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Music piracy rose 13% in the US last year, and stream-ripping is to blame.

stream-ripping, streamrip, music piracy, piracy, music business, statistics
Despite reports claiming otherwise, a new study from a marketing research company reveals that the war on piracy far from over.

Despite reports claiming otherwise, a new study from a marketing research company reveals that the war on piracy far from over.

The music industry breathed a sigh of release last September after global piracy platform MUSO released a report claiming that piracy was on the decline. The streaming age, it seemed, had finally converted thieves into consumers.

This week, however, a new study published by marketing research company MusicWatch claims otherwise.

In a blog post focused mainly on stream-ripping services, MusicWatch claimed to have tracked 17 million users downloading their music on websites from video platforms, including YouTube.  That’s up from 15 million from the same period two years ago.

The top 30% of stream-rippers also downloaded an average of 112 music files, the equivalent of 10 full music albums, over the course of the year.

Thanks to Stream-Ripping, Music Piracy Still a Scourge

The company wrote:

“That may not seem a lot in a world where streaming services hold millions of songs, but ask any rights holder how they feel about someone copying their works.  For a more vivid picture, imagine someone shoplifting 11 albums from Walmart or Best Buy!”

MusicWatch Blog, 2019

The question of why the spike occurred remains unanswered, but MusicWatch points the blame at search platforms such as Google for not taking the matter seriously. The company believes it is easy for anyone to find a stream-ripping service in a matter of clicks, and that files ripped from sites such as YouTube are seen as a replacement to mainstream music streaming services such as Spotify.

A quick search by the Haulix team proved their theory to be true:

Google and other search platforms are under fire for not doing more to prevent access to stream-ripping services like the ones seen here.

Additionally, the study from MusicWatch revealed that stream-rippers are also more likely to participate in other forms of unsanctioned music sharing.  These include downloading songs from unlicensed music apps and sharing songs on digital lockers or file-sharing sites.

They’re also more likely to go to the movies, play video games, and subscribe to video streaming platforms, like Hulu and Netflix.  That, says the marketing research company, amplifies the risk of piracy in each category. If they’ll steal music they don’t own, why wouldn’t they do the same for films, tv, or video games?

Of the people surveyed by MusicWatch, 68% of stream-rippers in the U.S. are aged between 13 and 34.  A slightly higher number of males pirate when compared to women, 56% to 44%.  The average household income of stream-rippers is between $75,000 and $199,000.  Only 34% are full or part-time students, which strongly suggests that professionals are also downloading music for free.

As for solutions to these problems, MusicWatch concludes their study by reiterating the need to fight back against stream-ripping platforms.

“If [stream-rippers] pirate music, they’ll likely also take movies, TV shows, and other forms of intellectual property.  Discouraging stream-ripping isn’t just good for music; it’s good for the entire entertainment ecosystem.”

There have been several lawsuits filed against stream-ripping websites in recent years, while other stream-ripping platforms have received cease and desist letters. Until action is taken to block or otherwise remove stream-ripping sites as a whole, the entertainment industry will have to wage war against the services on a site-by-site basis.

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News

Misfits’ Doyle: “There should be a $10,000 fine” for stealing music

In a new interview, iconic musician Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein laments piracy and complains about being ‘forced’ to participate in fan meet and greets.

Paid meet and greet opportunities have become commonplace in the music business as over the last decade. In many cases, artists have begun offering meet and greets as a way to supplement income lost from the continuing decline of physical music sales. Misfits guitarist and renowned solo artist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein offers fans a photo and handshake opportunity for $50, and in a new interview he explains how the package came to exist, as well as why he hates it.

In a new interview with The Liquid Conversations podcast, which you can listen to below, Doyle discussed how the music industry has changed during his nearly 40-year career. Amongst other highlights, Doyle noted how his relationship with fan interactions has changed, as well as the impact of streaming on his career.

TLC Episode #34 DOYLE WOLFGANG VON FRANKENSTEIN by The Liquid Conversations

“The thing that sucks the most about it is that everybody steals music,” he responded to a question about changes in the industry. “You spend thousands and thousands of dollars to make a record, and all of these scumbags are just stealing it. And then they want more, and then you’re a dick because you’re doing a meet-and-greet for fifty fucking bucks to make up for it, which you don’t want to do. [Do] you think I want to meet all these fucking people? I don’t. When I’m done, I just want to take a shower and go to bed.”

Speaking specifically to those who complain about the high cost of meeting him, Doyle responded, “They can kiss my ass. You want to steal shit? If I was making motorcycles and they came and took one, would that be a crime? Why can’t we punish people for stealing songs? There should be a $10,000 fine for that.”

Doyle’s frustrations seem to stem from his distaste for services like Spotify, which he feels undervalues and underpays the artists they rely on for the music to offer consumers. “You make nothing,” he said of his relationship with the streaming giant, “it’s $9 a month [for a subscription], and you can listen to a song 10,000 times if you want.”

