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23:02 GMT, Monday, 11 August 2008 00:02 UK

Napster subscriber numbers fall

Napster launch

The number of subscribers to online music seller Napster fell between April and May, the company said.

It had 708,000 paying subscribers, 52,000 fewer than the firm had between January and March.

Under pressure from rivals such as Apple's iTunes, Napster's net loss grew by 2% to $4.38m (£2.3m) compared to the previous quarter.

The company expects its mobile phone service, Napster Mobile, to improve revenues in the second half of 2008.

Napster recently launched an online music store selling tracks as MP3s without digital rights management (DRM), which limits how the file can be copied or converted.

The move signalled a shift away from its subscription music service, which lets users access as much music as they wanted for a monthly fee.

"The introduction of MP3s into our line-up has created positive trends for Napster, with increases to visitation and user engagement," said Napster chairman and chief executive Chris Gorog.

Apple's iTunes remains the dominant music service, with 70% of the US market.




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Related to this story:
Napster launches MP3 music store (20 May 08 |  Technology )
UK iTunes shelves music price cut (15 Jul 08 |  Entertainment )
Movies on iTunes come to the UK (04 Jun 08 |  Technology )
AT&T offers Napster music service (22 Oct 07 |  Business )
Online music fees pose digital dilemma (24 Sep 07 |  Business )

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