The Napster Blog

Napster App (Beta) Now Available for BlackBerry™

We are excited to announce that Napster App (Beta) is now available for BlackBerry™ OS version 5.0 users!  We’ll be offering additional versions soon.

Featuring unlimited on-demand streaming of over 12 million full-length songs for $10 per month, music lovers can sign up for Napster with mobile access and listen instantly to any and all of them as often as they like, in the order they want, from wherever they are.

With Napster plus mobile access, members can save songs, playlists, and albums to their mobile devices and enjoy their favorite music even when not connected. Here are some key Napster plus mobile access features:

• Save songs, albums, and playlists to enjoy even when listening offline
• Kick back with playlists, recommendations, and Billboard^® charts
• Create playlists for a customized listening experience
• Automix favorite songs to create instant playlists blending similar artists

Napster is available on any connected computer, compatible TV, Blu-ray™ player or other compatible home audio product, as well as on iPhone^®, iPod Touch^®, iPad^®, and Android™ devices — and now in beta for BlackBerry™ OS version 5.0  — all available at Best Buy and other retailers.

To get the Napster app for BlackBerry™, text “NAPSTERBB” to 332211 or go to m.napster.com/bb from your Blackberry

Please check back again soon for updates, or visit napster.com.

Take a Peek Inside the Napster Offices

Los Angeles television station KTLA sent a news crew over to the Napster offices last week for a behind-the-scenes look at what we do, and the resulting piece, which kicks off a KTLA news feature series called "Behind the Digital Curtain," aired over the weekend. It's a fun look inside Napster HQ, with actual Napster people talking about getting new music into the system (our "cloud") and some of the development and testing that goes into bringing millions of songs on demand to more and more mobile and home devices. It's also a pretty cool summary of how Napster (and digital music in general) has evolved from 1999 to 2011—all in just two and a half minutes. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Napster App for iOS Updated; Sound Quality Dramatically Improved

Our recently launched app for iPhone and other iOS devices has been getting some great reviews, and iLounge even named it one of their 100 essential apps of the year. However, there was one sticking point with the 1.0 release of Napster for iOS devices: the sound quality needed improvement. Apparently the higher frequencies were dropping, causing a sound similar to a too-high bass setting.

After careful evaluation and audio analysis, we dramatically improved the audio quality, ensuring those higher frequencies are broadcasting as they should.

Even better news is that we were able to do this without sacrificing bandwidth, battery life, or even storage space. This is especially important with the release of iOS 4.2 and the AirPlay feature, since you can now use the Napster app to wirelessly pump great sounding music to your home theater system. 'Tis the season to check out all the great accessories you can buy at your local Best Buy store and fill your home with some with of our expertly programmed holiday music.

Napster for iOS now sounds as good as it looks! Now that we're past this hurdle, we look forward to bringing more exciting innovations to help you enjoy your choice of over 11 million songs wherever you happen to spend your holidays.

If you don't yet have the Napster app, get it here.

—Michael Robinette

Coming Soon: Napster on Google TV

Today, over at the official Google Blog, Google shared details on some of the enhanced experiences that will be featured on Google TV – including an application from Napster. For those of you who haven’t heard: Google TV seamlessly combines all of your favorite entertainment across your TV and the web under one search box so you can easily find what you want to watch.

Napster’s preinstalled application on Google TV will make it even easier to sit back and enjoy the world of music from your living room. You can quickly and easily find and play the music you love for as long as you want, with almost no effort. Just sit back and enjoy the way music enriches your life.

• Just as you can when listing today, Napster on Google TV lets you:
• Play songs, albums, and playlists as often as you like, in the order you like 
• Kick back with playlists, recommendations, and Billboard® charts dating back to 1955 
• Create your own playlists for a customized listening experience
• Automix your favorite song to create an instant playlist blending similar artists
• Check out new releases every Tuesday
• See and select most recently played songs and albums
• Save and play favorite artists

Current subscribers will only need to log in to Napster on their new Google TV device, and voila! For those new to Napster, a free trial will be available straight from the Google TV device.

Google TV devices will ship this month, so look out for more details! 

Napster with Mobile Access Now Available for $10/month

It’s official: The universe of music is now yours, wherever you go. The free Napster app for iPhone®, iPod Touch^®, iPad^®, and Android^TM devices was  made available recently, and now existing and new U.S. subscribers can sign up for our new Napster plus mobile access service from the Napster site.

Offering unlimited on-demand streaming of over 11 million full-length songs for $10 per month, music lovers can sign up for Napster with mobile access and listen instantly to any and all of them as often as they like, in the order they want, from wherever they are.

The Napster app is available for iPhone (and other iOS^® devices) and Android now, with a version for Blackberry coming soon. We're also working with our content partners to bring all three versions to subscribers outside the U.S. as soon as possible.

