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The MP3 Player That Became iTunes

overview

Ben & David revisit the birth of the digital music revolution and Steve Jobs' "digital hub" strategy, with Apple's 2000 acquisition of the Mac music player SoundJam MP, which would go on to become iTunes. We relive the 90's with brushed metal interfaces, music visualizers and of course, software sold in (physical) boxes.

More on the episode

Topics Covered

The heady early days of the "digital music revolution": Napster, WinAmp, and the Diamond Rio
Former Apple engineer Bill Kincaid's first exposure to the concept of digital music, via NPR on the way to an auto racing track
Bill's decision to build SoundJam, recruiting fellow former Apple engineer Jeff Robbin as a cofounder, and later adding Dave Heller to the team
Why you used to need a publisher to sell software... and the celebrity author of the SoundJam user manual: David Pogue!
SoundJam's release in 1998 and enthusiastic adoption by Mac owners who enjoyed pirating playing digital music
SoundJam's (and later iTunes's) most famous UI element: brushed metal
The Apple acquisition of SoundJam in 2000 instead of competitor Panic Software's Audion, and the wonderful history as told by Panic's founders years later
Steve Jobs' launch of iTunes at the Macworld keynote in January 2001
Launch of the iPod later that year in October 2001
The SoundJam team's long subsequent tenure at Apple and leadership roles to this day

Links

Another Echo from Amazon: Echo Show
Facebook streaming 20 MLB games this season
Snap Inc's first quarter as a public company is in the books

Carve Outs

corrections

Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.