Mondo.NYC Speaker
Jon Vlassopulos
CEO, Napster
Jon is the CEO of Napster, the longest running independent music streaming service in the world. Vlassopulos took the reins in September, 2022 as the company looks to incorporate Web3 and social features into a first of its kind, next-generation music service. Prior to being named Napster CEO, Vlassopulos was Vice President and Global Head of Music at Roblox. Jon led the company’s initiatives and partnerships with the music industry, establishing strategic long-term relationships with record labels, publishers, management companies, agencies, artists, brands and music startups from around the world.
Jon’s time at Roblox was anchored around innovations and industry firsts where he brokered deals with Sony Music, Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group, BMG and Monstercat to bring their artists and music onto the platform. He launched hyper-immersive virtual concerts and Launch Parties for artists like Lil Nas X, Zara Larsson, Ava Max, KSI, 24KGoldn, David Guetta, Royal Blood and Why Don’t We, helping these artists reach more than 100M fans globally. Vlassopulos also helped artists generate significant new fan-driven revenue from the sales of virtual merchandise. This is an entirely new monetization stream for the music industry with artists like Zara Larsson and KSI quickly crossing the $1M mark in sales. Some of the first branded music worlds in the metaverse were also sourced, ideated and launched by Jon. These include the likes of Spotify, Logitech, Deutsche Telecom and Insomniac.
Vlassopulos has been a serial entrepreneur, senior executive, established investor and thought leader in the music, gaming and entertainment space for the past three decades. Starting his career as a DJ he then worked for BMG and Bertelsmann in Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York in the late ‘90s, where he led many of their early digital initiatives and investments including working on the original Napster 20+ years ago, before joining AT&T Wireless where he launched the first mobile music service in the US and launched the first mobile apps for many major global brands. After AT&T, Jon ran the Digital and Branded Entertainment divisions at Endemol, a leading global TV production company behind Deal or No Deal and Take the Cake. It was here that Jon produced the first live, interactive game on Xbox called 1 vs 100 before becoming the CEO of Skyrockit, an award-winning mobile entertainment marketing and advertising agency with clients like vitaminwater, GAP, Virgin Mobile and Clinique.
Jon is also the Managing Partner and Founder of A-Force Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in startups led by female founders and co-ed teams in gaming, AI, metaverse, web 3, entertainment, travel and consumer products. He is also the CEO and founder of Tribalist, a place to discover and create shoppable lists of what consumers love, “A Rival to Pinterest” according to The Sunday Times.
Jon was a founding member of the Mobile Marketing Association and has sat on the PGA and NATPE boards. He has degrees in Chinese and Economics from Durham University. Vlassopulos now lives in Nashville with his wife, two children and a sheepadoodle named Cali.
Napster Turns 25: From Outlaw to Mainstream - Napster’s Transformation and Rhapsody’s Evolution
10/15/24, 7:00 PM
Join Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos and NYU Steinhardt's Larry Miller as they take a deep dive into the fascinating story of how Napster, once a symbol of music industry rebellion, became the cornerstone of a legitimate streaming service. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, this conversation will explore the strategic decision to rebrand Rhapsody under the Napster name, the challenges and opportunities it presented, and the impact it has had on the evolving music landscape.
• How did the decision to adopt the Napster brand come about?
• What are the marketing challenges and opportunities associated with this rebranding?
• How does the Napster brand resonate with a new generation of music listeners?
• How is this transformation influencing the competitive landscape of music streaming?
Jon and Larry will uncover the secrets behind this audacious move and discuss its lasting legacy.
Music in the Metaverse - How Virtual Concerts are Driving New Revenue Streams for Artists & Labels: A Conversation with Adam Leber & Jon Vlassopulos
10/12/21, 7:00 PM
Artists and labels are increasingly being attracted to the Metaverse as virtual concerts and launch parties on platforms like Roblox are creating new ways to connect with fans and drive new revenue opportunities. Fans enjoy these experiences where they can discover new music, hang out with friends, play games and shop the latest “verch” to express their fandom for their favorite artists. The Metaverse offers the opportunity to create hyper-immersive, social, virtual concert experiences that reach millions of fans globally and allows artists to express their music and themselves in ways that are hard, costly and time consuming to do in real life. In this fireside chat, Strat Americas CEO Seth Schachner will sit down with Jon Vlassopulos, VP, Head of Global Music at Roblox and Adam Leber, CEO of Rebel and Talent Manager of Lil Nas X, to discuss what it takes to create a successful virtual concert experience, strategies to create new revenue streams (Lil Nas X “verch” is now at an eight-figure annual run rate), benefits for fans, and how to successfully break through in the Metaverse.