We fell short of our Fall Fundraiser goal of 2,500 donations. Help us catch up ⏩ Give Now

Napster launches in Japan

Jocelyn Ford Oct 3, 2006
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Napster launches in Japan

Jocelyn Ford Oct 3, 2006
HTML EMBED:
COPY

TEXT OF STORY

SCOTT JAGOW: Today Napster, the Internet music download company, launched its service in the world’s second largest music market. That’s Japan. Jocelyn Ford has more.


JOCELYN FORD: In Japan, Napster might as well forget PC music downloads. The big money is elsewhere.

Technology Analyst Gerhardt Fasol.

GERHARDT FASOL:“In the United States people download music predominantly to PCs but in Japan people download music to mobile phones. Only 5 percent is to PCs.”

Napster’s already figured that out. It’s partnering with Japan’s biggest mobile phone company.

NTT Docomo has 51 million subscribers, and it says most of its future handsets will be able to download Napster songs, similar to an iPod.

Apple, for its part, has enjoyed big success in Japan. On iTunes it’s selling single songs for $1.30 each.

But Napster hopes its new approach will pay off. It’s the first service to offer an all-you-can-download option, going for $11 a month.

I’m Jocelyn Ford for Marketplace.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.