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Rhapsody is one of the oldest digital music distribution services out there - however, its share of the market has been dwindling in the past few years as sites like Spotify, Grooveshark and Pandora have proven to be quite popular. According to the Telegraph, Rhapsody recently purchased Napster in the United Kingdom and Germany in an attempt to dethrone Spotify as the reigning streaming music champion
It should noted that, unlike the United States, where Napster was simply rolled into Rhapsody's service, the site will essentially continue to function in the same way.
"The acquisition of Napster and its subscriber base in the UK and Germany gives us an ideal entry to the European market," Rhapsody president Jon Irwin said in a statement. "Through the benefit of scale, the strength of our editorial programming, and strategic partnerships, we can now bring the Napster service to even more consumers on a variety of platforms."
This isn't the first time Napster has changed hands. The site was first taken down back in 2001 after a number of simultaneous legal suits forced it to close its doors. It was relaunched in 2003 and acquired by Best Buy in the same year. However, the enthusiasm consumers have shown for Spotify in the past couple of years may have inspired Rhapsody to take a second look at what Napster has to offer.
For comparison, Spotify currently enjoys about 2.5 million paying subscribers, while Rhapsody claims to have 1 million in the United States. Although it is entering the market somewhat late, Rhapsody also boasts the largest library, with about 14 million songs in its database, according to PC Magazine.
It remains to be seen whether Rhapsody will have any staying power in this new market, but the move speaks to the increased popularity of streaming music. If you're interested in a similar service, there are a number of sites out there to choose from. Ultimately, the decision comes down to personal preference, but each offers its own unique set of features.
Spotify is the most popular in service in Europe right now - its interface is clean and easy to use, and the company has struck deals with a number of major labels, allowing them to bring millions of songs right to your fingertips. Those with a premium subscription also have the opportunity to listen on their portable devices and designate playlists for offline listening, in case they ever find themselves without service.
For something a little less involved, a site like Rdio or MOG may be suitable. They are somewhat similar to Spotify, though their libraries vary. MOG is a site based largely around helping users discover new music they might enjoy and it focuses largely on maintaining a strong sense of community. If you've always enjoyed digging through endless crates at record stores and yard sales, this may be the choice for you.
Still others prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, purchasing physical CDs and records. If you fall into this camp, you can find discounts on your favorite albums by searching online for Zavvi Vouchercodes.
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