Napster - Napster Software Developed By Shawn Fanning

NAPSTER SOFTWARE DEVELOPED BY SHAWN FANNING

Before the advent of Napster it was very difficult to locate and copy music files on the Internet. MP3 technology, which made it possible to compress audio tracks on CD into digital computer files that were small enough to copy and download, was invented in 1987. While MP3 files existed on the Internet, there was no central directory, and copying the files—once they were located—was a cumbersome process.

In early 1999 Shawn Fanning, a student at Northeastern University, dropped out of school to complete work on a software program that would simplify the process of finding and downloading MP3 files on the Internet. His program combined the instant messaging capability of Internet Relay Chat; the file sharing capability of Windows; and the search capabilities of Internet search engines. Contributing ideas to the development of Fanning's software were Internet friends Sean Parker and Jordan Ritter.

When it was introduced in mid-1999, Napster software could be downloaded for free from Napster's Web site. The software would automatically search hard drives where MP3 files were located and add them to a centralized database of available music. Napster's Web site also featured chat rooms where people could discuss music, thus helping to create a community of users.

Fanning initially distributed his software to 30 computer and music friends and asked them not to share it. Within a week, however, the popular software had been downloaded by 15,000 people. In August 1999 Fanning announced that the number of users quintupled in one week on the file-sharing service. It was the beginning of a landslide of music fans coming to Napster to download music whenever they wanted to, at no charge. While consumers may have thought they had wrested control of the music's distribution from the record labels, two groups would rise up to oppose Napster's song-swapping service. One group included artists whose copyrighted songs were being downloaded. They felt they were entitled to some form of compensation, according to existing copyright laws. The second group consisted of the major record labels and the recording industry, as represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).