Eversheds harmonises international music sale

International law firm Eversheds has advised Rhapsody, America’s number-one premium subscription music service on its acquisition of the Napster businesses in Germany and the UK.

The acquisition of Napster International, the first subscription (flat-rate) music service in Europe is Rhapsody’s first expansion into Europe. Rhapsody will own and operate the Napster service in Germany and the United Kingdom.

The Eversheds team was led by Partner Amanda Partland, assisted by associate Sarah Turner, solicitor Rob MacAdam and a team including Partner Paula Barrett and solicitor James Ruane.

Amanda commented: “This acquisition is excellent news for Rhapsody as it makes strong strides into Europe. We look forward to assisting them with their further growth plans.”

Jon Irwin, president of Rhapsody added: “The acquisition of Napster and its subscriber base in the UK and Germany gives us an ideal entry to the European market. Through the benefit of scale, the strength of our editorial programming and strategic partnerships, we can now bring the Napster service to even more consumers on a variety of platforms. Eversheds provided excellent cross-border advice and assistance in ensuring the completion of this deal.”