After 8 years Wippit has closed its doors. A genuine pioneer in digital music Wippit founder Paul Myers tried to get the labels to sign up to a legal P-to-P service long before they were ready (they’re still not all the way there yet cf PlayLouder). Paul could have chosen to follow the more trodden path of launching an illegal offering first and then using an established audience as leverage to get label licenses. He opted instead to stay firmly on-side with the labels but ultimately didn’t get the licenses he needed and Wippit was left as a well-meaning but ultimately compromised offering that never really managed to achieve mass market share despite innovative positioning and partnerships.

Hard luck Paul, the first mover doesn’t always have the advantage.