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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Superbly researched account of the rise and rise of the mp3 and how an encoding standard came to define music as it is today.
informative
medium-paced
Ok, I skipped all the chapters about lawyers etc. but I was riveted by the story of the guy who worked at the CD pressing plant outside of Charlotte who ended up in 2007 holding Kanye in one hand and 50 in the other, deciding "Who will I leak first?"
A nicely written recount of the history of the mp3's. Witt holds several story lines simultaneously, and if this was a novel, all the characters would end up in the same vacation destination to see how small the world is. The narrative voice takes the side of each influencer at a time and does not judge them. The book also taught me why mp3's actually took a lot away from the recorded music - what you can't hear, you don't need. In the end, I'm undecided on whether music really got free. The book stops where Spotify begins, so there is a whole another story waiting to be told about music.
Ever wonder how the mp3 came to be? Perplexed as to what wav., aac., and all those other abbreviations on your music files refer to? Confused as to why music piracy became such a big deal? All this and MUCH, MUCH more can be found on this incredible saga of the battles between an industry in transition and internet rebels out to break some rules.
I particularly enjoyed the perspectives of the protagonists in this story: Karlheinz Brandenburg, the inventor of the mp3; Doug Morris, the CEO who brought Universal to the apogee of its power and wealth; and Dell Glover, the young working-class that, through his actions, challenged the system of the music industry in a way that still reverberates today.
I particularly enjoyed the perspectives of the protagonists in this story: Karlheinz Brandenburg, the inventor of the mp3; Doug Morris, the CEO who brought Universal to the apogee of its power and wealth; and Dell Glover, the young working-class that, through his actions, challenged the system of the music industry in a way that still reverberates today.
An easy read and pretty unbiased view on how the record industry reacted (or didn’t) to the threat of digitisation. Now on to “The Revenge of Analogue”!
Oh, I've really missed books like this! So well researched while still being insightful and, at times, a little snarky.
Admittedly there are a lot of players and a lot of merging story lines to keep track of but Witt does a bang-up job keeping the reader on track. After the first couple of chapters the rhythm settles in and you can't wait to find out what happens next - even if you kind of know what happens next. It reads like a freakin' thriller.
My computing knowledge is not fabulous so I struggled with a few of the ins-and-outs of the mp3 development and server stuff but you get the gist no matter what and it is absolutely fascinating.
In no way is this really a YA title but if I were running the world I would make this book required reading for late high-school or early college - it is a fabulously written and eminently readable historical snapshot of an industry, a mind-set, and the art of toeing the line; the classroom discussions would be nearly limitless.
Obviously your enjoyment will be upped if you have an interest in music and pop culture or computing and copyright law, but I don't think any of that is a requirement for getting something out of the book. I enthusiastically recommend.
Admittedly there are a lot of players and a lot of merging story lines to keep track of but Witt does a bang-up job keeping the reader on track. After the first couple of chapters the rhythm settles in and you can't wait to find out what happens next - even if you kind of know what happens next. It reads like a freakin' thriller.
My computing knowledge is not fabulous so I struggled with a few of the ins-and-outs of the mp3 development and server stuff but you get the gist no matter what and it is absolutely fascinating.
In no way is this really a YA title but if I were running the world I would make this book required reading for late high-school or early college - it is a fabulously written and eminently readable historical snapshot of an industry, a mind-set, and the art of toeing the line; the classroom discussions would be nearly limitless.
Obviously your enjoyment will be upped if you have an interest in music and pop culture or computing and copyright law, but I don't think any of that is a requirement for getting something out of the book. I enthusiastically recommend.
informative
medium-paced
This book was a bit more technical than I thought it’d be but it was still interesting. I'm not sure if I agree with the author on their thoughts on how the music industry is 'dying' because of piracy. The industry has changed, but the title of the book certainly doesn't match up with the conclusion the author had reached at the end of the book. Witt interviewed stakeholders who were involved with piracy EXCEPT one of the most obvious groups, which are the artists. Even after he’s written this I think music listening has changed and is more reliant on streaming than ever. While artists are earning pennies, executives gain millions from royalties and streams. I certainly would have liked to see his take on that in the epilogue, however, it wasn't mentioned at all. I think the tone, conclusion, and even perspective of the book would have benefited if he had included them in the book.
informative
medium-paced
If you like music you’d probably like it. If you’re required to read it for a class you hate; you’ll hate it.