Napster: Music Industry’s Future

I am a frequent user of Napster, which I see as a valuable service. Others, however, see it as a way to steal music. They think of it as circulating music without giving proper compensation to the musicians, producers and record companies.

What people who are opposed to this service fail to understand is that Napster really isn’t about songs that you hear on the radio all the time or the videos you see on MTV. It’s a service that gives music industry newcomers a venue to distribute their music without paying to make CDs. It also softens the financial blow if their album doesn’t do well on the market due to the lack of interest or worse, lack of publicity.

Another great aspect about Napster is the sheer volume of MP3s--technology that allows you to download music--that you can find. I have many files that I can’t find on CDs. Theme songs or skits from TV shows like “Saturday Night Live” are hard, if not impossible, to find.

These obscure MP3s are not, however, the main concern in the musicindustry. The industry fears that many Napster users are downloading songs that are still available on CD. Yes, I do this, but many of the songs I have on my computer I also have purchased on CD. The reason I download the songs on to my computer is because I can compile them onto a list of songs I want to listen to at that time. This is far easier than switching CDs in and out of a stereo. In my home, I tend to listen to music off my computer, and play my CDs in my truck.

Another problem with the idea of limiting or controlling the expansion of music on the Internet is the impossibility of it. If you were to shut down Napster, its users would be absorbed by one of the other similar ervices. Napster is just the most visible of these services because of its size and the attacks it has received from bands such as Metallica and Dr. Dre.

I have the utmost respect for both groups and their protests against Napster should be taken seriously, but I think they are missing the big picture. Instead of fighting against it, they should find a compromise. I am sure these musicians would rather spend their time making more music than engaging in a fight they cannot win.

Even if some legislation were passed making this type of service illegal, the distribution of music and other things over the Internet will never cease. File-swapping technology like Napster’s would pop up outside of the United States and beyond the reach of U.S. law.

There are many artists who support the idea and believe that Napster-like services are the future of the music industry. The Internet has expanded many types of industries on an unprecedented scale and music will be no exception.