Napster’s Impact on Music and Culture

Napster. The name alone brings back memories of the wild, wild west of the dot-com bubble.

We’ll take you back to the late 90s and early 2000s. Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning’s creation was a game-changer. But was its influence bigger than its actual impact? Who won and lost the most from Napster? Could the situation have been handled differently? We break down all that and more

I’m joined by Tati Cirisano from MIDiA Research. Here’s everything we covered this episode:

[00:00:04] Napster’s rise

[00:06:57] CD boom, internet growth, Sean and Shawn

[00:12:10] Internet culture in the late 90s

[00:17:10] Napster’s early growth in users.

[00:23:19] Artists picked sides on the Napster debate

[00:35:11] Legal and business model challenges.

[00:41:15] When Napster shut its doors

[00:46:42] Asking for permission vs forgiveness

[00:58:12] Limewire, BearShare, and KaZaa

[01:06:15] Life after Napster for Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker

[01:11:23] Where Napster is today

This episode is sponsored by DICE. Learn more about why artists, venues, and promoters love to partner with DICE for their ticketing needs. Visit dice.fm

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