Too Long; Didn't Read
<span>T</span>he digitization of the music industry began in the 1980s and, in hindsight, was inevitable. By the late 1990s, with the rise of Napster, digitization officially became a disruptive force, and one that music industry is still grappling with today. At the heart of the struggle is a system of licensing, distribution, and promotion that dates back more than a century. As technology outpaces (and in some cases simply circumvents) the traditional system, there is growing concern and consensus that the century-old music industry might collapse under its own weight after nearly two decades of decline.