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The cat with headphones logo is making a comeback with the launch of the new NAPSTER, version 2.0. Now owned by Roxio and supported by content agreements with the five major record labels and several independents, NAPSTER announced that it will officially launch its online music service to the public on October 29. In addition to a review of the new service, Roxio announced partnerships and plans with several other companies, including Samsung, Microsoft and Gateway.
The new NAPSTER offers $.99 downloads per song from a library of over 500,000 songs. Entire albums can be downloaded for $9.95. The software allows easy burning to CD or tracks can be stored on users hard drives or moved to any portable audio player. In addition to music searches by artist, title or genre, NAPSTER 2.0 allows users to search 4 decades worth of Billboard hits, create personal playlists, listed to free 30 second clips of songs access artist and album information and integrate their existing MP3 collection into their NAPSTER playlists. While the old Napster was for trading MP3 files, the new Napster file for purchase are only in WMA format.
A premium service of $9.95 per month provides users unlimited music downloads and music streaming,access to Internet radio stations, message boards, the ability to e-mail music clips to other users and browse other members’ music collections.
Samsung will launch the Napster YP-910GS portable digital music player, designed to integrate seamlessly with the new Napster service. The new Samsung player is immediately recognized by the software for users to transfer their music collection to the unit. The player contains a 20 GB hard drive, USB 2.0, an FM radio tuner, MP3 encoder (for recording directly from a CD player or the built-int radio), and RF transmitter (for playying the unit through a car or home stereo) and is compatible with both MP3 and WMA formats. It will be available from Best Buy October 19th for $399. It ships with preloaded with tracks from artists including Liz Phair, Iggy Pop, The Faint and others. Consumers who purchase the player prior to Napster’s October 29 launch will get to try out a beta versions of the software and get 20 free track downloads.
Microsoft announced that Napster will be integrated into the latest version of its Windows XP Media Center and Windows Media 9. In addition Gateway will integrate Napster into nearly all its new PCs this fall and offer purchasers of new Gateway PCs one month of free Napster service plus 150 preloaded songs.
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