This post was created in partnership with Infinite Reality
Napster, the company known for transforming digital music in the early 2000s, is staging a comeback in the brave new world of AI.
The company, which was acquired by Infinite Reality in March 2025, recently announced the release of Napster 26, an AI companion platform, and Napster View, a 2.1 inch 3D holographic display that sits on your computer and brings those companions to life. With 15,000+ specialized AI companions whose expertise include coding, wellness, design, and finance, CEO John Acunto said the goal is to reshape how people work, connect, and create. “We built [this] to reframe the relationship between humans, machines, and creativity,” he said. “This isn’t about replacing teams—it’s about expanding them.”
AI beyond chatbots
Napster 26, available with a subscription, combined with Napster View, which costs $99 (or free with an annual subscription), allows users to directly interact and speak with the companions as if they were in the same space. Simply ask a question and the companion will respond. “In a world where most AI lives in chat boxes and browser tabs, we took a different route,” Acunto says. “Napster View introduces a new paradigm where your collaborators include both people and AI, working side-by-side with the same level of presence and context.”
Building this human-like interaction was a priority for Napster and Acunto’s vision is all about giving users the time and space to spend their energy doing what they’re passionate about. “Napster 26 isn’t about replacing creativity. It’s about clearing the runway so creatives can actually create,” he said. “A designer doesn’t get into this field to crop assets a dozen different ways. A strategist doesn’t thrive on data pulls.”
As the AI companions take care of these repetitive tasks, users can put their finite energy elsewhere. “You stay focused on the work only you can do. The concept. The tone. The insight. The instinct. That’s the stuff machines can’t replicate,” Acunto said.
Creating a digital twin
Napster 26 is also capable of creating a digital twin of users that’s available to others 24/7. This allows for creative and collaborative efficiencies, where team members can relay an idea with someone else who might be stuck in a meeting, on an intercontinental flight, or even asleep in a different time zone. The digital twin interacts, takes feedback, and syncs seamlessly, then relays the information to its real person.
This is especially useful for CMOs and marketing teams, Acunto notes. He sees the biggest constraint in their work as bandwidth, not vision, and a digital twin eliminates any bottlenecking of information and energy. “You can integrate digital twins of your actual team members. It’s continuity without compromise,” he said. “At scale, this is where it gets transformative. Your spokesperson can be in ten influencer briefings at once. Your product lead can run demos while asleep. Your CMO can present at a global summit without leaving the office.”