New Napster owner sees future in VR-gigs

London-based music tech startup MelodyVR, which streams gigs, bought Napster las month for $70m (£52m). Lockdown has proved to be the best thing to have happened to MelodyVR - app installs are up 1,000% since the start of quarantine, month-on-month usage is growing at 36%, and the company has raised almost $30m from investors in recent months, Guardian reports. The company has had 100 artists perform virtual gigs during lockdown, including Emeli Sandé, Liam Payne, The Chainsmokers and Cypress Hill. The gigs can also be watched on virtual reality headsets, an experience that allows fans to choose what part of the auditorium they watch the performance from. MelodyVR charges £9.99 per gig, and it is now adding a monthly subscription option.