What he does with it could determine the record industry's future . The Internet site is the main hub for MPEG 1 Layer 3, the sound-compression format that has taken music fans by storm. MP3 software packs the 0's and 1's of a digitized song into a highly compressed file format.
Fans can then share songs across the planet with the click of a mouse.
The format has become hugely popular with Net users, particularly college students. Robertson didn't invent MP3. He has just become the format's most visible spokesman. When you look at our editorial area, which has become an influential vehicle, and how we've galvanized 4,000 artists and literally millions of customers into one big movement, we are really leading a revolution. The company makes money through advertising revenue and by selling CDs created by the artists on its site.