Does the emergence of the digital download signal the end for the music industry?

Since the invention of the cassette tape, music piracy has often been blamed for the “demise” in record sales by the music industry. Now with the rise of broadband internet and the mp3 peer to peer network music downloads have thrived.

Lessig looks at RIAA estimates for 1999-2001 in which 803 million CDs were sold and 2.1 billion were downloaded for free , he discusses that if one download was equivalent to one lost sale they would be accountable for a 100% drop and not 7%. He also discusses the 4 types of downloads and deemed only one, “to replace purchasing”, to be harmful to the industry, the second “to sample then purchase” can be seen as free marketing and can only benefit them.

With iTunes recently hitting it's 10 billionth track purchased the digital download could be seen as helping push the music industry forward (into cheaper legal downloads) and embracing new technologies faster.