Napster Group Set for New Brand, Membership Growth Campaign

If you’re someone close to age 30 or above, then you’ll probably remember the file-sharing platform Napster, which pre-dated Spotify by over half a decade in allowing online users to download (without official permission by the owners) and listen to songs, watch movies and television shows. Now the music streaming company will launch a new identity and promotional push to grow its user base. The new Napster Napster Group, which is live across 33 countries, was formed after Napster was acquired last year for $70 million by U.K. virtual reality company MelodyVR, which partners with music promoters such as Live Nation to stream concerts in 360-degree high definition virtual reality (VR). According to its year-end figures, Napster Group, despite making an operating loss of more than $36 million (26 million pounds) for its last financial year alone, aims to launch a new brand identity and media campaign to grow its user base. Chief executive Anthony Matchet claimed this had “nearly doubled” to 325,000 due to fan engagement during 2020. The redesign and promotional plan will come as the company announces plans to invest $27 million (which includes internal resource) into developing a cloud-based platform that is set to go live in Q4 and be available across mobile, web and TV. The marketing is already underway within the music industry, the company revealed, with a marketing and PR campaign set to grow awareness of the new platform and aim to drive subscription growth. In announcing its figures from 2020 and citing the impact on live music due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting international lockdowns, Napster highlighted a number of virtual paid concerts in May last year, featuring artists such as John Legend and Cypress Hill. It also partnered with Wireless Connect to stage a virtual festival which featured more than 70 artists over three days last July. Embracing Napster's resonance “Given the global resonance of the Napster brand and its legacy as the original disruptor in the music industry, we have embraced its heritage and ethos for change. We have now completed the rebranding of our corporate identity in anticipation of the launch of our new service towards the end of 2021,” said chairman Simon Cole in a statement to the stock market of the move to become Napster Group. He also outlined the company’s new subscription service, which would provide access to artists' work on stage or in the studio. It will also provide access to its catalog of live shows, documentaries and audio content, which will not be interrupted by advertising. “Our primary objective is to drive significant customer and revenue growth and consumer acquisition via innovation whilst challenging engrained industry norms,” he added. “As larger Digital Service Suppliers (DSPs) diversify away from music content into areas such as spoken word—Napster will cement its position as the original music-platform for music fans, providing deeper connections with the artists they love, and a new platform to discover new music and talent.” Alongside the new brand identity, media campaign and platform redesign, the company also highlighted in its results its intention to agree new third-party marketing agreements and partnerships. Here's What the VR Experience at SXSW Looks Like

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Napster Group Embraces Heritage With New Brand and Membership Growth Campaign

The music streamer was acquired and merged with MelodyVR last year

The new Napster

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Stephen Lepitak