The once-iconic music-sharing platform Napster has been sold for $207 million, as reported by CNBC. The acquisition was made by a company called Infinite Reality, raising questions about what Napster could offer in 2025 to justify such a price tag. According to Infinite Reality CEO John Acunto, the funds will be directed towards marketing in the metaverse. This seems fitting as a platform from 1999 integrates into a technology that peaked around 2021.
Specifically, Infinite Reality plans to create immersive virtual 3D spaces for music fans, allowing them to attend concerts and listening parties. This initiative also aims to establish a sales platform for musicians and labels to sell merchandise, which aligns with the increasing popularity of shared virtual events in the realm of VR.
“The most legendary collab?! Infinite Reality has acquired iconic online music brand @Napster.
With this acquisition, we’re expanding and reimagining Napster, empowering artists with new audience monetization and engagement capabilities, underpinned by iR’s #immersive… pic.twitter.com/L4Fig7QFct
— Infinite Reality (@Infinite_iR) March 25, 2025
Acunto further emphasized the importance of creating connected spaces for clients with audiences, such as influencers and creators, centered around music and musical communities. He noted the lack of such spaces in the current streaming landscape.
Napster possesses numerous licenses to stream millions of songs, making it an appealing target for Infinite Reality. The company asserts that its iteration of Napster will “disrupt legally.”
Current Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos mentioned that this acquisition will enable artists to craft “crazy environments that are only limited by their imaginations.” He illustrated this with an example of a reggae artist who could perform in a virtual beach setting. Acunto added that this concept would be akin to “Clubhouse times a trillion,” referencing the virtual events app that gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic but eventually declined.
Infinite Reality has been aggressively acquiring companies over the past few years. Alongside Napster, it has also purchased the Drone Racing League, the metaverse marketing platform Landvault, and the VR shopping platform Obsess.
Napster began its journey in 1999, revolutionizing music sharing, but it quickly faced legal challenges that led to its bankruptcy in 2001.
However, that was just the beginning. The software company Roxio acquired Napster in 2002 and rebranded it as a legitimate e-commerce platform for digital music sales. Best Buy later purchased it in 2008, only to sell it to Rhapsody in 2011.
Rhapsody attempted to popularize Napster across Europe for the next decade until it was acquired in 2022 by a consortium of blockchain companies led by Hivemind and Algorand, who had grand plans for NFT-based initiatives that ultimately did not pan out. Here we are, once again witnessing Napster’s journey in the ever-evolving music and technology landscape.
