confirmed date. "We're waiting for the right time to do it," the Vanderhooks said in the documentary (via People). "And if that one doesn't work, we'll do it again." 

Myspace never fully shut down — and you can even find your old Myspace profile — but it's depressing to even look at what the site has become in 2026. How did this happen? 

Co-founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe launched Myspace in 2003, and it quickly became the most popular website in the United States, surpassing Google and eBay in 2006. Known for its music and artist culture and customizable profiles, it became a pretty desirable website. News Corp purchased Myspace for $580 million in 2005. 

Unfortunately, the internet is an ever-changing place. While Myspace was once dominant in the social media space, Facebook was starting to grow its own userbase. Myspace's buggy interface, aggressive advertising, and stranger danger scares caused a lot of users to make the switch to the newer option by 2010. News Corp sold Myspace to Specific Media and Justin Timberlake the following year for just $35 million. A new music-focused design followed, but it struggled to gain traction. 

"We really tried to modernize it, but it was a different company at that point. It wasn't the same Myspace," the brothers said. With Facebook blowing up and Myspace fading into internet history, advertisers canceled on Myspace and the brothers lost $150 million. Despite the setbacks, Tim and Chris are still hoping for a comeback.