Rioport

About Rioport

Rioport, Inc. emerged in 1999 as a spin-out from the Rio digital audio player division of Diamond Multimedia, positioning itself as a forerunner to later digital music giants like Apple's iTunes. The company was established to construct an internet-based service enabling consumers to legally purchase and download digital music for playback on computers and portable MP3 players.

The management team included Chairman and investor Mark Thompson, CEO James E Long, a pioneer in streaming media, Anthony J Schaller as CTO, and J.D. Heilprin as VP of Content. Rioport's core business was a cloud-based music service that powered the backend for numerous high-profile websites, effectively operating as an application service provider for digital music distribution. This model generated revenue by facilitating the sale of legal music downloads through its partners' platforms.

The company's service was notable for being the first of its kind to secure agreements with all major music labels, allowing it to offer a comprehensive catalog of songs that could be transferred to portable devices. Its client and partner roster included prominent names such as MTV, Yahoo, Hewlett Packard, and Virgin Music. Furthermore, Rioport's software supported a range of consumer electronics, from Samsung and Sanyo MP3 players to the first music-capable phone from Nokia. The venture attracted significant investment from firms like Oak Investment Partners, Viacom, and Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures. Rioport's journey as an independent entity concluded in October 2002 when it merged with Ecast, Inc.