Digital music, file sharing and the podcasting revolution

The rise of digital music resulted from the convergence of different forms of technology. First, the development of MP3s which allows the average song to be compressed down to approximately three megabytes. This enabled files to easily be distributed over increasingly fast broadband networks. The development of peer to peer file sharing software - such as Napster and Kazaa - meant that users could share their digital music files easily across networks. The decreasing cost of computers and the introduction of portable MP3 players like the iPod drove consumer interest in this new format of music. These developments have had implications beyond the music industry, leading to the rise of podcasting and the creation of new copyright movements.

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