It all happened so fast, and it was a really exciting time. First, satellite radio was considered a huge breakthrough for the music industry. Everyone was going to benefit: the music industry and the consumer could be happy with this choice. New music markets would emerge. Music that could never be heard on commercial radio stations would find an audience. Sales would go up. Consumers would have more choices.

It was truly a win-win idea with a lot of excitement and momentum. It was going to change everything. That is, until the MP3 showed up. Now satellite radio has about as many subscribers, as people buying iPods in one-quarter. How did this all happen?

What you may remember most is the whole Napster scandal, but that isn't the beginning. The beginning was the creation of the MP3 form of music, which came along in 1987. While the MP3 format was around, it didn't develop traction until SubPop started distributing music tracks through the format, while also distributing MP3 players in 1999. That year was the year of Napster file sharing, and within two years, Steve Jobs and Apple introduced the iPod to the world (2001). Now, over 174 million iPods have been sold.

Estimates say Apple sold another 20 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. Sales are booming, iTunes and other sites are busier than ever, and it is clear that iPods are the new record players, tape decks, CD players - they support the digital form of music, which is leading the music industry toward the future. Will CDs become as obsolete as records and tapes?

What makes MP3 players even more desirable is that they aren't only for music: podcasts, news, interviews, radio-type shows - everything is moving toward digital. You or I can make a podcast and upload it to share with people in a matter of minutes. Information is becoming freer and more fluid with each passing moment due to the digital download.

Satellite radio isn't dead yet; Sirius XM expects about 20 million in 2009, with an estimated growth of just under 8 percent. They have over 19 million subscribers, but they certainly aren't changing the way music is listened to in this day and age. Digital downloads are king.