Rhapsody Acquires Napster International

Now Part Of Rhapsody In Europe

RHAPSODY has acquired NAPSTER INTERNATIONAL, the subscription (flat-rate) music service in EUROPE. RHAPSODY will own and operate the NAPSTER service in GERMANY and the UNITED KINGDOM.
"The acquisition of NAPSTER and its subscriber base in the U.K. and GERMANY gives us an ideal entry to the European market," said RHAPSODY Pres. JON IRWIN. "Through the benefit of scale, the strength of our editorial programming and strategic partnerships, we can now bring the NAPSTER service to even more consumers on a variety of platforms."

"RHAPSODY has played a pivotal role defining streaming music services, which are essential to the future of the entire industry," said UMG Pres./Global Digital ROB WELLS. "I welcome RHAPSODY's arrival in EUROPE, where I am eager to see them duplicate their success attracting paid subscribers in the U.S."

RHAPSODY retains all NAPSTER INTERNATIONAL employees and will operate under the NAPSTER brand in GERMANY and the U.K., where it is widely recognized. NAPSTER subscribers will be migrated to RHAPSODY's infrastructure in MARCH, at which time they will enjoy new features, including a new Web experience and improved speed and performance -- while keeping the music libraries they have built.

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