Is Twitter the new Myspace for bands?

If a band makes a comment about Myspace during a live show, they've obviously been living under a rock.

Twitter is the new Myspace.

Record labels are even encouraging their artists to use Twitter as an outlet of communication. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails inspired the move from Myspace to Twitter.

Reznor used his Twitter account to help raise $1 million for a fan in need of a heart transplant. He also gave fans inside access to upcoming tour dates, projects, and his collaboration with other artists.

Now, many bands are following suit, using the most up to date and popular social networking site to connect with their fans online. Band and touring information, record release promotions, and contests have been among the different ways for artists to connect with their audience through Twitter.

During one of their shows, San Francisco band Moonalice recorded each song live as they performed. They immediately digitized the songs and sent out a tweet with a download link to each song. Using Twitter, Moonalice was able to push 3,000 downloads all by themselves.

Another success story is of an artist who used a well-known rapper's name to push 14,000 downloads within two days. Mack Maine's mixtape, "This is Just a Mixtape," contained a song that featured a snippet of Lil Wayne.

Moe Arora, a friend of Maine who works in the music business, used Twitter to promote the song, calling it a "Lil Wayne exclusive" in order to grab people's attention.

"This way we can capture the most interest immediately," Arora said on his blog, "Making the Mogul." "But I was careful never to say it's a Lil Wayne featuring Mack Maine - I just emphasized on the exclusive cameo from a well-known name."

The tweet, which featured the download link for Maine's song, was re-tweeted by Arora's Twitter followers, and by that same night, the DJs were paying the song in the clubs. Bloggers and hip-hop websites were also posting the download link.

Twitter will continue to be the go-to place for the "heightened connection" between artists and fans...in 140 characters or less.

However, musician Ben Kweller offered some Twitter advice for bands in an interview with "The Our Stage Blog": Artists need to find more creative ways to use Twitter other than just promoting a show.

"Tweet like you mean it, or don't tweet at all," Kweller said.

Nowadays, rather than hearing a band on stage say, "Be our friend on Myspace," you will probably here them say, "Follow us on Twitter!"

-Chris Saad and Kaitlin Meilert