In "How Music Got Free," Stephen Richard Witt masterfully unfolds the complex tapestry of digital music piracy, weaving together tales of technological innovation, corporate ambition, and criminal enterprise. At the heart of this narrative is the revolutionary mp3, a creation that promised to democratize music distribution, challenging the very foundations of a multi-billion-dollar industry. From the clandestine operations in a North Carolina CD manufacturing plant, where Dell Glover smuggled out nearly two thousand albums, to the corporate skyscrapers where mogul Doug Morris sought to monopolize the rap scene, Witt exposes the seismic shifts that digital piracy inflicted on music, culture, and business. This gripping account stretches beyond the confines of the music industry, delving into the broader implications of the Internet's role in reshaping global access to media. Through the lens of key players—ranging from German engineers to American factory workers, and from music executives to the pirates themselves—Witt captures the moment when the floodgates of free music were flung open, altering how we interact with art, and ultimately, how we see the world. "How Music Got Free" is not merely a chronicle of the digital age's impact on music; it is a profound exploration of innovation, greed, and the unyielding power of the Internet, offering a compelling narrative that is as insightful as it is enthralling.