America Online has acquired Spinner Networks, provider of Internet music service Spinner.com; and Nullsoft, developer of Winamp, a branded MP3 player for Windows, and SHOUTcast, an MP3 streaming audio system. The company will leverage the acquisitions to boost its position in the Internet music space by developing new audio applications and functionality to partners, and by developing music capabilities for AOL Anywhere devices and broadband initiatives.

AOL's move into the music category is to try to compete with Viacom, which recently purchased online radio service Imagine Radio, the Rolling Stone Network of music sites and music retailers such as CDnow.

Copyright June 1999, Crain Communications Inc.