NEW YORK (AP) — Napster, a brand once synonymous with music piracy but later revived as a subscription music service, has been acquired by Infinite Reality for $207 million. The tech startup announced the deal on Tuesday, outlining its vision to transform the streaming service into a social music platform. The goal is to create a space where artists can directly connect with fans and generate greater revenue from their work.
“The internet has evolved from desktop to mobile, from mobile to social, and now we are entering the immersive era. Yet, music streaming has remained largely the same. It’s time to reimagine what’s possible,” stated Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos in a blog post.
Infinite Reality has ambitious plans to modernize Napster. These include the creation of virtual 3D spaces, enabling fans to attend concerts and offering musicians and labels the opportunity to sell both digital and physical merchandise directly. Artists will also gain access to a broader range of metrics and analytics, providing deeper insights into user behavior on the platform.
Amish Shah, Chief Business Officer at Infinite Reality, emphasized the potential of this partnership. “We can think of no better use case for our technology than putting it in the hands of music artists who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” Shah said.
Napster’s history dates back to 1999. Launched by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, it quickly became the leading peer-to-peer file-sharing application. However, it was shut down in the early 2000s due to copyright infringement lawsuits from the recording industry and the popular rock band Metallica. Rhapsody later acquired the brand in 2011 and relaunched it as a music streaming service.
Copyright © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
