Napster considers online films and games to win battle for subscribers
Napster, the fast-growing US digital music service, is considering moving into films and video games in an ambitious drive to win new subscribers.
Chris Gorog, Napster chairman and chief executive, said the US-listed group could apply its online music model to films, TV programming and other video content allowing users tosample and access content over the web.
Napster is the latest technology company to threaten traditional film distributors by exploiting high-speed internet and wireless systems.
“We are currently considering moving into video, particularly to tap the younger video-game generation,” said Mr Gorog. “I do think that while there are huge players in the delivery of movies like Sky, there could be a role for Napster.”
Napster is locked in competition with Apple's iTunes over the preferred consumer model for digital music distribution.
Apple's service, driven by huge demand for its iPod device, is based on 99 cent track downloads, while Napster offersunlimited downloads for amonthly subscription of about $10.
Mr Gorog, speaking on the fringes of the Midem music industry conference in Cannes, said that high-profile digital brands could establish a foothold in video content distribution.
He added that subscription was a more likely model for Napster in video, rather than pay-per-view programmes.
Napster has not set any revenue targets for video, as its plans are only at a preliminary stage.
Mr Gorog insisted there was still huge untapped potential for Napster through expansion in music distribution.
The company announced at the weekend that it was movinginto mainland Europe for the first time, launching an operation in Germany later this year. It is seeking strategic partners inGermany, based on the modelin Britain, where it promotes its service through links with Dixons, the consumer electronics retailer, cable group NTL and Virgin Radio. The German move is likely to be repeated in France, depending on talks with local music publishing societies that control rights to songs.
The Nasdaq-listed group, which has yet to break even, is expected to deliver full year revenues of $35m-$40m in the fiscal year ending March 30 following a rapid increase in subscription numbers to 270,000 last year.
Mr Gorog said the company was enjoying threefold annual revenue growth, while its quarterly rate of “cash burn” was running at $10m.
Last year, the company strengthened its balance sheet by selling its Roxio software business for $90m, and recently completed a $52m fund-raiser in New York.
美国纳普斯特拟推出在线电影
快速增长的美国数字音乐服务公司纳普斯特(Napster)正考虑推出电影和视频游戏，以赢得新用户。此举体现了该公司的雄心。
纳普斯特董事长兼首席执行官克里斯?戈罗格(Chris Gorog)表示，这家在美国上市的集团可能会将其在线音乐模式应用到电影、电视节目和其它视频内容上，让用户能在网上试用并获得内容。
纳普斯特是最新一家借助高速互联网和无线系统提供内容，对传统电影发行商构成威胁的科技公司。
“目前我们正考虑进入视频行业，尤其是要开发面向较年轻一代的视频游戏市场，”戈罗格先生说，“我的确认为，虽然在电影放送领域有着Sky这样的大型企业，但纳普斯特也能在其中起一定的作用。”
纳普斯特正与苹果公司(Apple)的iTunes展开竞争，目的是在数字音乐销售领域成为消费者的首选模式。
市场对苹果iPod的需求巨大，推动了苹果的数字音乐服务网站。用户在该网站每下载一首歌需支付99美分，而纳普斯特的用户每月缴纳约10美元订费，可以无限下载。
戈罗格先生在参加戛纳MIDEM国际音乐博览会期间表示，一些大名鼎鼎的数码品牌可能在视频内容分销领域建立立足点。
他补充说，在视频方面，纳普斯特更有可能采用订费模式，而不是付费点播。
由于纳普斯特的计划尚处在初级阶段，因而还未对视频业务设定营收目标。
戈罗格先生坚持认为，纳普斯特在音乐分销领域仍有巨大的扩张潜力。
公司周末宣布，它正首次进入欧洲大陆市场，将于今年晚些时候在德国建立起业务。公司正以在英国的模式为基础，在德国寻找战略伙伴。在英国，公司通过与一些合作伙伴的关系推广它的服务，这些伙伴中包括消费电子品零售商Dixons、有线电视集团NTL和广播电台Virgin Radio。公司有可能在法国复制在德国的行动，但这要取决于和控制歌曲版权的当地音乐出版界之间的谈判。