He continued, “I can’t do the math, but how much do you think the bands get? It’s like a hundredth, maybe a thousandth of a penny you get. My girlfriend [Arch Enemy singer Alissa White-Gluz] went to [Spotify’s] office, said that shit was insane. I would’ve went fucking mental, I would’ve started breaking everything.”

Doyle goes on to say he believes Metallica’s Lars “was right” to sue Napster at the dawn of the Millennium. “Everybody thought he [Lars] was a dick. He didn’t do it for him. He’s got the fucking money. He did it for fucking jerkoffs like me.”

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My Life As A Music Pirate: The Interview

Hello, everyone. Today is an exciting, albeit somewhat sad day. We are quite thrilled to be sharing the fourth and final installment in our ‘My Life A Music Pirate’ series, but are sad to see such a beloved column put to rest so soon. If you have any questions about the content of this post, or if you are interested in learning more about the secure music distribution services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Today we put to rest one of the most interesting features we have ever run on this blog. Over the last month we have featured a series of posts on piracy written by a current music professional who has previously leaked countless albums online (part 1, part 2, part 3). Their story is one that I am sure many reading this can relate to, but somewhere along the line this individual got caught up in file-sharing and spent several years breaking the law as a result. They claim to have cleaned up their act, and for what it’s worth I tend to believe them, but as the initial columns began running on this site we could not help noticing an influx of inquiries from readers with questions for our pirate and their supposed retirement. It took a little convincing, but after two weeks of waiting our pirate has emerge from the depths of the internet once more to answer your questions on their life, the repercussions of their decisions, and how they see the industry changing to further combat piracy in the future. You can read their thoughts below.

We have said this from the beginning, but it’s worth repeating that we have absolutely no intentions of  revealing the identity of the person behind these posts. The pirate in question has been disconnected from the file-sharing world for over a year at this point, and we truly hope they manage to steer clear of trouble in the future.

[all questions based on reader’s emails]

H: Do you remember the first album you downloaded illegally? How about the first one you uploaded to share with the world?

As I said before, when I first started downloading I was downloading single songs. I wasn’t into full albums. By the time I was, I was gettings discs from the library to rip. I think my first full album download may have been The Prizefighter Inferno’s debut album. I couldn’t find that at the library, so I went online for it.

H: What is the furthest in advance of an album’s release that you would leak it? Did that time remaining before release play a factor at all?

Of course it did. The sooner, the better. When you’re leaking music, you’ve got to be first to be remembered.

H: What was the application process like for the leak site? If I ran something like that I would suspect everyone of being out to get me.

It wasn’t so formal. We got something we ran it.

H: Did you have any close calls with the law/RIAA?

We’d get notices, but no more than the average music blog with a stream. Most of our links would get taken down, but copyright holders would provide the DMCA notices to hosts like Mediafire and Rapidshare. On occasion, we’d get angry emails from band members that felt helpless and couldn’t actually do anything. I remember once a label offered us advances in exchange for not posting their roster’s material. We took the deal and subsequently posted links to the albums they gave us.

H: Did you ever have a moment when you were overcome with the thought you may be doing something wrong? Do you even see piracy as being wrong?

I don’t think there was one moment. I think it was a more gradual decision. Of course I see it as wrong? Didn’t you read my letters? Read them here. 

H: What benefits do you believe there were, if any, to the artists and labels whose work you shared without permission?

Even bad press is good press, they say. Seriously. Kids listened to the records I posted and went to shows. Some bought merch, some didn’t, they all tweeted and shared with friends. There are ways to make the most of a leak and a lot of artists figured out how to do that.

(Editor’s note: Haulix has a post that can help with that.)

H: Have you met any other music industry professionals actively involved in music piracy?

Actively? No. All of my old mates are out of the game.

H: Do you ever worry that your pirate past will catch up to you?

You’d be surprised how many of my colleagues are aware of my pirating past. I’m not that concerned about it.

H: What lessons, if any, did you learn from your time as a pirate?

That kids like free shit, that I liked introducing people to bands, that bands are made up of people making creative shit, and that underselling the value of that creative shit was a shitty thing to do.

H: What, if anything, can be done to stop piracy? More importantly, do you feel it should be stopped?

Piracy won’t die. People will always want something of value for nothing. That’s human nature. Still, things like Rdio and Spotify help cut out the need to download something to have it for free right away. Dying leak hosts help too. There are a lot less leaks going around now that It-Leaked is gone.

H: Where do you go from here?

I keep doing what I do. I write, I help musicians out where I can, and I drink more than I should sometimes. I live life and listen to music while I do it. That’s all I can do.

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News

My Life As A Music Pirate (Part 3)

This article is the third in a four-part series on piracy. Click here to read the previous entries.

We love creating content for this blog, but the true mission of Haulix has always been to provide the most secure music hosting and distribution services available online. It’s no secret that piracy has crippled the music industry in many ways over the last decade, and we strive every day to do whatever we can to prevent future music leaks. You see, we may not be musicians ourselves, but recognize that the livelihood of everyone in the music business is dependent on the continued success and support of the artists we sign, promote, and otherwise get behind. If we do not do our part to help them support themselves however we are able then how can we expect anyone to help us when piracy eventually erodes entire segments of the industry?

