Remember Napster? The original file-sharing disrupter of the music industry that ran into copyright infringement difficulties and subsequent bankruptcy has been rebranded and is moving its headquarters from Seattle to Nashville, TN. 

According to the Nashville Post  quoting company materials,  “Napster was “acquired in April 2022 by some of the biggest investors in Web3” and is working to “incorporate Web3 functionality into the core service,” a subscription streaming service similar to Spotify or Apple Music. The release notes Napster operates offices worldwide, including in London, Seattle and Sao Paolo. The brand has gone through several iterations since it first shut down in the early 2000s when it faced multiple copyright lawsuits, including its 2008 purchase by Best Buy and its later merger with streaming service Rhapsody.”

“Bringing Napster to Nashville reinforces Tennessee’s role as a formidable player in the innovation economy nationally,” said Monique Villa, chief investment officer of Launch Tennessee. “Launch Tennessee is committed to providing companies with the resources they need to embed themselves locally and make connections statewide, ultimately creating sustainable economic growth for decades to come.”

WSMV in Nashville reported that the company has begun actively recruiting employees locally. It will continue to hire locally and globally as Napster, “Works to build its next generation music service that will connect artists and fans in an unprecedented way, unlocking new creative and commercial opportunities.”