Online music service Rhapsody to hit the UK and Germany following Napster acquisition

Online music subscription company Rhapsody today announced it had completed the acquisition of Napster International, paving the way for the company to formally enter the UK and Germany.

Rhapsody, which has enjoyed success in the US, will launch in a market dominated by Spotify, will operate under the Napster name in the UK and Germany, despite its former owners finding it difficult to gain any traction with consumers in the region.

Whilst Napster operates in the UK, it has yet to launch in Germany, suggesting the company is currently working to finalise deals in the country. Rhapsody had already bought out Napster’s US assets, today’s deal sees it expand into Europe.

As a result, all Napster subscribers will be migrated to Rhapsody’s infrastructure in March, where the company will debut new features including a “new Web experience” and improved speed and performance. Existing Napster customers will be able to keep their music libraries.

Rhapsody claims it is the largest premium subscription service in he US, with upwards of 1 million subscribers, enjoying more than 14 million tracks on over 70 different devices.

The company will bring its infrastructure, industry experience and music partnerships to Europe, ensuring it can compete directly with Spotify, iTunes and other major music streaming and subscription services for a share of the continent’s online music market.