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Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 February, 2004, 12:28 GMT
Napster sells five million songs
Napster screenshot
Napster no longer allows fans to swap songs for free
Music download service Napster says it has sold more than five million songs since relaunching as a legitimate, paid-for service last October.

Napster was once the biggest thorn in the music industry's side, allowing fans to share copied songs without paying artists or record companies.

But it has reinvented itself as a site for users to pay for songs and albums.

Napster remains behind market leader Apple iTunes, which reported over 30 million download sales last month.

Chief executive Chris Gorog said the "important milestone is a testament to the quality of the Napster experience".

Catch up

The service was defining itself as "an immersive experience" enabling members to legally explore a large music catalogue, he added.

Based on these figures, the company said it would generate $20m (£10.7m) sales in its first year.

David Card, an analyst with Jupiter Research, said five million was "not a bad figure". "I wouldn't expect them to catch up with Apple so rapidly," he said.

The original Napster song-swapping service, which had 60 million users, closed in 2001 after record companies began legal action over copyright infringements.

Napster and Apple are among several online services that let users buy single songs for about $0.99 (£0.53)and full albums for around $10 (£5.33).

Such legal sites have gained popularity in the last 12 months, leading some observers to say the music industry is winning the battle with online "pirates".




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