New York City _ To hear Louie DeVito tell it, his journey from inspired clubgoer to America's best-selling DJ is akin to a fruit-stand operator who eventually became a grocery-chain mogul. It was a matter of talent, timing, fortune and hard work _ but mostly hard work.

Unlike others who have tried, DeVito grasped a lucrative idea _ a series of New York-centric mix-compilation CDs _ and turned it into a wildly successful entrepreneurial venture. His four volumes of NYC Underground Party and the recent Louie DeVito's Dance Factory have sold nearly a million copies altogether, and 2000's Vol. 3 still stands as the best-selling mix-CD in history, at 400,000-plus units out-moving singular efforts from DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Bad Boy Bill. From all indications, DeVito's understanding of what it takes to sell mix comps _ certainly in the populous East Coast market where he most thrives _ far exceeds anyone's in the business. "Some people think I'm hurting dance music by commercializing it," admits DeVito. "But I think what I'm doing is good for dance music."

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As it stands, most of the dust has settled concerning the MP3 issue and the music industry. Napster is shut down for all intents and purposes, but is expected to reopen soon because it has settled its lawsuit with the recording industry—and BMG would hate to waste all the money it invested. Napster will reportedly reopen as a "subscription" service. MP3s are available all over the web and abound in places like Morpheus, Audio Galaxy, and, God forbid people actually learn how to use newsgroups!

Technologically, the MP3Pro format has evolved, as has Microsoft's WMA file format. They have both allowed for even smaller file sizes, meaning shorter downloads, better quality, and increased storage capacities.

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