This is the story of how we stole music. Nowadays, for a simple monthly subscription we get access to every song we could possibly want at the cost of our favourite artists making a living. But how did we get here? In this series, we trace the routes of music streaming, to the online piracy craze of the 90s and 00s, to a major development in music technology.

In the final episode, we look at how music piracy led to the creation of Spotify. We take a deeper look at how Spotify pays its artists and the final ways in which we stole music.

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This is the story of how we stole music. Nowadays, for a simple monthly subscription we get access to every song we could possibly want at the cost of our favourite artists making a living. But how did we get here? In this series, we trace the routes of music streaming, to the online piracy craze of the 90s and 00s, to a major development in music technology.

This week, we dive into the deepest corners of the internet to learn about music piracy and the Pirate Kings behind the MP3 piracy craze. We learn who was leaking and supplying all the music for your favourite sites like The Pirate Bay and Napster.

Follow us on Instagram and Substack @highfidelitypod

How We Stole Music!

This is the story of how we stole music. Nowadays, for a simple monthly subscription we get access to every song we could possibly want at the cost of our favourite artists making a living. But how did we get here? In this series, we trace the routes of music streaming, to the online piracy craze of the 90s and 00s, to a major development in music technology.

This week, we kick things off by exploring the history of the MP3 - a revolution in digital audio storage - and see how, while trying to promote his genius bit of technology, its inventor accidentally launched a new wave of music piracy that changed the industry.

Follow us on Instagram and Substack @highfidelitypod