Recently, it dawned on us that we did not have a strong grasp on what actually makes someone want to leak music. The assumption has been made in the past that these so-called ‘music pirates’ think the praise from anonymous commenters on message boards and forums is enough of a reward to convince them to hurt artists and those who fund them, but frankly we thought that felt a bit too simple to be entirely true. So we decided to do something we had never done before: Seek out a music pirate and convince them to share their story.

This afternoon we are thrilled to share the third in a four-part series that aims to take a closer look at music piracy as seen through the eyes of someone directly responsible for the leaks of several high-profile albums. It’s the story of one individual who managed to engrain themselves in the music industry professionally while simultaneously sharing unreleased records with the world, and it’s told entirely in their own words.

**As part of our agreement with the author of this series, a number of names and websites have been altered to protect identities and certain brand reputations. We have no intention to reveal the author’s name or location.**

When I began my first music-related blog. I had no real appreciation for music journalism or how that sort of thing worked. I just wrote about bands I liked and offered free downloads of their songs via filesharing websites like Mediafire and MegaUpload. It seemed innocent enough and as far I was concerned, I was doing these bands a favor. Free publicity! So that’s what I did. I downloaded songs, re-uploaded them, wrote blurbs, and shared them around.

Through this, my blog saw some success. A few hundred hits here and there added up. I made friends with others who ran similar sites like BrokeNoise, It-Leaked, MP3Boo, Get an Earection, Strike Gently, and a crudely named site I would later admin called LeakySlut. It was a community. We raced against and supported each other. This is what made it fun.

I ran LeakySlut, my own blog, as well as a forum or two for over a year. The first taking priority as a direct competitor to Strike Gently’s fall into poo porn and t-shirt sales. I leaked music and I was good at it. When we got a hold of things early, we’d upload the tracks laced with ID3 tags sporting our brand and push them out to the masses. I pushed the site to my friends and on Internet message boards. When I visited universities I would change the “ready” prompt on printer displays to “leakyslut.com.” I left the site open on public computers. The name alone generated enough interest to click around. When someone asked if it was porn they were looking at, a person would have to show and explain that it wasn’t. The site was self marketing. When I came aboard in fall of 2010, I took a blog posting once or twice a day and turned it into the new #1 source for music leaks in the alternative music community. This was something I was very proud of and later ashamed of. The thrill of delivering copyrighted content to thousands of fans hungry for it felt good, if only for the minutes following the initial post. I felt like I was doing something worthwhile. I thought I was part of the process when, in actuality, I was hindering it.

LeakySlut is gone now. It began to fizzle out once I left for more legitimate work. In spring of 2011, I left the leaking game and never looked back.

A week after leaving LeakySlut, I started an editor’s gig at a music webzine. No more links to zip files and mp3s. Just words on sounds. I had shed the peg leg and eye patch and it felt good. It was every bit as exciting as what I did before, only constructive and beneficial for the artists that I wrote about.

Now I didn’t have to go to sketchy sites to download songs. Instead I was getting albums sent to me unsolicited because I just might listen to it and write about it. I felt important. The feeling here lasted much longer than it did with leaks. I didn’t have to worry about links getting broken because of DMCA takedowns or emails from labels threatening legal action. The words were enough and they were eternal.

I still write about music today. I’ve contributed to a number of publications and haven’t leaked an album in almost 5 years. I’ve never even considered it. I’m in a place where artists, managers, and publicists trust me with their livelihood. They send me their songs trusting that I won’t put them online. I know that doing so could seriously jeapordize their marketing plans and corresponding income. I’m bigger than that. I’m not a villian. I’m a fan of music. Promoting and sharing my taste with others is reward enough. The perks of music journalism are just a plus.

Do I still download music without paying for it? Certainly. But thinking back on the last year of my life in music, I can’t think of a single instance where I didn’t later purchase the artists’ full release. If I want to hear a song now, I can pull up Rdio and listen to it. I pay $10/month to the service and the artist gets a small payout for the play. If I love it, I’ll seek it out on vinyl to add to my collection. I take up Soundcloud download offers when I find them and only rip songs from streaming services if they are no longer available (I’m still an avid demo hunter).

My life as a digital pirate is drawing closer and closer to an end every year. With advancing technology and a deep sense of admiration and respect for my industry’s peers, I have no need for it anymore. I think that this rings true with a lot of fans as well. A majority of the sites I named about no longer exist due to a lack of interest. Even the existing torrenting communities like what.cd are withering away with declining traffic and membership.

In the end convenience is key and if there are better, more legal, alternatives for listening to music, people will take them. Streaming services like Spotify, Rdio, and YouTube are clear indicators of that. The benefits to these serves opposed to piracy are numerous and are topic for another day.

I’m not completely ashamed of my piracy history. It got me to where I am. I learned valuable lessons about art and property through my experience and I think I’m better for it. The Jolly Roger has been lowered and my tri-cornered cap has been hung in the locker of Davy Jones. I won’t be fetching it again.

Savvy?

x Rackham

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