Plot Synopsis

Directed by Alexandria Stapleton and based on Stephen Witt's 2015 book of the same name, HOW MUSIC GOT FREE is a two-part documentary that details the inside story of the technology-driven disruption that changed music during the late-1990s and early-2000s. The documentary tells the true story of Dell Glover, a CD factory worker from Shelby, North Carolina, who led the music piracy revolution by collaborating with a group of teen hackers. File sharing technology, combined with the insatiable demand for new music, created both the means and the motive for millions of young people to participate in outright theft -- and be celebrated for it. From New York City, to Los Angeles, to the small factory town of Shelby, North Carolina, the two-part series features the quirky genius of the heretofore-unknown "pirates," the drama of the FBI investigations and convictions, and the frontline accounts of music's biggest artists and executives. An unbelievable story of cunning, illegality, celebrity, and innovation, these are the events that changed the music industry forever. Narrated by Method Man, the series features interviews with Eminem, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Jimmy Iovine, Rocsi Diaz, Rhymefest, Steve Stoute and more. After making its world premiere on March 9, 2024 at Stateside Theatre during the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival, HOW MUSIC GOT FREE made its broadcast debut on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 on Paramount+, which released both episodes:

"The Crime We All Committed": A small town, CD-factory worker, Dell Glover, joins forces with teen hackers to pioneer internet piracy with MP3s, shaking the music industry's early-2000s profits and reshaping the business forever.

"Internet Killed the Radio Star": As album sales drop, the music industry takes legal action against fans causing a PR nightmare. Meanwhile, the FBI launches a major investigation against internet pirates and begin their crackdown.