"So evidently music was a killer app and is a killer app for computer and the Internet; it just took the tech industry a long time to hear that message"

In this quote, Thomas Dolby highlights the profound and transformative impact that music has had on the innovation and internet markets. By labeling music as a "killer app", Dolby is emphasizing its effective role as a driving force or catalyst in the adoption and growth of these innovations. A "killer app" is a slang term frequently utilized in the tech industry to signify a feature or application that shows essential, compelling users to purchase the platform on which it runs. Music, in this context, is placed as this necessary component for computers and the internet.

Dolby's assertion that "music was a killer app" shows how music has actually consistently been essential in promoting and advancing digital technologies. From the rise of personal computers improved by digital audio abilities to the surge of the web where music streaming and sharing became key activities, music consistently promoted larger innovation adoption. Early computer games with soundtracks, MIDI technology, and later on, MP3s and streaming services like Napster, iTunes, and Spotify, display music as a continuous driving force pressing technological boundaries.

The expression "it simply took the tech industry a long time to hear that message" indicates that despite these obvious trends, the tech industry at first ignored or overlooked music's capacity to transform the landscape. This can be analyzed as a review of the tech sector's initial failure to recognize the intrinsic value and need for digital music options.

Dolby recommends that when the tech market embraced music as a main application, it resulted in innovation and new organization designs, essentially shaping the digital period. Today, music innovation continues to develop, affecting artificial intelligence and virtual reality, showing that it stays a "killer app" with the power to influence and assist in technological progress. The quote therefore reflects on the past effect of music on technology while acknowledging its continuous influence on the digital future.