However, although Napster is currently out of operation while it
restructures itself as a subscription-based service, in August 2001
it was still the most popular music destination in Europe. Jupiter
said that “this demonstrates the strength of the Napster brand and
the demand for the return of such a comprehensive service.”
According to Jupiter’s research, Napster was used by 4.7% of
Europe’s internet using population. Its closest competitor,
Audiogalaxy, was used by 3.0% of internet users. The research
stated that ”over four and a half million people across Europe
regularly swap files across the internet and Jupiter’s research
shows that a host of Napster clones have appeared to fill the void
left by Napster, however, none have proven to be as
successful.”
The results of the study, Jupiter says, point to a diminished
and fragmented file swapping market. Research in February of this
year found that 12 peer-to-peer services shared a combined audience
reach of 16% in Europe. In August 2001, 17 sites shared a
diminished audience reach of 7.6%.
Jupiter analyst and author of the report Mark Mulligan said,
“the strength of Napster is testament to the popularity of sharing
music over the internet, but also to the fact that consumers expect
music to be free on the web.”
