Synthetic intelligence startup Infinite Actuality has acquired the music-pirating app turned music streaming service Napster in a $207 million deal and plans so as to add a music-focused metaverse.
Infinite Actuality mentioned in a March 25 assertion that Napster would provide “branded 3D digital areas” to permit digital concert events and “social listening events” together with the power to supply digital merchandise.
“Think about stepping right into a digital venue to observe an unique present with buddies, chat along with your favourite artist in their very own digital hangout as they drop their new single, and be capable of instantly purchase their unique digital and bodily merch,” mentioned Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos, who will proceed in his function amid the acquisition.
“The web has developed from desktop to cellular, from cellular to social, and now we’re coming into the immersive period,” he added.
“Probably the most legendary collab?! Infinite Actuality has acquired iconic on-line music model @Napster.
With this acquisition, we’re increasing and reimagining Napster, empowering artists with new viewers monetization and engagement capabilities, underpinned by iR’s #immersive… pic.twitter.com/L4Fig7QFct
— Infinite Actuality (@Infinite_iR) March 25, 2025
Infinite Actuality added that it additionally plans for Napster to permit musicians to make use of AI buyer and neighborhood administration brokers and analytics dashboards to trace fan habits and cross-promotion with its different leisure properties, resembling Esports groups.
Napster’s newest repurposing
Napster was a pioneer in piracy, launching in 1999 as a peer-to-peer (P2P) filing-sharing service largely for music. It shuttered in 2001, buried by a courtroom order after a wave of copyright infringement lawsuits.
The now-bankrupt firm offered its model, which was relaunched as a music-streaming service earlier than bouncing between homeowners for the subsequent 20 years. The blockchain agency Algorand and crypto funding agency Hivemind most just lately purchased it in 2022.
Associated: Right here’s what musicians really consider tokenizing content material in Web3
Napster had made a number of strikes within the Web3 area, saying plans in June 2022 to launch its personal Napster token on the Algorand blockchain that could possibly be used to purchase music subscriptions and different content material. The model additionally purchased Web3 music startup Mint Songs in February 2023.
Supply: Napster
John Acunto, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Actuality, mentioned the workforce hopes to guide an “web business shift from a flat 2D clickable net to a 3D conversational one.”
Infinite Actuality says the acquisition of Napster is slated to shut in a couple of weeks. In line with the agency, it hopes to evolve the Napster model to develop into the main immersive music platform for artists, followers and curators by means of viewers monetization and engagement capabilities.
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