Napster: Rebirth of a Reformed Rebel
Web Site Returns as Pay, Not Pirate, Music Service
By James Kim and Steve Enders, Tech Live
Oct. 13— Napster is ready for play.
Last Thursday marked the much-heralded return of Napster, with a media blowout that looked a lot like the over-hyped product launches from 1999.
Ahh, 1999: the good old days of stealing music. It was then that Napster made its biggest impact — the year it sparked a file-swapping revolution and drew fire from the recording industry.
We all know what happened after that: The company effectively went out of business, and the RIAA declared war on file swappers everywhere.
But today's a new day.
People seem genuinely interested in paying a small fee for music, though unabated swapping continues on P2P networks such as KaZaA. Moreover, the music industry is amenable to letting companies such as Napster and Apple distribute songs for a price.
No ‘Half-Ass Sound’
Rapper Ludacris attended the Napster 2.0 event and vouched for the benefits of paying for decent tunes.
"It's not like going to another Web site and illegally downloading and getting some half-ass recording sound," he said. "Basically, sometimes you don't even get the whole song, so this is the right way of doing it."
Another benefit to Napster: It offers the largest catalog of music available yet: 500,000 songs.
Apple's iTunes Music Store set the bar high for usability, selection, and price, but Napster's looking to outdo the Mac-only service.
Three weeks ago Musicmatch launched its own PC-centric music service, which has impressed critics and reviewers so far.
At last Thursday's launch party in New York, Roxio CEO Chris Gorog gave reporters the first tour of Napster 2.0. Roxio, the Silicon Valley-based consumer software company, bought all rights to Napster in a fire sale last year.
"With Napster 2.0 you are going to be able to e-mail your favorite songs to your friends," he said. "You'll be able to share playlists back and forth. It really is quite similar, in that respect, to the original Napster."
Similar indeed, but also very different.
Under Napster’s Skin
Our first impression of the interface is positive. Napster is easy to download and install. (It automatically detected and uninstalled a previous version of pressplay on our system.)
We easily navigated through the first few clicks on a familiar yet reworked interface. Smooth buttons and aesthetically pleasing artist photos, album art, and of course the smirking Napster icon adorn the uncluttered site.
The new Napster interface features three primary buttons.
Home
Similar to iTunes Music Store, the top page includes a rotating featured-artists section with new album releases and a "Just Added to Napster" area. You can access genre pages such as alternative, classical, country, and dance. The homepage also features radio, magazine, and message board tabs.
Browse
There's plenty of information in this section, including tabs for artists/albums, Just Added, Now Streaming, Charts, and Members' Collections. Napster gets points for conveniences such as artist bio info, members' favorites, and of course the option to buy a track at any time using a single click.
Bonus points go to the Browse Members' Collections section, which was a key element of the original Napster. Here you can even browse and download others' playlists (premium service only).
Library
A simple Explorer-style interface includes your own imported MP3 collection and your WMA downloads. A fire icon indicates that you've purchased the track (so it's burnable). A download icon indicates the file has restrictions (this applies only to the premium service).
The blending of the new (iTunes-style), old (pressplay), and older (original Napster) is clearly evident. The interface has a universal search box (search by album, artist, track, or member). A Now Playing column graces the right side, which includes the software player, album art, and the playlist area.
Regular Service vs. Premium Service
Simple as it is to navigate, the interface has so many elements, so many twists and turns, that it can be difficult to figure out the rules that govern Napster 2.0. (Unlike the first Napster, for which there were no rules.) Users will have plenty of options for purchasing music a la carte, previewing tracks, or joining as a premium member.
Napster Members
Becoming a member simply means you've downloaded and installed the Napster application and signed up with a member name, password, and e-mail account — just like the old days. Here's what membership gets you.
Shop online and purchase albums or individual tracks at 99 cents per track or $9.95 per album. This isn't much different from iTunes or Musicmatch.
Search a catalog of more than 500,000 WMA tracks. We're impressed so far with the general selection and categorization of music.
Check out what other users are streaming.
Burn purchased music to CD, transfer an unlimited number of tracks to a portable device, and download to three computers (very much like iTunes or Musicmatch).
Manage your music library and create playlists. Napster assumes you'll abandon your existing jukebox software for an all-inclusive experience. You can import your existing MP3s and WMAs to the new Napster.
Premium Service
For about $10 a month you'll get extra features, including some elements of Musicmatch 8.1's RadioMX as well as pressplay's "renting" songs. Having these options makes sense — and cents for the music industry.
Download unlimited files to your computer and listen as long as your premium service remains active.
Stream all tracks at any time.
Stream preprogrammed Napster radio stations or customize your own.
Participate in community features such as browsing other members' collections and meeting other Napster members on the message boards.
Activate an inbox so you can receive track lists and notes from other users.
Ways to Burn, Transfer, and Play Tunes
Streaming
If you're a premium member and you've got a broadband connection, streaming songs is the way to go. The dozens of pre-programmed radio stations, custom radio stations, and music videos, in addition to the relatively vast music selection, makes the premium service extremely attractive. You can even check out what other users are streaming.
The only reservation I have is that fact that you'll spend additional dollars to get the music onto your portable or onto CD. Still, Napster 2.0's emphasis on streaming will serve them well in the distant future.
Portable players
You can transfer and play music on most WMA-compatible players. The only caveat: You must use Windows Media Player 9 Series to transfer tracks between player and computer, unless you use the Samsung Napster Player (YP-910). This product — set for release Oct. 19 and expected to be fully supported by Napster — sounds like an attempt by Roxio to re-create the iPod/iTunes relationship. It will be sold exclusively through Best Buy stores.
Burning songs
The built-in burning software is from Roxio, of course. Download the Napster Label Creator for free. Not all burning software is supported.
All-inclusive?
Roxio CEO Chris Gorog said in a statement, "Napster 2.0 is unequivocally the most complete and comprehensive music service in the world." But you won't be able to use Napster 2.0 to rip CDs.
Building bridges
Early adopters using living room media center PCs will enjoy the fruits of Napster 2.0. It's already specially configured for the new Microsoft XP Media Center 2004 and will also come loaded on Gateway media center devices and Gateway PCs.
The Bottom Line
Napster 2.0's official launch on Oct. 29 will further broaden the digital-audio field for the PC audience. The combination of a music store, extra premium features, a sweet interface, community features, and its recognizable name should spell success for a grown-up Napster.
Gene Munster, senior research analyst with US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, thinks so too.
"If you look at the brand, the Napster brand dwarfs all others," Munster said. "So I think this is a situation where the dark horse is going to actually win."
Tech Live producer Lindsay Martell also contributed to this article.
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