Napster. That’s a blast from the past, isn’t it? It’s a name that might have slipped off your radar for quite a while—maybe even a couple of decades. Now, an immersive web company known as Infinite Reality has snapped up the Napster brand for a cool $207 million.
Earlier this year, Infinite Reality sealed the deal on a $3 billion investment. They’re planning on integrating the Napster music streaming service into what they’re calling a “social music platform.” This will feature branded 3D virtual spaces for everything from virtual concerts to interactive listening parties.
The company also revealed plans to offer both physical and virtual merchandise, exclusive content in digital form, and tickets to events, all under the Napster umbrella.
“With Napster joining our ranks, we’re setting the stage for a better tomorrow for artists, fans, and the entire music scene,” shared John Acunto, the co-founder and CEO of Infinite Reality. “This acquisition fits perfectly with our mission at Infinite Reality to transform the internet from a simple, 2D, interactive space into a dynamic, 3D conversational experience. We’re offering creators new ways to engage, monetize, and understand their audiences.”
Jon Vlassopulos, stepping up from his previous stint at Roblox, will remain at the helm of Napster. He’s got big dreams for a cutting-edge platform that allows fans to mingle with artists in virtual 3D spaces, adding a fresh, social edge to how we experience music.
Infinite Reality came onto the scene in 2019, and they’re known for their flagship product, iR Studio. This engine is designed to build immersive websites featuring social virtual environments and avatars. While the company touts WebXR support within its iR Engine, the iR Studio tool itself hasn’t yet enabled this feature. There’s a chance, though, that Napster might eventually support WebXR, paving the way for VR headset compatibility through a WebXR browser—although that’s still up in the air for now.
The journey of the Napster brand post-2002 bankruptcy, back when it faced backlash from Metallica for enabling unauthorized music sharing, is a saga in itself. Over the years, various companies have taken the helm, each hoping to harness Napster’s once-magical appeal, transitioning it into a subscription-based music streaming platform.
Interestingly, Infinite Reality isn’t the first XR-oriented company to acquire Napster. Back in August 2020, MelodyVR, a virtual concert company from London, purchased Napster for $70 million, aiming to deliver immersive concert experiences to VR users. Just before Infinite Reality’s acquisition, Napster was under the wing of Algorand, a blockchain company with aspirations to decentralize music.
