Napster (streaming service)
Napster is a music streaming service based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Until 2016, the service was known domestically as Rhapsody before rebranding as Napster, the same name brand that was used by Roxio's Napster.
| Formerly | Listen.com (1999–2001) Rhapsody (2001–2016) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music Broadcasting |
| Predecessor | Napster (pay service) |
| Founded | December 3, 2001 (as Listen.com) |
| Founder | Rob Reid |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington , United States |
Area served | 33 countries
|
Key people | Jon Vlassopulos (CEO) |
| Brands | Napster |
| Owner | Listen.com (2001–2003) RealNetworks (2003–2010) Rhapsody International, Inc. (2010–2020) Napster Group PLC (2020–2022) Hivemind & Algorand (2022–present) |
| Website | napster.com |
Napster started as an audio search engine named Aladdin that was purchased by Listen.com in May 2001 and became the basis for its new streaming service, called Rhapsody, that launched in December of the same year. Based on the Open Music Model principles, Rhapsody was the first streaming on-demand music subscription service to offer unlimited access to a large library of digital music for a flat monthly fee. In August 2003, internet media behemoth RealNetworks, anticipating the launch of Apple's iTunes Store, acquired Rhapsody. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody relaunched as a standalone company, separate from former parent RealNetworks. On August 25, 2020, Rhapsody International and the Napster name were sold to virtual reality concerts company MelodyVR for $70 million, which renamed itself Napster Group PLC following the takeover. On May 10, 2022, Napster was sold to Hivemind and Algorand.