Rhapsody CEO: Subscribers Are Listening To 40 Percent More Music

Rhapsody CEO: Subscribers Are Listening To 40 Percent More Music

New CEO Mike Davis announces number of listening hours increased by more than 15 percent in the past 90 days and 40 percent on mobile in the past year, as investments in product and partnerships pay off

SEATTLE, April 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Rhapsody International, parent company of music streaming services Rhapsody and Napster, recently named Mike Davis as its new CEO and announced new data showcasing its highest user engagement in company history. Driven by recent product innovation and global partnerships, average user playback worldwide increased by more than 15 percent in the last 90 days. Additionally, over the past six months, Rhapsody's leading music services saw a nine percent spike in the amount of time subscribers spent streaming content on a weekly basis and an increase of almost 40 percent in streaming hours exclusively on mobile compared to the same time period a year ago.

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"In addition to nearly doubling our revenue in the past two years, we've developed products, services and partnerships to deliver an even better music listening experience to our users around the world," said Mike Davis, chief executive officer, Rhapsody International. "Feedback from customers has always been the key driver of innovation on our platform, and we're excited to see an increase in listener engagement worldwide as a result of recent enhancements."

Product Innovation
This surge in listening is attributed to product investments Rhapsody made in breakthrough new features, like the recent rollout of the Listener Network and Music Match to help listeners around the world discover new music, connect with other music fans who have similar tastes, and measure their music compatibility with other listeners. The latest product enhancements have helped increase the amount of time Rhapsody and Napster users spend streaming from the service as they discover new music they love. The Trending Today playlist has become one of the most popular features among subscribers globally, generating a list of suggested songs based on most-played artists and genres from the user's network.

Global Partnerships
Listener engagement is also up as a result of key global partnerships in North America and Europe, and the general growth of streaming media in 2015, which surpassed revenue generated by digital downloads for the first time last year. A recent deal with Nintendo lets music lovers stream music from Rhapsody and Napster through their Wii U gaming consoles and Rhapsody recently added support for Amazon Login and Pay in the U.S., allowing subscribers to use their existing Amazon account information for easy and quick online and mobile payments.

Internationally, Napster entered Canada in November and experienced an average subscriber growth of eight percent per week in its first three months, making Canada Napster's fastest-growing region. Brazil topped the list across all geographies, boosted most recently by the January 2016 launch of Mercado da Musica by Napster - a partnership with the country's largest radio station Radio Transamerica to bring music to millions more listeners, with unlimited downloads, custom playlists and zero ads. Growth also spiked as a result of Napster's partnership with top Brazilian football club Corinthians and their presence at this year's Florida Cup. A promotion with 16-year-old Brazilian singing sensation Sofia Oliveira will introduce music to new subscribers in Brazil with an exclusive deal that includes four months of Napster, a signed Sofia Oliveira + Napster poster and souvenir glass and a ticket to an invite-only soiree on May 15 celebrating her fans.

And in Europe, Napster announced extensions to already successful deals with French telecommunications company SFR and Telefonica companies E-Plus/O2 in Germany. Vodafone Greece and Vodafone Netherlands are also extending partnership agreements with Napster, offering data customers free six-month access to Napster Unlimited.

"Thanks to our strong global partnerships and recent product innovations, there's never been an easier time to experience Rhapsody and Napster. As Rhapsody celebrates 15 years, our focus remains the same - build the best way to listen to, discover, and share the music you love," Davis said.

Start a free trial of Rhapsody today by downloading the Rhapsody/Napster app from the Apple App Store or Google Play on Android. To keep up with Rhapsody news, please visit the website here.

About Rhapsody International
Rhapsody International is the parent company of leading streaming music services Rhapsody and Napster. Now available in more than 30 countries across the U.S., Europe and Latin America, Rhapsody and Napster give members ad-free access to more than 35 million songs. Whether they're listening on their phone, at home, at work, or in the car, Rhapsody and Napster go where our members go. Our expert team of editors creates a curated music experience that makes it easy for members worldwide to gather and enjoy new original content including videos, playlists, reviews, and radio stations -- anytime and anywhere. Follow @Rhapsody on Twitter and keep up with the latest on the Rhapsody Facebook page.

About Napster
Napster is one of the world's leading premium subscription digital music services. Owned and operated by U.S.-based Rhapsody International Inc., Napster combines the iconic history of one of the most recognizable digital music brands in the world with the vast experience and technological platform of the first subscription music service, Rhapsody. Napster offers one of the world's most comprehensive online music collections and provides access to your music anywhere, via hundreds of devices. Rhapsody, Napster, and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rhapsody International Inc. For more information, visit www.napster.com.

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SOURCE Rhapsody International

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Rhapsody International

CONTACT: Jessica Abramson, jabramson@rhapsody.com, 206-979-0914


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