Media Metrix has announced that Napster has quadrupled to five million unique users from February to July. Plus, it's the fastest growing application on the Net. Ever.

In February 2000, Napster had 1.1 million unique users in homes, businesses, and schools around the world. But with all of the Napster hoopla and constant mention in the press, that number jumped to 4.9 million unique users in July 2000. Giving the company started by 19 year old Shawn Fanning a 345 percent increase.

You may have heard reports of Napster saying they have attracted more than 20 million members, but Media Metrix tracks only unique users who have used the program at least once in a given month. All unique users are only counted once by Media Metrix.

Napster is now the 43rd most popular home application, meaning that it is on more than six percent of all U.S. home computers. Don't be fooled in thinking that Napster is only popular at home because people like their music at work too. In work places Napster more than doubled from 417,000 unique users in May 2000, to nearly 887,000 U.S. users in July.