The flaw of the arguments for  and against Napster on legal and  moral bases is that the overlook the most important reason why people use Napster,  convenience. The majority of people using Napster to acquire copyrighted music probably do not even understand the complexities of intellectual property concerns, and the rest simply do not care. The fact of the matter is that MP3 compression has rendered the CD audio format practically obsolete and Napster has provided a quick and easy way to acquire these files which involves much less effort, let alone funds, than buying the actual CD.

The temptation to say that CDs —a relatively young technology in the minds of the public— could not possibly be obsolete prevents many from seeing the many ways in which the CD audio format is inferior. First, a typical CD has the capacity to hold 74 minutes of audio or 650 MB of data. MP3 compression typically compresses one minute of music into 0.96 MB at CD audio quality. Thus, the same CD that can store 74 minutes of music in CD audio format is capable of storing 677 minutes of music in MP3 format.  Furthermore, most albums do not even approach filling the full 74 minutes available.  Also, when used on a computer, CDs require the use of a CD drive to read from the CD, whereas MP3s can be used from any type of data storage.  This is much more convenient for computer users, since most computers only have one CD drive, which prohibits listening to music and using a program that utilizes a CD-ROM at the same time. Additionally, the ability of MP3’s to be read from any data format makes them capable of being used with much more durable media than the CD, which is highly vulnerable to scratches, dust, and light damage. The only aspect in which CD audio still holds an advantage over MP3 is in portable players.  Both the common MP3 players, which use flash memory, and audio CD players are small and light, but portable audio CD players are also inexpensive and can be changed in the field, rather than forcing the user to return to a computer while MP3 players, however, are invulnerable to skip.  However, the advantages of the audio CD player are eroding as MP3 players become progressively less expensive and gain higher capacity and capability use interchangeable memory units, such as data CDs.

Having established that the CD audio format is obsolete compared to the MP3, the only possible reason remaining to prefer CDs to MP3s is convenience, a category in which MP3s once again defeat CDs. A while back, MP3s were confined to the realm of “warez,” which meant to acquire any song, one needed to navigate a maze of passwords and dead links to gain access to FTP servers that may or may not have what you are looking for, and are almost always full. For a well-connected individual, tracking down a song could take hours, and for the uninitiated, it was next to impossible. This required the hassle of driving to the music store, tracking down the CD you want, waiting in line, and laying down  $15. However, the creation of Napster and its subsequent clones enabled the peer-to-peer connection of a large number of individuals.  They could locate the desired file by searching the contents of the database of MP3s in each persons directories which are submitted to Napster when a user logs on. With a reasonable Internet connection this made finding and downloading songs quicker and easier, not to mention cheaper, than the wait in line at the store.

What, one may ask, can the record companies do to avoid this? Lowering prices is a good first step, as many may be more willing to comply with intellectual property law if the cost of doing so is reduced.  Second, the industry should do a better job embracing the sales of songs in MP3 format over the Internet so they can match the convenience appeal of Napster and related services.  Finally, the return of quality liner notes and album covers would do much to move CDs by offering something that cannot be acquired online.  Today’s liner notes are often no more than a small sheet of glossy paper detailing who wrote and preformed what on the CD. The inclusion of lyrics, art, and photos can make the liner notes an important part of the album, as illustrated by the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour’s album. Ultimately, the music industry must realize that piracy will always prosper when it is easier than legitimacy.