“Almost anyone I know who owns a Kindle or similar digital device is over 40, and because they’re over 40, the same kids who begat Napster and file-sharing of rock ’n’ roll will run as far from the phenomenon as possible.”
“Ten years ago, if you wanted to download some music, your best bet was Napster or one of the filesharing systems such as LimeWire or KaZaA.” Then along came iTunes and its 99-cent songs. “Nowadays Apple sells TV shows, films, books, apps, as well as music. We take the explosion in available content for granted. … Continue reading “Steve Jobs’s Greatest Legacy: Persuading The World To Pay For Content”
“For years, prognosticators have looked forward to a time when a “celestial jukebox” would let you hear any piece of music, anytime, anywhere. Welcome to that future. 2011 is shaping up to be a watershed moment in music consumerism, right up there with the dawn of Napster in 1999 or the arrival of the iPod … Continue reading “Fifteen Million Songs In Your Pocket (Yes, It’s 2011)”
“While the major labels and pop music may be able to reap a real income stream from Spotify simply due to the sheer volume of streams, the Spotify model is not financially sustainable for any indie niche label. As the industry moves more in this direction (competitor Napster, for example, only yields slightly more, about … Continue reading “Will Spotify Kill The Indie Recording Business?”
“There’s no way of getting around that the studios that are trying to put the muscle on Redbox are making the same mistakes the music business made nearly a decade ago when it attempted — and failed, quite spectacularly — to squash unauthorized downloading of music by destroying the dreaded Napster Web file-sharing service.”
“I think we’re seeing that now with tons of new bands that are amazing, and are doing way better music now than was being made pre-Napster.”
“The adult entertainment industry is not only seeing its DVD sales plummet as consumers watch more porn online, but the estimated $13 billion industry is also having its own version of a Napster moment – named after the Silicon Valley company that transformed the music industry by allowing users to share songs free online.”
“Technology saved the music industry in the ’80s. Technology also destroyed it less than 20 years later. The advent of file sharing programs like Napster, the industy’s refusal to adopt new distribution methods, free-spending executives, the shrinking of radio and the increasing power of big-box retailers over devoted record stores — all have led to … Continue reading “Destruction Of The Music Industry, A History”
MySpace will offer a huge catalog of free music to users beginning this week, hoping to compete with giants like iTunes and Napster. “The catch: the music can be played only on personal computers connected to the Internet and listeners have to tolerate advertising splashed across the screen.”
“If you’re a classical music connoisseur, chances are you’ve never felt much love for the likes of iTunes and Napster.” But this week, a music download service specializing in classical was launched, featuring much higher fidelity than traditional downloads, and a library that already boasts 18,000 titles.
