Rhapsody acquires Napster in the UK

But plans to keep that infamous nameInternet News By Kate Solomon 5 minutes ago | Tell us what you think [ 0 comments ]

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Crack out your black robes - Napster as we once knew it is dead. The UK and German divisions have now been acquired by Rhapsody after a similar absorption happened in the US in late 2011.

Napster subscribers will be moved over to Rhapsody in March, where they'll keep their existing libraries and enjoy an improved web experience and faster performance, better offline play quality and easier playlist management.

Easy come, easy go

It's not the last you'll hear of the infamous music company though, as Rhapsody plans to continue operating under the Napster banner despite owning it outright.

"The acquisition of Napster and its subscriber base in the UK and Germany gives us an ideal entry to the European market," said Jon Irwin, president of Rhapsody.

"This is the perfect time to extend our borders—both geographically and technologically, as we take our service to new places, including the automobile and the living room.

"Consumer demand for subscription music has never been greater, and our partners are eager to bring music to the masses in new and creative ways. There is a lot of room for growth in this market and I firmly believe that 2012 is going to be our biggest year yet."

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