The challenges and rewards of the on-line music industry

摘要

Advancements in audio compression technologies and pervasive network bandwidth have made network transfer of digitised audio files a reality. Over the past five years this technology has moved from the realm of academic research to within consumers grasp. Services such as FTP coupled with Peer-2-Peer networks have accelerated the adoption and demand for digital music transfer. Services such as Napster and Kazza give clear indication of consumer demand for audio deliver and consumption in these formats. The paper examines the challenges and rewards such distribution can yield.