Napster Changed the Music Industry

The music industry used to be driven by CD, tape, and record sales. In some ways, it still is but a revolution on the Internet changed that over a decade ago when Napster was invented. Even though Napster was determined to be illegal, it's effects on the music industry still linger to this day.

Prior to Napster, how often would we go to the store to purchase a CD after hearing a new song on the radio or on MTV? Chances are, you probably did that often and had to pay $15-$20 for the entire CD. Singles were sold at the time to but oftentimes, you had to buy the rest of the album to get the one song you wanted.

While this helped many musicians earn money, there were times you probably wondered why you spent $15-$20 for the song you wanted and the entire album. There were times you may have ended up with a CD with other songs you didn't care for that much and walked away scratching your head why you purchased it.

Napster changed this when individual songs could be downloaded for free. Instead of purchasing an entire album, you could download the song you wanted without paying a cent. This made it easier to find the music you wanted and was user friendly.

This revolution was not favored by most artists in the industry but created an online market for music. Napster was determined to be illegal and went by the wayside, however, it proved consumers were willing to find their music online.

One of the first companies to capitalize on this was Apple. Understanding the market was there, Apple created iTunes and the iPod after Napster crumbed from the lawsuits. Apple understood where the market was shifting and legalized Napster's model. Both continue to be a success and have become profitable for Apple.

In addition to iTunes, Pandora and other online music services have proven to be successful. Instead of tuning into MTV, consumers could use online services to find music and different artists. These services have continued to grow in popularity and MTV rarely plays music anymore.

Even though Napster didn't last as long as many predicted, it's effects still linger today. By creating an online market for music, Napster paved the way for iTunes and online music consumption.