The mp3 had a spectacular rise…the tech was everywhere…it brought music and the industry into the digital era. But like almost everything in this universe, it has a finite lifespan…it’s still with us and in many ways is still ubiquitous in some circles, but things have changed.

And yes, it did kill the music industry—at least the old one that insisted on selling fans their music on pieces of plastic

I’m going to try to tell the story of how mp3 technology came into our lives—and how it is slowly leaving it. It’s a story with all kinds of twists and turns…there are heroes and villains…there are casualties and survivors…and one thing is for sure: music has been forever changed in a billion different ways.

This is the rise and fall of the mp3.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices