Napster - RAIN News

Napster relaunch & stock listing — an iconic brand seeks continued status with new ownership

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Brad Hill

MelodyVR will rename as Napster after acquiring the brand and assets last summer, and will list on the London Stock Exchange. This will be Napster’s fifth incarnation. As a branding asset, it is still trading on its revolutionary reputation, even though its revolutionary impact is an echo from the past. For anyone who has been following online audio for 25 years, there is a coherent historical line between the original Napster and today’s ecosystem of on-demand streaming music. Click through for details. Continue Reading →

Rhapsody International announces Sonos partnership to power Sonos Radio HD

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Brad Hill

Rhapsody International, the parent brand of the Napster music streaming service (originally called Rhapsody) and Rhapsody’s B2B white-label streaming provision service, announced that it is now powering Sonos Radio HD. In this cluster of brands there is one more: “Powered by Napster” which is the platform service brought to bear for Sonos. Continue Reading →

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BMW brings Napster/Rhapsody into its European cars for easy on-demand audio

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Brad Hill

We received news today from Napster/Rhapsody thast BMW is bringing the global on-demand audio service into its cars in eight European countries. The service brags of 60-million tracks and 20,000 audiobooks. One interesting aspect of this is the apparent ease-of-use in getting and using the service. Continue Reading →

Napster teams with Super Hi-Fi to offer brands AI-driven music experiences

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Anna Washenko

Napster has entered a partnership with Super Hi-Fi, an artificial intelligence company that offers tools to improve audio transitions and customization. The parties will collaborate to provide businesses with personalized music listening experiences. Continue Reading →

Napster Q3 revenue is down on-year as company shifts toward B2B

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Anna Washenko

RealNetworks has posted its third-quarter financial results. The company included information about its Napster music streaming subsidiary, which generated quarterly revenue of $27.3 million, down 21.6% from $34.8 million in the year-ago period. Continue Reading →

Rhapsody offers hi-res audio through MQA partnership

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Brad Hill

Rhapsody announces a partnership with MQA, an audio technology company which creates high-resolution audio in file sizes small enough to stream, to offer high-quality audio in its white-label “Powered by Napster” business. High-resolution audio now joins a suite of technologies that companies can use to build audio streaming into their consumer-facing businesses. Continue Reading →

Rhapsody inks Asia deal for its Powered by Napster platform

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Anna Washenko

Rhapsody International has entered a partnership with global software development firm GNT Inc. Their arrangement will expand the footprint of Rhapsody’s Powered by Napster music platform. Continue Reading →

Univision reboots Uforia online listening app with Powered by Napster playlists

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Brad Hill

Napster and Univision have entered a new digital audio partnership centered on the Latin culture specialist’s Uforia app for on-demand audio and music. Under the terms of the deal, Univision’s Uforia app is now part of the “Powered by Napster” platform thanks to a new design and enhancements. Continue Reading →

Rhapsody settles mechanical licensing class action

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Anna Washenko

Rhapsody and Napster have settled a long-standing class-action lawsuit over mechanical licensing. The settlement, filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, will see the streaming services make payouts to self-published songwriters whose compositions were played on the music platform. Continue Reading →

RealNetworks becomes majority owner of Rhapsody with doubled stake

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Anna Washenko

Napster’s parent company, RealNetworks, has doubled its existing stake in the streaming service. RealNetworks acquired the debt and equity interests in Rhapsody International, an action that gives it about 84% of the outstanding stock in Napster. Continue Reading →

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Sony and Rhapsody launch a new hi-rez streaming service in Japan

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Anna Washenko

Sony Music Entertainment and Rhapsody International have partnered to launch a streaming service in Japan. The platform, called mora qualitas, will offer high-resolution lossless FLAC audio at CD quality. It is built on Rhapsody’s Powered By Napster platform. Continue Reading →

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Napster CEO: Streaming growth will bring “a great deal of diversification” in the future

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Anna Washenko

Napster President and CEO Bill Patrizio gave a keynote talk at the Midem conference, offering his insights on the streaming service’s internal plans and the broader streaming economy. He acknowledged that the company didn’t plan to tackle the current market leaders head on, but would continue pursuing other, innovative approaches to music, such as running streaming services for other brands and businesses. Continue Reading →