15 years ago today, Metallica made headlines when they filed a class action lawsuit against the developers of the popular online music file sharing service Napster. Although the record companies were eventually able to shut down the site, their inability to adapt to changing consumer needs have since devastated the entire industry.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, global music sales have steadily decreased for each of the past 15 years. When Metallica originally filed the now infamous "Napster" case, the industry generated over $26.6 billion in annual revenue. Last year, annual revenue finished below $15 billion, its lowest level in decades.

What's more, sales of digital music recently matched sales of physical albums and CD's for the first time ever. According to IFPI's 2015 Digital Music Report, revenue generated from digital sales continues to rise while overall sales have remained flat. What's more, subscription services similar to what Napster once offered are now becoming the focal point for the music industry's business model.

Which begs the question, if bands like Metallica and the recording industry had worked in cooperation with the digital music services years ago, instead of suing them, would the music business be better off than it is now?  The obvious answer is yes.

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