Rhapsody/Napster, Amazon, launch music streaming for kids

Music streaming services have discovered music fans aged under 10 exist. Both Rhapsody / Napster and Amazon have in the same week, launched music streaming services for kids. Both companies are coincidentally based in Seattle.

Rhapsody KIDS is a US$10-a-month feature within the original service available for free to Rhapsody’s 3+ million subscribers. It will be released first on the Android application with iOS app support coming “soon” in North America.

KIDS offers 16,000 artists, 80,000 albums and 1 million songs. It offers a one-stop shop for parents looking for something suitable for kids, covering nursery rhymes, 'party hits', lullabies, Cbeebies themes and songs from Disney films.

It also has a “parental verification” step to pevent children from leaving the KIDS section and getting into Rhapsody and Napster’s full libraries

Rhapsody CFO, Ethan Rudin, explained: “As the original streaming music service we have a deep base of customers that have moved into a new chapter of their life and are hungry for a way to share music with their kids.” Its customers have used it for so long that their children are using it too. Research by the Seattle-based company found 50% of its users share their accounts with their children.

Napster’s EVP and GM Thorsten Schliesche, added: “With Napster Kids we’re excited for parents to share their love of music with their young kids in a fun, safe and controlled environment.”

Rhapsody bought Napster in 2011 and uses that name outside North America.

Amazon.com Inc, after noticing the popularity of kids content on its Prime Music streaming plan commissioned original children’s music from Grammy-nominated children’s musical duo The Pop Ups and Lisa Loeb for free streaming.

Brooklyn-based The Pop Ups’ new fourth album Great Pretenders Club is already streaming. Loeb’s fourth children’s album, Nursery Rhyme Parade!, features classic nursery rhymes and songs, becomes available on October 16.

Said Amazon’s VP of Digital Music, Steve Boom, “We want to make Prime Music the destination where people of all ages go to discover and listen to great music, whether that’s the latest indie band, chart topping pop or the best in children’s music—we know that kids and parents will be delighted by the fun, original and exclusive songs on these two new albums.

“Grammy-nominated artists like The Pop Ups and Lisa Loeb are a great addition to the Amazon family – Prime members will love listening to these great new kids’ songs, anytime, anywhere.”