For anyone in their 30s (or beyond), they’ve lived through a tremendous change in how music is consumed and shared in a third of a lifetime. From vinyl to cassettes to CDs to mp3s, from mixed tapes to mixed CDs to Spotify playlists, everything about how we engage with music has been profoundly pushed forward, and part of that most recent shift is thanks to Napster. The file sharing service that essentially brought the once mighty record industry to its knees connected listeners in ways that no one had ever thought of. It’s a story with more twists and turns than your average Hollywood thriller. And it’s now being told.
Alex Winter (yes, Bill S. Preston himself) has quietly been putting together a directorial career and his latest is the documentary “Downloaded” that chronicles the rise and fall of Napster, and includes the very players involved to help tell the tale. And in this exclusive clip, co-founder Shawn Fanning discusses the rise of Napster and the fundamental ideas of being able to share media in both a current day interview and in archival clips as well.
The entire topic is still very new and divisive, but “Downloaded” looks to go where it all started. The film opens in limited release this Friday, June 21st and will go VOD next month. Watch below.
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