WebProNews

Today MySpace announced the launch of MySpace Music in Australia and New Zealand. This release represents the first for MySpace Music outside of the United States.

The launch brings a new e-commerce partnership to MySpace Music with iTunes providing the music downloads locally, a MySpace spokesperson tells WebProNews. She also shares the following stats for the US version of MySpace Music:

Source: Nielsen Netview / August 2009

- MySpace Music unique users have grown 169% since launch in September 2008 and 1472%, year-over-year

- MySpace Music has nearly tripled its unique users since launch

- People ages 12 and 17 are 2.3 times more likely than the average active internet user to visit MySpace Music

- People ages 18-24 are 2.2 times more likely than the average internet user to visit MySpace Music

Source: comScore Media Metrix / August 2009

- MySpace Music is the #1 site in time spent for the 18-34 demographic

- MySpace Music is #2 in total unique users

- MySpace Music has 18.95 million monthly unique users

"MySpace Music brings to Australia and New Zealand all of the functionality currently available to U.S. based users including an ever-growing catalogue of fully licensed major and indie artist audio tracks, user-friendly e-commerce solutions, personal music players and user and artist playlisting, in addition to creating monetization opportunities for all artists," the spokesperson says.

"Both Australia and New Zealand have always been rabid music markets for MySpace Ever since Jet launched our Secret Shows program in August 2006 we’ve seen our fans share their favorite playlists, take advantage of advance listening sessions and help up-and-coming local artists build a following both locally and globally via MySpace," says Rebekah Horne, Managing Director and SVP of International at MySpace. "In Australia alone, we have had exclusive album premieres from Cut Copy, Silverchair, The Presets and Guns n Roses and hosted 40 free and intimate Secret Shows with some of the greatest acts in the world, including Air, The Cure, Hilltop Hoods and Duffy. New Zealand too has had its share of some great Secret Shows with the likes of Fall Out Boy and Evermore."

The site launches with Toyota and KFC as its flagship sponsors. Users can purchase and download single songs and full albums through iTunes.