Rhapsody International Reaches Two Million Subscribers
for its Premium Music Services: Napster, Rhapsody & unRadio
Company also bringing its groundbreaking new Internet radio service to Europe,
in partnership with SFR; accelerating global momentum complements Rhapsody’s U.S. growth
LONDON, UK – July 29, 2014 – Rhapsody International, the parent company of popular music services Napster and Rhapsody, today announced it has more than two million paying subscribers globally for its premium music services, including Napster, Rhapsody and its recently launched Internet radio service – Rhapsody unRadio. This is a significant milestone for the company and the music subscription model it has championed since 2001.
Rhapsody International also announced it will extend Napster’s presence in Europe and in Latin America through expanded partnerships with two of the world’s largest mobile telecommunications companies, SFR and Telefónica’s Movistar, to make Napster-branded music services available to those companies’ mobile customers.
Last month, Rhapsody launched a breakthrough new Internet radio service, Rhapsody unRadio, in partnership with United States mobile operator T-Mobile. With unRadio, listeners can skip an unlimited number of songs, listen without intrusive advertisements, and when they hear a song they love, they can mark it as a favorite and automatically save it for later listening – even when they’re offline.
Now, Napster and SFR, France’s second largest mobile operator, are bringing this radio service to Europe for the first time. SFR and Napster are making this service available to users in France under the Napster brand, as Napster Découverte (Napster Discovery).
Napster Découverte, which is available now for €3.95 (3.95 Euros) per month, will be marketed alongside the Napster Premier service that SFR and Rhapsody launched last fall, giving French music fans two great ways to discover and enjoy music through Napster.
“We are very satisfied with the development of Napster in France and with Napster Découverte’s successful co-operation with SFR,” said Thorsten Schliesche, senior vice president and general manager, Europe for Napster. “France is one of the fastest growing markets in Europe. The success of our service proves that customers are eager for a blend of on-demand and radio music.”
In Latin America, Napster and Telefónica’s Movistar have launched and are actively promoting the Napster Premier service in several new countries, including Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. These commercial launches are the result of a strategic agreement Rhapsody and Telefónica announced last fall, through which Telefónica’s operating businesses in Europe and Latin America will deliver the Napster Premier music service to mobile customers.
Napster and Rhapsody users are highly engaged with the service and its global catalogue of more than 32 million tracks, with more than 80% of listening happening on mobile. Over the past three months, the songs, albums and artists most popular with Napster and Rhapsody members included:
Most popular songs:
● Global – “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
● Europe – “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glyne
● Latin America– “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
● United States – “Fancy” by Iggy Azaela featuring Charli XCX
Most popular albums:
● Global – “G I R L” by Pharrell Williams
● Europe – “X” by Ed Sheeran
● Latin America – “Live in London – At the Royal Albert Hall” by Julio Iglesias
● United States – “Nothing was the Same” by Drake
Most popular artists:
● Global – Michael Jackson
● Europe – Jason Derulo
● Latin America – Jorge & Mateus
● United States – Eminem
About Napster
Napster is one of the world’s leading premium subscription digital music services. Owned and operated by U.S.-based Rhapsody International Inc., Napster combines the iconic history of one of the most recognizable digital music brands in the world with the vast experience and technological platform of the first subscription music service, Rhapsody. Napster offers one of the world’s most comprehensive online music collections and provides access to your music anywhere, via hundreds of devices. Rhapsody, Napster, and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rhapsody International Inc. For more information, visit www.napster.com.
About Rhapsody International
Rhapsody International is the parent company of leading streaming music services Rhapsody and Napster. Now available in 32 countries across the U.S., Europe and Latin America, Rhapsody and Napster give members ad-free access to more than 32 million songs. Whether they’re listening on their phone, at home, at work, or in the car, Rhapsody and Napster go where our members go. Our expert team of editors creates a curated music experience that makes it easy for members worldwide to gather and enjoy new original content including videos, playlists, reviews, and radio stations — anytime and anywhere. Follow @Rhapsody on Twitter and keep up with the latest on the Rhapsody Facebook page.
