Napster launched a music download site for Japan today in partnership with Tower Records, even as it continues its quest for a sale of the parent company. This Japanese deal has been in place for a while,  and is launching now.
Users pay $16.80 per month for unlimited downloads out of a catalogue of 1.5 million tracks. Ninety percent of its catalog is by artists outside Japan, though Napster aims to increase its local content. It is targeting one million subscribers over the next three years and one million monthly downloads by March 2007. Downloads are only compatible with certain MP3 players including some Sony and Toshiba models.
-- NTT DoCoMo also offers a Napster-compatible phone - and has a 42 percent stake in Tower Records it bought last November for $110 million.
-- KDDI currently leads the Japanese music downloads market, reflecting the bigger trend of downloading to a phone rather than a PC. Apple is already in the Japanese market with a catalog of around two million.
Related: Napster Hires Bank To Explore Options
-- Napster’s Stock Up on Loudeye Sale; Is It Logical
-- Earnings: Napster Revs Up 34 Percent In Q2; Loss Narrows; Ties With DoCoMo; M&A Still On Plate