In a sign that it still sees a future as an online music service
provider, Napster has announced a licensing agreement with
independent record label Matador Records
But while Napster is working to unveil its service, which is now
due to be launched in the first quarter of next year, other online
music services are already going live, leaving some speculation as
to how the former rebel contender will fare in the high-stakes
battle for listeners.
Major-label-backed music subscription service MusicNet, for
example, was officially launched as part of RealNetworks' RealOne
subscription content service last week. Although Napster is a
MusicNet affiliate, giving it access to musical content owned by
heavyweights AOL Time Warner, Bertelsmann and EMI, the service
still has to compete on its own.
Napster's deal with Matador is the latest in a string of licensing
agreements it has made with more than 5,000 independent labels,
however, adding to the record-superstore load of content the
service hopes to offer at launch.
However, a message recently posted on Napster's Web site indicates
that basic features of the new service, such as pricing and
availability, are still uncertain. "We understand that convenient
access to a wide range of content is one of the biggest reasons
people go to the Web for music, and we're doing everything we can
to bring that to you. Our primary focus now is getting licences for
music - an effort that will affect our launch date and the cost of
the service," the posting reads.
While Napster continues to prepare for a comeback, after having its
peer-to-peer free file swapping service knocked offline earlier
this year for copyright infringement, rival services are making a
splash.
Listen.com managed to beat MusicNet's unveiling by one day when it
released its Rhapsody subscription service on 3 December. Rhapsody
is a streaming service, however, that has yet to announce any
major-label deals.
And in the end, content will be the make-or-break factor for all
the online music service providers.