Voices

The Digital TV Endgame: 10-Year Transition to All Things IP

It’s not just a question of content availability.

I Bet This Never Happens to Justin Timberlake

… we are being spat upon by complete strangers while walking together on the street …

— Sean Parker, in an email to the Guardian about the backlash to his lavish June 1 wedding in Big Sur

Voices

Is Internet Killing the Video Star?

Applying lessons learned from the music industry to TV.

Napster, the Movie

Featuring Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, brought to you by Bill from “Bill & Ted’s.”

Kill’ Em All! Then Do Business With Them.

Lars just left my house in NYC. The litigation between us in 2000 is now a distant memory.

— Napster co-founder Sean Parker, talking about Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, via a 4:03 am Twitter post. Metallica had sued the file-sharing service, but now Parker and the band are business partners: Yesterday Metallica announced that it is distributing its music on Spotify, where Parker is an investor.

Voices

What to Do When Attacked by Pirates

The music industry killed Napster and still lost the digital war. The book business was taking notes.

A Ray of Light for the New York Times

In 2014.

Napster Founders’ Airtime to Debut June 5

Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning’s Airtime has invited media to a launch event in New York City on June 5.

News Byte

Spotify Heads to Germany

Spotify will get access to a major new market tomorrow, when it opens for business in Germany. Like last year’s move into the U.S., the streaming music service will find several competitors waiting for it, including Simfy and Rhapsody (via its Napster purchase). Spotify will use the same pricing plan it offers in the rest of Europe: Limited free access and a 10-euro-per-month plan for unlimited and mobile service.