The introduction of the digital download has profoundly changed the way in which people consume music. This has come as both a hindrance and a positive contributor to the impact of the music industry, where the consumer market determines profitability.
Although held negatively responsible, the phenomenon of Napster as a means of ‘sharing’ commercially produced and copyrighted music files, implied revolution due to its portable format and extensive variety. In some cases minority artists may not have received the same success and exposure without the aid of such software.
Despite the introduction of Itunes in 2003, its true success within the market came with the removal of DRM on songs, which ultimately encouraged consumers that the legal download was more appealing.
In conclusion it seems that when the industry was more willing to comply with the prevailing technology, that they were really able to dominate the market and regain their receding power.
This is a pretty well argued point but it would have benefitted from reference to Lessig's work on the types of file sharing.
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