We thought Napster had been consigned to the museum of old web icons. And yet, the name is still going around. Infinite Reality, a company specializing in immersive experiences, has just raised $207 million to acquire the platform. Their idea? To transform Napster into a social space where music and virtual reality blend.
From pirate to social platform
Originally, Napster shook things up in 1999 with the sharing of music files between Internet users. A simple, effective... and illegal thing. Two years later, the party is over: lawsuits, closure, then resumption in various more or less legal forms. Today, it's back for another round - but in the form of VR headsets and 3D avatars.
"We don't see anyone creating social spaces around music in current streaming," says John Acunto, the boss of Infinite Reality. For him, Napster can become the playground for artists and fans, with events to experience together, rather than simple playlists to listen solo.
In detail, the new version of Napster will offer virtual concerts, listening rooms for fans, stores to buy merchandise (physical or virtual), and even chatbots powered by artificial intelligence to chat with fans. A bit like Clubhouse, but "times a thousand," according to John Acunto.
Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of Napster (and former music director at Roblox), will remain at the helm. He talks about creating "crazy environments, limited only by imagination." For example: a virtual beach for a reggae concert, or a private lounge where chat with your favorite artist during the release of your new single. Why not.
Napster already has a huge catalog: more than 110 million tracks, with worldwide licenses. A real asset to launch the new platform. According to Jon Vlassopulos, the idea is not to compete with Spotify or Apple Music, but to offer something else, more lively, more interactive. And above all, more profitable for artists.
Infinite Reality, for its part, has already acquired several digital assets, such as the Drone Racing League or the Obsess platform for virtual reality shopping. With Napster, the company wants to expand its reach to music and connected fans.
It remains to be seen whether users will follow. Because even with a name as cult as Napster, transforming concerts into virtual parties and selling digital t-shirts requires a little more than a good PR stunt. But who knows? After all, this isn't Napster's first transformation.
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