With Napster plus mobile access, members can save songs, playlists, and albums to their mobile devices and enjoy their favorite music even when not connected (coming soon for the Android version). TheNapster app also automatically saves the last 100 songs played for quick and easy access, online or off.

To get the free Napster app for iPhone (and other iOS devices), follow this link to the app in iTunes^®, or simply search for Napster in the App Store on your device.

To get the app for Android, just capture the QR code at left with your device's camera.




To recap, here are some key Napster plus mobile access features:
• Save songs, albums, and playlists to enjoy even when listening offline 
• Kick back with playlists, recommendations, and Billboard® charts
• Create playlists for a customized listening experience 
• Save last 100 songs played to easily replay favorites 
• Automix favorite songs to create an instant playlist blending similar artists
 
Napster is available on any connected computer, compatible TV, Blu-ray^TM player or other compatible home audio product – and now, on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android devices – all available at Best Buy and other retailers.
 
With the ability to access Napster via iPhone and soon other smartphones, the new Napster service no longer includes MP3 credits. Over the past year and a half, we’ve determined that long-term customers are streaming more, redeeming fewer MP3 credits, and requesting access to any track from any device rather than attempting to manage MP3s over multiple devices. The demand for mobile streaming is our most requested feature, and we feel this is the best experience – and the best value – for the majority of music fans. 

Existing Napster subscribers will continue for now in their current subscription plan unless they contact customer support to sign up for the new plan with mobile access. 

Napster Debuts Application for Samsung Apps

Napster Debuts Application for Samsung Apps
 
10 million songs now available on-demand via select Samsung connected TVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray home theater systems
 
LOS ANGELES – August 31, 2010 – Napster, the pioneer of digital music, debuted today its application for Samsung Apps, the world’s first HDTV-based application store. Now U.S. customers with select Samsung connected TVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray home theater systems can enjoy the Napster music service from the comfort of their couch.
 
The intuitive application brings Napster’s on-demand catalog of more than 10 million songs into the living room, allowing music lovers to instantly stream favorite music and discover new music they’ll love. Designed for a “lean-back” listening experience, the Napster app is perfect for music listening while hosting a party, relaxing with family or even just unwinding at the end of the day.

“Internet-connected devices are reinventing entertainment in the home and making it easier to enjoy it more,” said Christopher Allen, Napster general manager. “We’re thrilled to work with Samsung to deliver on Napster’s vision of music everywhere by making music available to members wherever they are, on whatever devices they use, whenever they want it.”
 
Napster members can also quickly pull up their playlists to hear personal favorites, discover new artists by tuning in to Napster radio stations and quickly generate a long-playing Automix of music from their favorite artist. The service also includes playable Billboard charts dating back to 1955. Of course, members can always explore new releases and top songs or search for and play any particular artist, album or track.

The Napster application is now available on select 2010 Samsung TVs 40-inches and above, as well as select 2010 Blu-ray players and Blu-ray home theater systems on the Samsung Apps platform. A Napster subscription is required, but those customers new to Napster can sign up for a free 14-day trial to experience the service in their living room and on their Web browser.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

About Napster
Napster, the pioneer of digital music, offers the ultimate in interactive music experiences, creating better ways to discover, share, acquire and enjoy music – anytime, anywhere. The company’s flagship service, Napster, is the ultimate digital music package, offering unlimited on-demand music streaming, via any PC or certain Internet connected TVs and home audio devices, as well as downloadable songs for one’s permanent collection playable on any MP3 compatible device, including iPod®, iPhone®, and all music-enabled mobile phones. The service is available at www.napster.com and m.napster.com in the U.S and is also available in Canada, Germany and the U.K. A wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy, Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Napster is headquartered in Los Angeles.
 
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*Each HDTV and Blu-ray player with Samsung Apps may offer a different selection of apps. Visit Samsung.com/apps for more information.

New on Napster: Facebook “Like” Buttons on Artist, Album, and Playlist Pages

We are proud to announce that we added two new features to Napster today.

First, it’s time to get “socially” responsible. Yep, Napster just got more social. You can now “Like” artists, albums and Napster playlists, sharing your music tastes and finds with friends via your Facebook profile. For example, if you click "Like" on the new Usher album, Raymond v. Raymond, your friends will see this activity on your Facebook profile. If one of your friends clicks the link on Facebook, they will be taken to the album page on Napster, where they can play up to five songs (in their entirety!) from the album. It's a great way to introduce your friends to hot new music, or even your favorite oldies.

If you're logged into Facebook already, "Liking" your favorites is one click away. If you're not logged in, Napster will ask you to log in to enable sharing.

