Napster vs The Record Labels - Battle of the ...

With all the hype around portable and smart speakers, it’s easy to forget that they didn’t always exist. In fact, it took one fateful meeting with Monster Cables and Interscope Records to really kick the industry off. In this one-episode Business Battle, we explore the time when ...  Show more

Ninety-six percent of Americans now shop online, snapping up everything from rare coins to industrial-sized barrels of hand sanitizer. Almost half of those purchases take place on one website: Amazon. But before sales were a click away, Walmart was the top dog, decimating main st ...  Show more

The recording industry, Metallica, and ultimately federal court put the brakes on Napster’s music file sharing. But before exiting the stage, Napster changed the way we listen to music—and how much we’re willing to pay for it.[Editor’s note - Sept. 1, 2020: This episode has been ...  Show more

Motown has finally found its groove. The Jackson Five add their bubblegum soul to the company’s more traditional sound. And albums from Motown artists rocket to the top of the Billboard charts. The record label is churning out hit record after hit record. Things at Stax Records a ...  Show more

The emergence of Hipgnosis has helped turn the battle for catalogs into an arms race that shows no signs of slowing down. Guest: Ben Sisario. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https: ...  Show more

Lines are drawn, as Wayne LaPierre’s supremacy is tested, and the rift spills out into public.