Napster is a protocol for sharing files between users. With Napster, the files stay on the client machine, never passing through the server. The server provides the ability to search for particular files and initiate a direct transfer between the clients. In addition chat forums similar to IRC are available. Napster is a free way for clients to share files in a peer to peer network and could possibly be the biggest thing to ever happen to the music industry.
Napster became quite a controversy in the past couple years. The people who loved it was anybody with the desire to download free music. It was a great way to sample music without having to buy an entire cd. The problem with Napster was that the artists didn’t like their music out there for free. Many felt that they were losing a lot of money from record sales. Metall
Web Review.com: “The Day the Music Dies: Opinions on the Napster Injunction.”
Other artists felt differently about Napster. They felt it offered viral marketing on an unprecedented scale, allowing the discovery and exploration of music that cannot easily be found on mainstream radio. They felt that once a user finds new music he or she enjoys they may be more eager to buy the albums. Very few artists trying to get their name out there reject this kind of free exposure.
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