Digital music service Napster LLC on Thursday herald the release ofNapster To Go , a new Windows - compatible portable digital music subscription serving that lets user move an unlimited number of songs from Napster to compatible MP3 players for a US$ 14.95 monthly fee . A $ 30 million selling military campaign kick off Sunday during this year ’s Super Bowl , and is aimed squarely at Apple ’s iTunes Music Store .
“ Napster To Go provides infinitely greater value and is much more exciting than the iTunes pay - per - download model , ” said Chris Gorog , Napster ’s chairman and CEO , in a assertion .
Napster users can satiate and fill again compatible MP3 players with their choice of tracks , but must plug away , or pier , the twist into their PC at least once every 30 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. into order of magnitude for Napster to verify they are still pay customers . If users blockade pay their monthly subscription fee , the euphony will no longer run on the machine .
Napster ’s marketing efforts for the young Napster To Go religious service includes strategical alliances with major manufacturers of Windows - compatible digital music thespian like Creative , Samsung and iRiver . Napster note that each of those company will have Napster To Go - compatible MP3 players starting Sunday .
Apple has often stressed that its a la carte download service allows user to own their medicine like they do when they buy a certificate of deposit . Napster will attempt to convince users that for the toll of one compact disc per calendar month , they ’ll have access to as much medicine as they require , and with a catalog of over 1 million song , which pass them a hatful more music to listen to , say Adam Howorth , Napster ’s spokesman in the U.K.
The iTunes Music Store remains the most democratic digital medicine download service in the world today , with an judge 70 percent mart ploughshare for effectual euphony downloads . By comparison , a report from psychoanalyst firm NPD Group published in 2004 showed that Napster had about an 11 percent grocery share . iTunes has a wide of the mark reach — Apple now control the iTunes Music Store in 15 country , and late said that it has sold more than 250 million songs since launching the service ; Napster operates in the United States , Canada and the United Kingdom .
Apple also leads the grocery store with its iPod and iPod mini MP3 players , the only digital medicine players that support the Digital Rights Management ( DRM)-protected music sold through the iTunes stock . By comparison , Napster does n’t focus on ironware euphony player — instead , it partners with major MP3 actor makers and also has a long - term partnership with electronics superstore chain Best Buy . It also participates in Microsoft ’s “ Playsforsure ” branding curriculum .
“ In some ways , it ’s probably unjust to compare Napster and other subscription service with Apple iTunes as one is a scheduling experience and the other is a retail experience , ” said Mark Mulligan , a aged analyst with Jupiter Research in London . “ One key difference of opinion is that Apple does n’t have to educate people , whereas that ’s something Napster and any subscription overhaul will have to deal with . ”
Napster has made an important step by shit its music portable with some MP3 player , Mulligan say . “ This makes the Napster service more sympathetic for current users and may also be the tipping dot for some of those who are seriously considering getting a digital medicine player . ”
