https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/1ia6rc4/did_you_use_napster/
created by llkahl on 26/01/2025 at 05:22 UTC
102 upvotes, 92 top-level comments (showing 25)
That was one bitchin’ internet website. I don’t recall how many songs I had, maybe 2-3 thousand or more. Then one day, Poof, all gone, adios amigo. I loved it while I had it. Also we were on dial-up so how many hours did I spend sitting there watching the screen?
Comment by AutoModerator at 26/01/2025 at 05:22 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See this post[1], the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, llkahl.
2: /message/compose/?to=/r/AskOldPeople
Comment by 04eightyone at 26/01/2025 at 05:28 UTC
44 upvotes, 5 direct replies
Napster, Limewire, Kazaa... Set up a bunch of downloads and go to sleep, and hope that the file name was accurate and not trolling.
Comment by mayosterd at 26/01/2025 at 05:35 UTC
19 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Napster was incredible. Going from purchasing $15-30 albums on CD at special stores, to downloading anything I wanted seemed like the ultimate cheat code, and was life changing.
With the benefit of hindsight, that time may have been when music peaked for me. No development in listening to music has ever approached how impactful that was since then.
Comment by LowerAppendageMan at 26/01/2025 at 06:25 UTC
10 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Yeah. Still haven’t listened to Metallica since they ruined it.
Comment by robotlasagna at 26/01/2025 at 05:45 UTC
10 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Nice try, RIAA.
Comment by WhatsThisAbout70 at 26/01/2025 at 05:38 UTC
6 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Napster, Limewire and BearShare
Comment by Carrollz at 26/01/2025 at 06:32 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Yes, I honestly consider that time peak humanity.
When I was 11yo I had a nightmare. I dreamed that I was a grandparent talking to my grandkids about a song that I loved when I was their age. I tried singing it but couldn't get the tune quite right and then remembered I still had the record in a box on the top shelf of a closet so I went and got the box down and found the record but then l remembered I didn't have a record player! I sat holding that record in my hands just staring at it and crying because I would never be able to hear that song again. The next day I was in the dentist's office waiting room and there was an article in the magazine talking about the next greatest thing in music - the compact disc.
So when napster happened I thought, hallelujah, music will never ever be lost. I discovered so much music I would never have heard... old music, unpopular music, independent music. I loved engaging with others just talking about music and sharing our love for it. I thought, yes, this is what the "internet" is all about. At the time I had just started my family so I no longer had discretionary funds to spend on music or free time to waste listening to the radio, but thanks to napster I was able to find and discover music I enjoyed so I actually purchased cds and spent money to see bands I would not have otherwise. The community was the best.
Comment by supergooduser at 26/01/2025 at 05:37 UTC
4 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Born in 78.
I was in rarified air. I was with my future ex-wife in a dorm room that had a T1 connection, comparable in speed to high speed internet today.
She had a laptop with 4gb of storage. We'd log on and find other people with similar high speed connections and look at their libraries. Then it was just a constant downloading/wiping of her 4gb hard drive, about 80 albums worth.
What's crazy is in hindsight, that setup is remarkably similar to what spotify offers... "hey, I want to hear that album, is anyone have it?" *downloads it 1 minute later*
Comment by tropicsandcaffeine at 26/01/2025 at 06:14 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
My niece and sister in law lived on Limewire.
Comment by Comfortable_Sea634 at 26/01/2025 at 06:23 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I used Napster, but then discovered Usenet
Comment by cannycandelabra at 26/01/2025 at 05:26 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Yes! Made me so happy.
Comment by joemammmmaaaaaa at 26/01/2025 at 05:44 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Yes for sure. Still use the Pirate Bay sometimes
Comment by -iamjacksusername- at 26/01/2025 at 06:03 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Used the fuck out of it. Thousands of downloads.
Comment by StarklyNedStark at 26/01/2025 at 05:32 UTC
9 upvotes, 3 direct replies
I don’t think that qualifies as “Ask Old People” for at least like 5 more years
Comment by InspectorReady834 at 26/01/2025 at 05:35 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Indeed! I miss the days of setting up downloads over night and hoping nobody picked up the phone. 🤣
Comment by Szaborovich9 at 26/01/2025 at 05:47 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Start recording or song. Wait all thru the night, go to bed, wake up the next day and it’s still loading. That afternoon the time bar is almost to the end when…..disconnect😖
Comment by Spottedhyenae at 26/01/2025 at 05:48 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I admit to nothing!
Comment by Wise_Serve_5846 at 26/01/2025 at 15:39 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Nope-ster
Comment by cmcrich at 26/01/2025 at 05:31 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Lol, of course.
Comment by Shakylogic at 26/01/2025 at 05:35 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I used it. Lots of hours lost downloading anything that was "fast". Didn't really care what it was. And on occasion finding things a bit weird.
Comment by MuchDevelopment7084 at 26/01/2025 at 05:58 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Yes, quite a lot back then. I'd go to sleep. Get up in the morning with a bunch of new music.
Comment by Chzncna2112 at 26/01/2025 at 06:01 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Hell no
Comment by fcukumicrosoft at 26/01/2025 at 06:04 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Limewire. Napster was already gov't property by the time I figured out how to download music.
Comment by cgoldberg at 26/01/2025 at 06:07 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Of course, Napster was awesome, then migrated to Limewire, Audiogalaxy, Kazaa, etc... finally landing on BitTorrent trackers like The Pirate Bay.
I still have over 8,000 mp3s and flacs! Ahem, I mean my friend does.
Comment by MeanderFlanders at 26/01/2025 at 06:08 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
When my husband and I dated in college, he worked for the college part time for the student union building. When I’d come in town to visit, he’d work a full 8 hours on the weekends and the building was dead so he’d bring his entire desktop tower to his office and download music using the school’s dialup during his entire workday.