For those who have been involved with digital music, the name Napster should ring a few bells. Considered to be the forefather of digital music distribution, albeit ruled illegally, the service was shutdown, re-opened and acquired a few times since its inception in 1999. Years later, in 2011, the company was bought by Rhapsody, who still maintain its trademark and logos.
The service is available on the Xbox 360 (in the UK) and now it’s evidently coming to Windows Phone.
A Store listing for the app was tipped to us by reader of the site steve_w_7 and it appears to be a private beta. That means it release should not be too far off, though for now, users can look at the screencaps from the app and even read its description.
“Play any song, anytime with your Windows Phone. Choose from a catalog of millions of tracks, create playlists to download and listen offline, or discover new music with Napster radio.
With the Napster app for Windows Phone you can:
- Listen to downloaded songs, albums, and playlists, even without a connection.
- Build your personal library of favorite songs. Access your music on any Napster device or website.
- Be the first to hear new releases from your favorite artists.
- Explore any genre in depth with stations, new releases and top tracks.
- Relax with Napster radio. Pick from artist, genre, or theme-based stations. No ads!
- See what’s popular on Napster.
- Build playlists on Napster.com and they will automatically appear on your Windows Phone, or choose from playlists curated by the Napster music editors.
Try it now for free! Install the app and click the link to start your free trial. Already a member? Just install the app, sign in, and start listening.
No matter where you are, Napster music is with you: hit the streets with the Windows Phone app, rock out at home on your Xbox 360, get through your workday using Napster.com.”
Granted, having yet-another-music service available to consumers may be overkill, especially with Nokia Mix Radio and Xbox Music, but it’s still good to have a choice.
The app itself appears to be for Windows Phone 8 and 7.x, so that legacy users will be able to take advantage of the service. The monthly rate for Napster these days is $9.99 a month (which is really just the current Rhapsody Premier option). Interestingly, there already is a Rhapsody app for Windows Phone, so it's not too clear how this will be marketed (or even 'why?').
Windows Phone Central will of course keep you posted on the status of this app, including when it’s available for general download.
