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Napster launches service in the UK

23 May 2004 13:30 by Jari Ketola | 8 comments

The peer-to-peer service turned music store Napster launched its service in the United Kingdom on Thursday. Roxio, the owner of Napster, had earlier announced that the launch would take place by the end of summer.

Songs for the UK consumers are priced at �1.09 ($1.95) each or �9.95 ($17.82) per album. For a monthly subscription fee of �9.95 users can listen to an unlimited number of songs at up to three different PCs. Burning the songs on a CD or transferring them on a portable device, costs �0.99 ($1.77) per song, or �9.95 per album. A ten percent discount is offered to subscribers purchasing multiple tracks simultaneously.

Currently Napster has over 500,000 tracks in its selection. The service also offers, for instane, the Official UK Charts archive organised by genre, year and season.

Napster is offering a free, seven day trial period. You can register for the trial period until May 27th.

Roxio managed to beat Apple's iTunes to the UK market. It would be pretty safe to bet on Apple hastening its entrance to the Old Continent.

Source: NewsFactor

Permalink to this article

Decriminalize file-sharing with taxes? (22 September 2004)

Roxio sells software division (10 August 2004)

iTunes' first week in Europe: 800,000 tracks sold (23 June 2004)

iTunes launched in the UK, Germany and France (15 June 2004)

OD2 offers audio streams for a penny (14 June 2004)

iTunes' European launch expected next week (7 June 2004)

Half a million legal music downloads in the UK (4 June 2004)

Napster launches in Canada (28 May 2004)

British charity Oxfam launches online music store (23 May 2004)

Napster teams up with Dixons in the UK (5 May 2004)

Napster plans for UK launch (3 March 2004)

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Discuss this article!
mgillesp (Newbie) 23 May 2004 14:10
Are these companies having a laugh? £1 a track? buying an albums worth of track is more expensive than buying the CD from a shop. Basically the record companies are just ripping off the record buying public (yet again), as they no longer have any packaging or distribution costs. Priced at this level, it's gonna fail to make any dent in illegal music downlading. As for the Napster specific server. The software is horrid, and installs the Roxio CD buring engine, which totally screwed up my system, and messed up my installed copy of Nero. It soon came off, and will not be going back on... back to Kazza, until the record companies have something worthwhile to offer... [ + quote]
Ketola (Admin) 24 May 2004 1:20
I agree -- the prices are ridiculous. I'd pay 0.5 euros (or 30 pence) per track, not a cent more. Afterall, all I'm getting is a (limited) right to use a song. [ + quote]
tonypdean (Inactive) 24 May 2004 7:49
These prices are outrageous. �9.95 for an album when I can have the same album delivered to my door for �6.99. Surely they are just having a laugh - aren't they? [ + quote]
six.6.six (Member) 24 May 2004 11:25
Does the UK want this service? LOL! It basically BOMBED here in the US! They thought the Napsters name would draw money, customers flocked to it thinking it would be more than it was,(because of the name) once they found out what it was, GOODBYE! [ + quote]
mgillesp (Newbie) 24 May 2004 12:44
We don't really care who or what the online music service that wins will be. All I know, is with the current pricing, it's gonna fail.. You have to bear in mind, this is UK�, which means that iTunes with it's 99c downloads, this is $1.7 downloads... Rip off Britain again... I would not pay $0.99 for downloading these MP3's. $0.50 is realistic (�0.30). [ + quote]
brian100 (Inactive) 24 May 2004 23:34
There is no way I would use this service?. �1 nicker for "lossy" music, they are surely taking the piss. Why dont they just be done with it and release all music for free at a lower bitrate? On Initial Viewing My Backup Looked Terrible, But With One Eye Closed It Aint Half Bad!! [ + quote]
Ghostdog (Senior Member) 25 May 2004 12:17
They�re getting it wrong from the beggining. The tracks are way to expensive. [ + quote]
herbsman (Moderator) 26 May 2004 2:20
I would suggest to anyone I know (or may converse with) that they do NOT use this service as you'll pay more for an album than buying the original disc from high st shops [how f%*&ing ridiculous is that]. If Roxio is installed aswell , then that's doubly taking the pi$$ ... as it's a bloody crap burning suite [as we all know]. Have to go , before I start really getting mad ... up in herre !! [ + quote]