We already reported that Napster had been aquired by Roxio, and CNN reports more about the new release of this first file sharing service. Altough Napster has been considered dead, Roxio doesn't think so. The company also hired Shawn Fanning, the founder of the old Napster as consultant.
Napster is a great brand with wide recognition, and when we do roll something out it has to be easy, fun, have the broadest range of artists, and the price must be right," Carpenter said. "We're looking at something before the end of the calendar year." |
The early knock on sites where users can download music for a fee has been the limited scope of the artists offered and the cost, as users can access a wider range of artists for free through file sharing networks such as Grokster, Kazaa and Morpheus.
"The fee-based online music services such as Rhapsody and eMusic don't have to report their numbers, but I doubt any of them are making any money," said Michael Kim, digital media analyst with Roth Capital Partners. "If the Napster service is going to be successful, the [file sharing networks] will have to be shut down and the company will have to go to the major labels to secure a broad range of artists."
Intresting is also that the article notes that Roxio has lost a lot in the OEM market, and is now mainly targetting at the retail market. Lets see what kind of profits the company can receive from Napster, but does anyone still remember Napster ? Read the article here.
Source: CNN.com
