Digital downloads became popular in the late 1990s through file sharing sites such as Napster and LimeWire. CD sales dramatically fell causing the music industry to panic over these illegal download sites where people can download an artist for free instead of paying for the album. However in 2003 Apple launched the iTunes Store which sold individual songs or albums at a cheaper price than in shops, causing a resurgence in music sales. Still, many believe that if people can download an album for free, why would they pay for it, meaning the music industry needed to give customers something different which they would not get from a download. This comes in the form of the CD itself, as well as the album artwork and sleeves causing CDs to still be popular with many who may not want to break the law or are nostalgic towards owing a CD which many people are.
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Surely the fact that the iTunes music store has sold in excess of a billion tracks is evidence that people will indeed pay for something that they could get elsewhere for free?
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