-----------------------------------

hbgator

Mon 01 May, 2006


Napster: Sample our service for free

-----------------------------------

Digital music service Napster said Monday it would allow nonsubscribers to access complete songs and then play them,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> e-mail them to friends or add them to their blogs for free.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
Users can listen to every song in the Napster catalog five times each,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> after which they must either buy it or become a subscriber.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Registration is required but asks only for user name,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> password and e-mail address <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>-<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>-<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> no credit card is needed and no demographic information is requested.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
Napster chairman and CEO Chris Gorog said the move in no way indicates that the company is abandoning the subscription model.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> He said it actually was the opposite,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> and that by giving people immediate access to the music of their choice anywhere and at any time it gave them a way to learn more about what a subscription provides.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"If the entertainment industry isn't focused on removing obstacles and delivering unlimited access on-demand legally,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> consumers will get it illegally,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Gorog said.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"The new Napster.com offers consumers a fantastic free music experience that is also the best possible introduction to the benefits of our paid subscription experience.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> We think it strikes a balance that both the industry and consumers will find tremendously exciting.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
Each selected song pops up in a player window that includes advertising and what the company calls NapsterLinks.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> These are buttons that let users send the song's link in an e-mail,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> post it to a blog or social-networking page,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> add it to an instant message or place it anywhere else that supports an HTML link,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> where everyone who sees it can also listen to it for free as long as they are registered.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
Other options in the pop-up player invite users to purchase the track outright,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> buy the complete album or subscribe to Napster.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Free tracks are a 32K stream,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> but subscribers get a 128K stream.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
Gorog said significant amounts of original editorial content had been added,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> including biographies and discographies by Napster's own staff and an exclusive license agreement with the well-known Michael Ochs Archive of music photographs.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
There also is a new section called Narchive,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> designed to be <b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"a people's history of music"<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> where fans can post their own memories and comments along with photos,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> images of ticket stubs or anything else they wish.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> NapsterLinks work there,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> too.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"We believe this will be a unique music destination,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> unlike anything currently on the Web,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>"<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Gorog said.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>
The free Napster does not require any download and works on PCs,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Mac and Linux computers via Firefox,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Internet Explorer,<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b> Netscape and Safari browsers.<b style="color:#FFA34F"></b>