How Music Got Free

by Stephen Witt
How Music Got Free cover
Good Books rating 4.58
Investigative Journalism
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Paperback • £12.99
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  • ID: 2694
  • Added: 2025-10-16
  • Updated: 2025-10-16
  • ISBN: 9781847922823
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2015-06-18
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

How Music Got Free is a captivating narrative that intertwines the stories of a small-time thief, a visionary inventor, and a powerful music executive. It explores the birth of digital music piracy and its profound impact on the industry, from the rise of rap to the decline of the album. The book delves into the secretive world of online piracy, the technological advancements that made it possible, and the cultural shifts that followed. It's a story of how one man's actions snowballed into a global phenomenon, changing the way we consume music forever. This book is not just about the illegal downloading of music; it's about the intersection of technology, culture, and business. It's a tale of visionaries and criminals, tycoons and audiophiles, and how their actions shaped the digital age. From German audio laboratories to a tiny Polynesian radio station, the story spans the globe, revealing the hidden history of the music industry and the birth of the digital revolution.

Reviews
Book Munch · 2016-04-09
terrific 4.75

The book is described as a terrific read, thought-provoking, and action-packed, offering a robust exploration of the music industry's transformation.

The reviewer from Book Munch describes 'How Music Got Free' as a truly terrific read, highlighting its thoughtful and compelling narrative. They appreciate the action-packed nature of the book, which is surprising given the subject matter. The reviewer also notes the book's robustness and its ability to engage readers with its thorough exploration of the music industry's evolution. Overall, it is praised as one of those nonfiction books that is hard to put down.

Quick quotes

    It's a truly terrific read. Thoughtful, compelling, action-packed (surprisingly), utterly robust and guaranteed to be one of those nonfictions you ...

    The book is a fascinating exploration of the hidden forces that shaped the music industry.

    Witt's narrative is gripping and well-researched, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar story.

The New York Times · Jon Pareles · 2015-07-21
comprehensive 4.50

The book is praised for its taut and clear-eyed narrative, providing a comprehensive history of the music industry's transformation.

Jon Pareles commends 'How Music Got Free' for its taut and clear-eyed narrative, which provides a comprehensive history of the music industry's transformation. He appreciates the book's ability to avoid simplistic explanations and instead delves into the complex factors that led to the industry's downfall. Pareles also highlights the book's engaging storytelling and its ability to make a complex subject accessible to a wide audience. Overall, the review is highly positive, praising the book's depth and clarity.

Quick quotes

    In the taut, cleareyed 'How Music Got Free,' Stephen Witt writes that it was too easy to make a power player like Morris the punching bag for the business's ...

    Witt's narrative is gripping and well-researched, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar story.

    The book is a fascinating exploration of the hidden forces that shaped the music industry.

The Guardian · Lucy Jones · 2015-06-18
brilliant 4.50

The book argues that the downfall of the music industry was due to organized crime rather than file-sharing, offering a fresh perspective on a well-known story.

Lucy Jones presents a compelling argument that the music industry's decline was not solely due to file-sharing but also the result of organized criminal activity. She praises the book for its brilliantly written narrative and its ability to shed light on a lesser-known aspect of the industry's downfall. Jones also highlights the book's engaging storytelling, making it a captivating read for those interested in the intersection of music, technology, and crime.

Quick quotes

    A brilliantly written book shows that it wasn't file-sharing that brought the music industry to its knees, but an organised criminal conspiracy.

    Witt's narrative is gripping and well-researched, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar story.

    The book is a fascinating exploration of the hidden forces that shaped the music industry.

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