technology and programs such as Napster [are] a vital and necessary means to promote music and foster better relationships with our fans." (http://www.offspring.com/napster.html) The Offspring's last album, Americana, before commercial release became available illegally online, yet it is the band's best-selling album to date. A number of surveys have proven that Napster users buy more CDs after sampling songs online (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/12093.html). This issue builds the core of the RIAA lawsuit, whether or not Napster and similar applications will mean reduced CD sales. Napster does challenge the traditional distribution of music, but whether this should be viewed as a threat or a new medium the music industry can exploit creates another issue. Some record labels, notably Epitaph (http://www.epitaph.com), partnered with sites like e-music.com to sell full albums and single songs in MP3 format over the web. In this case, the record company gained a new distribution method rather than seeing it as the “enemy”. The record company still gets a cut of the profits, while the artists' whose songs are downloaded through Napster don't. Napster creates a free and convenient way to get music compared to visiting record stores, making it appealing. Napster also facilitates international distribution for unsigned artists, threatening record labels. Previously, without being signed to a record label an artist could not get the exposure to make a living as a musician. The Internet allows sites like mp3.com and Napster to aid struggling artists. The music industry's response to Napster compares to the response to the introduction of cassette and VHS tapes. The technologies allowed people to record and duplicate copyrighted information, and at the time these were seen as threats to the respective industries. Time has proven that tape recordings are no substitute for professional, commercial recordings. The sa...
