Within the 2020s, even the lawsuits are retro: Sony Music is suing Napster and its father or mother firm Rhapsody Worldwide for $9.2 million in unpaid royalties, with the potential for $36 million in damages. Alongside Metallica, the RIAA, and nearly each pre-digital music firm, Sony final sued Napster 26 years in the past.
Napster was acquired by tech startup Infinite Actuality for $207 million final March. However Actuality turned out to be stubbornly finite, and as Pitchfork experiences, Napster had didn’t make any funds for over a 12 months. On the time of buy, IR reportedly agreed to a fee plan with Sony Music. The lawsuit alleges that IR hasn’t made a single fee, whereas persevering with to give your mother and father’ laptop viruses stream music.
This may come as a shock, however in 2025 Napster could also be battling its enterprise mannequin. In accordance with Billboard, not less than half a dozen labels have complained, with funds late by a couple of months to greater than a 12 months. SoundExchange has already sued Napster and Sonos over unpaid royalties, and if Napster can’t get it collectively, the entire business may need to name Metallica and social gathering prefer it’s 1999.