RHAPSODY AND NAPSTER CEO: SUBSCRIBERS ARE LISTENING TO 40 PERCENT MORE MUSIC

26 April 2016 - Press release

New CEO Mike Davis announces number of listening hours increased by more than 15 per cent in the past 90 days and 40 per cent on mobile in the past year, as investments in product and partnerships pay off

 

Rhapsody International, parent company of music streaming services Rhapsody and Napster, recently named Mike Davis as its new CEO and announced new data showcasing its highest user engagement in company history. Driven by recent product innovation and global partnerships, average user playback worldwide increased by more than 15 per cent in the last 90 days. Additionally, over the past six months, Rhapsody’s leading music services saw a nine per cent spike in the amount of time subscribers spent streaming content on a weekly basis and an increase of almost 40 per cent in streaming hours exclusively on mobile compared to the same time period a year ago.

“In addition to nearly doubling our revenue in the past two years, we’ve developed products, services and partnerships to deliver an even better music listening experience to our users around the world,” said Mike Davis, chief executive officer, Rhapsody International. “Feedback from customers has always been the key driver of innovation on our platform, and we’re excited to see an increase in listener engagement worldwide as a result of recent enhancements.”

"The past few years tell the success story of Napster and Rhapsody," says Thorsten Schliesche, Executive Vice President and General Manager Europe at Napster. "Our services are available in more than 30 countries worldwide, and we give our customers access to about 35 million titles. With that, it is crucial to respond to the wishes of the customer, to expand our offerings with exciting content and to continue to deliver personalized and innovative products."

Product Innovation

This surge in listening is attributed to product investments Rhapsody made in breakthrough new features, like the recent rollout of the Listener Network and Music Match to help listeners around the world discover new music, connect with other music fans who have similar tastes, and measure their music compatibility with other listeners. The latest product enhancements have helped increase the amount of time Rhapsody and Napster users spend streaming from the service as they discover new music they love. The Trending Today playlist has become one of the most popular features among subscribers globally, generating a list of suggested songs based on most-played artists and genres from the user’s network. 

Global Partnerships

Listener engagement is also up as a result of key global partnerships in North America and Europe, and the general growth of streaming media in 2015, which surpassed revenue generated by digital downloads for the first time last year. A recent deal with Nintendo lets music lovers stream music from Rhapsody and Napster through their Wii U gaming consoles and Rhapsody recently added support for Amazon Login and Pay in the U.S., allowing subscribers to use their existing Amazon account information for easy and quick online and mobile payments.

Internationally, Napster entered Canada in November and experienced an average subscriber growth of eight percent per week in its first three months, making Canada Napster’s fastest-growing region. Brazil topped the list across all geographies, boosted most recently by the January 2016 launch of Mercado da Musica by Napster – a partnership with the country’s largest radio station Radio Transamerica to bring music to millions more listeners, with unlimited downloads, custom playlists and zero ads. Growth also spiked as a result of Napster’s partnership with top Brazilian football club Corinthians and their presence at this year’s Florida Cup. A promotion with 16-year-old Brazilian singing sensation Sofia Oliveira will introduce music to new subscribers in Brazil with an exclusive deal that includes four months of Napster, a signed Sofia Oliveira + Napster poster and souvenir glass and a ticket to an invite-only soiree on May 15 celebrating her fans.

And in Europe, Napster announced extensions to already successful deals with French telecommunications company SFR and Telefonica companies E-Plus/O2 in Germany. Vodafone Greece and Vodafone Netherlands are also extending partnership agreements with Napster, offering data customers free six-month access to Napster Unlimited. 

“Thanks to our strong global partnerships and recent product innovations, there’s never been an easier time to experience Rhapsody and Napster. As Rhapsody celebrates 15 years, our focus remains the same: build the best way to listen to, discover, and share the music you love,” Davis said.