Napster as we know it died today

February 12, 2001

Yes, I admit it. I am shamelessly sucking down files from Napster tonight...getting all those hard to find live bootlegs and those long since out of print albums from the late 70's and early 80's. I have said on numerous occasions that Napster is the one great equalizing force in music today which takes all the power away from the record labels and puts it squarely in the hands of the consumer.

With Napster we the music listening public can sample the odd song, decide we like or don't like it, and if we do can go out and get the album from this new band we like. This doesn't necessarily translate into ripping off Metallica, but instead hooking up with an emerging artist like Roger Gillen, or a new band that has that one hit that is being pushed.

Instead of having the next Spice Girls pushed down our throats by some mindless A&R exec at a major label because trend data says it will sell we get to choose because we can swap files.

Today's decision, along with the earlier BMG deal, has effectively killed Napster.