As you browse through the Napster site, you can also see your Facebook friends who have clicked "Like" on any album, artist, or playlist. We see this as a great way to bring two key parts of life—friends and music—together in a fun way. Bringing Facebook into Napster was an easy choice, as we know that the majority of Napster members are also active Facebook users.

The second new feature we've added is a handy persistent display of your current Napster song credit balance in the main site header. Whenever you're signed in, your song credit balance appears in the upper-left corner of the Napster window, next to your member name, so you'll always be able to see at a glance how many credits you have available. The balance is updated when you use your credits and refreshed according to your Napster membership plan (monthly and/or upon renewal).

 

That's it for now. Happy listening!

Bill Coats

Sr. Product Manager

P.S.—Listen to the track, "It's Working" by MGMT - click    on the album or artist to try the new feature out!

Fraudulent Napster Promo Code

On March 3, 2010, a private-use customer service promotional code, offering an annual Napster subscription that includes 60 MP3s, was illegally shared on multiple public websites. Because these subscriptions were created in a fraudulent manner, Napster expired these accounts, including the MP3 credits, at 9:30 PM the same day.

We are notifying affected account holders of this via email today.

This code was neither made available via Napster.com or any of its partners’ sites, nor was it promoted in any way by Napster or its partners. We encourage consumers to ensure the validity of a promotional code, for Napster or any other service or product, before attempting to redeem.

We apologize if this caused any disruption in service to any of our subscribers or visitors. If you have any questions, please contact Napster Customer Support.

Napster Beta: New Member Profiles

The latest updates to the new Napster Beta include a new member profile featuring your recent activity, and additional playback improvements to the embedded player. 

The new Napster member profile, currently for your eyes only, shows you the songs you've recently played, playlists you've created, and recent additions to your Favorite Artists list. There's also an "About Me" section where you can display your favorite artist, Napster radio station, and music genre. At this time, Napster profiles are completely private. But in the near future, you will have the option to make your profile public and change your display name to a generic name if you wish. Either way, the member profiles will give you an easy way to get to the music and artists you love.

We are also researching fun ways to interact with other Napster members using your profile and will have more updates soon. We think it would be interesting and fun to be able to find your friends from popular social networks like Facebook who also use Napster.

If you are a current Napster member, log in and check out your new profile today!

—Bill Coats, Sr. Product Manager for the new Napster

 

MY COKE REWARDS SELECTS NAPSTER AS MUSIC PARTNER [PRESS RELEASE]

My Coke Rewards Selects Napster As Music Partner
 
MP3s and On-Demand Music Subscriptions Now Available to Loyalty Program Members

ATLANTA – February 10, 2010 – My Coke Rewards recently selected Napster as the loyalty program’s primary music partner. Napster MP3 downloads and music subscriptions will be available to My Coke Reward members throughout 2010.
 
“We searched for the best online music experience to award our members,” says Michael La Kier, director, My Coke Rewards, Coca-Cola North America. “Napster, the pioneer of digital music, is an easy-to-use service with MP3s and streaming that provides great variety and value.”
 
My Coke Rewards members can use their points for Napster offerings that include: one MP3 download and 10 MP3 downloads, as well as a one-month on-demand music subscription that includes 5 MP3 downloads and a three-month on-demand music subscription that includes 15 MP3 downloads. The offers will be promoted through the My Coke Rewards newsletter, as well as e-mail, mobile and social media campaigns.
 
“Coca-Cola is the most recognized brand in the world, and its faithful fan base is one that is just as avid about music,” says Rob Talbot, Napster vice president of marketing. “We are excited to be a part of this fast-growing, successful loyalty program.”

Napster’s huge library of download songs includes 10 million tracks covering all kinds of music, from all major labels and thousands of independent artists. Its streaming music allows members to listen to individual tracks as often as they like or choose from commercial-free radio stations and expertly programmed playlists.

My Coke Rewards helps consumers find lots of little things that put a smile on their face every time they enjoy a Coca-Cola product. They can quickly gather points – easier than one might think -- finding unique codes on 12 Coca-Cola brands under product caps, inside more than 60 participating packages or through bonus offers on cups, scratch cards and coupons. Members then simply visit www.mycokerewards.com to create an account and enter codes.
 
About Napster
Napster, the pioneer of digital music, offers the ultimate in interactive music experiences, creating better ways to discover, share, acquire and enjoy music – anytime, anywhere. The company’s flagship service, Napster, is the ultimate digital music package, offering unlimited on-demand music streaming, via any PC or certain Internet connected TVs and home audio devices, as well as downloadable songs for one’s permanent collection playable on any MP3 compatible device, including iPod®, iPhone®, and all music-enabled mobile phones. The service is available at www.napster.com and m.napster.com in the U.S. It is also available on the PC in Canada, the U.K., Germany and Japan. A wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy, Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Napster is headquartered in Los Angeles.
 
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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