No less than a decade ago, the majority of mainstream music was
funneled through a handful of media conglomerates. But now more
individuals are listening to more music from a greater variety of
sources than at any time in history.
Ripped tells the story of how the laptop generation created a new
music industry, with fans and bands rather than corporations in
charge. In this new world, bands aren't just musicmakers but
self-contained multimedia businesses; and fans aren't just consumers but
distributors and even collaborators. Since this digital revolution hit
the music industry, its infiltration into every other form of media has
been well documented, if often not well understood. Ripped brilliantly
illustrates how, when, and where the changes happened first and leaves
us with an understanding of how to move forward.