The Who had it right when they sang, “the kids are alright.”
A new report out of the UK has revealed a few surprising changes in the way people consume media. Despite the overall rate of piracy remaining largely the same, there has been a notable drop in digital piracy among the 16-24 demographic. A 7% dip, to be precise.
The latest figures, from the Online Copyright Infringement (OCI) tracker, are published on British IP Day. The annual tracker measures the level of online copyright infringement in the UK. The UK has led the way in measuring online copyright infringement in this way with Australia, and more recently Canada, using the same method.
Additional highlights from the newly released report include:
The UK has a lower overall infringement rate (25% of online content consumers) than both Canada (26%) and Australia (38%).
Levels of infringement varied by content type. TV programmes recorded the highest levels of infringement (23% amongst consumers of TV), with music (18%) and films (19%). Whereas infringement of software has decreased from 26% in 2017 to 20% this year. Infringement of sports content was 21%.
An increase in the share of consumers citing convenience, quality, and fears of viruses/malware/spyware as reasons for choosing paid for services over free services.
65% of those who consumed any of the six key content types during the past three months paid for at least some of it (an increase from 60% in 2017), this is partly due to increased spend on subscription services.
Amongst infringers, there was a decline in the use of BitTorrent software (from 11% of infringers in 2017 to 7% this year), while the use of Kodi remained relatively unchanged (used by 12% of infringers).
What does this mean for those of us in the USA?
The US does not commission piracy reports, but if we assume similar results would exist here then we can (at the very least) hope for a better future. If piracy is not a trend in younger generations then there is always a chance future musicians will not be plagued by the same type of theft those who have been working the last twenty years have experienced.
Piracy, it seems, could be a generational issue. Those who steal do so because it became normalized while they were still developing as consumers. If younger generations, those born on or after the year 2000, do not view piracy the same then it’s possible piracy rates will continue to fall moving forward.
In the meantime, musicians need to realize piracy is still a serious threat to their career and wallet. Join Haulix today and protect your new release from those who wish to steal it.
Now is the best time in history to be a music fan. The era we live in is the first where music is available everywhere, all the time, for only a few bucks a month. You can use YouTube and enjoy millions of songs for free and artists STILL get paid. It’s incredible.
Despite the rise of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, digital piracy has continued to be a thorn in the side of the entertainment industry. The amount of media pirated in 2016 was double the amount stolen in 2008, and it is expected to double again by 2020. We’re not talking gigabytes or terabytes worth of media, but petabytes.
The majority of albums that leak ahead of their release date find their way online due to careless promotional tactics on the part of the artist or their team. Dozens, possibly even hundreds of copies of a record are shared with members of the press, radio, and industry at large before an album is released to the public. Somewhere along the line, the album reaches someone who decides to share it with a third party, and that is all it takes for countless sales and streams to be lost forever.
In an age where artists can make money for every stream of their music across countless platforms, there is no reason to risk the loss of a single penny to piracy. Protect your music and easily share it with the industry at large by joining Haulix today.
Haulix is a digital distribution platform built specifically to enable the advance promotion of new and unreleased music without the fear of piracy. Their platform makes it incredibly easy to upload, watermark, distribute, and track your new release.
Within a matter of minutes, you can be sharing your music with fully customizable emails and promotional pages without having to worry whether or not someone will choose to leak your material online. You can try Haulix for free for the next 30 days by visiting their official website and choosing the subscription that best fits your needs.
On Manchester, security, and the future of live music
Words cannot express the pain we feel in our chests following the news coming out of Manchester earlier this week. Countless people have tried to summarize the enormity of this tragedy, many with a gift for words far greater than our own, and we feel everything they – and you – do as well. Terrorism is horrific in any form it takes, but where children are involved it’s particularly devastating. This is only further emphasized that the incident occurred at a concert, a place where most of us find safety in numbers and community. The people there were present to escape the troubles of the world around them, but the horror found them, and now it seems life will never be the same again.
Details on the moments immediately before the explosion at Manchester Arena are still pouring in, but authorities believe the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber carry a backpack with a homemade device inside it. It is unclear if the individual in question attended the concert or ran up on the gate in the moments immediately following the show. We do no know for certain that they acted alone, but on May 23 the Islamic State group did claim responsibility. The known terrorist organization claimed “a soldier of the caliphate planted bombs in the middle of Crusaders gatherings.”
When the Bataclan concert venue was attack by terrorists in 2015 Bono, frontman of U2, was quoted in the press as claiming the event was “the first direct hit on music.” Whether or not that statement is based in hard facts it is undeniable that most never considered concerts or the venues that host them to be anything less than safe. Hundreds, if not thousands, of live events happen all over the world every single day without incident. Concerts are a place where people can go to feel a part of something bigger than themselves and, for a brief amount of time, escape the troubles of their lives. In an increasingly chaotic world, concerts remain a fairly accessible oasis for most people.
Speaking with The New York Timesaround the same time as Bono, Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni recognized a dark truth. “It’s only logical for major venues worldwide to have heightened security,” said Bongiovanni. “But the truth is that there is only so much anyone can do to stop a wave of suicidal attackers.”
We talk about this a lot for numerous reasons, but incidents like this further exemplify the simple fact that people cannot control the world around them. The only thing a person can really do is choose how they respond when tragedy occurs. Do a person pull back from the world because they fear the next place they go or event they attend will be the next to be attacked? Are people supposed to simply accept the old adage that it’s dangerous business walking out their front door and therefore not be so shocked to see horrors unfolding in the world around? Should people break down and cry for those lost while searching for a way to move forward and, to whatever extent is possible, influence positive change in the world around them?
It’s not our place to answer these questions, but anyone reading this should know we are asking the same things of ourselves and one another. Summer is festival season, and many people we know are planning to attend large scale, sometimes multi-day, music event with thousands of strangers in places that often outsource security work to the most affordable company. It is important in times like this to remember the risk being taken when you attend concerts now is the same risk that has always existed. The chance that something horrible may happen is always a possibility in nearly every situation you find yourself in day to day. There is no way around it, and if we allow the fear we feel now that such realizations are brought to mind then those who wish to destroy our way of life through such horrific actions win. They feed on our fear. They want us to abandon our way of life because of they made us feel weak, defenseless, and afraid.
There will no doubt be much discussion about security and live events in the days ahead. It is likely we will even see some changes made, especially at arena events. Follow closely and watch how the industry responds. Be cautious of trusting anyone who promises this will never happen again. That kind of guarantee is no achievable in today’s world. As with all things in life, people will ultimately need to rely on – and turn to – one another to create spaces where we can feel safe once more. We need one another, and right now there are dozens in Manchester who need our support more than most. Lift them up.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the host of the Inside Music Podcast. You should follow him on Twitter.
(This photo was taken shortly after Eagles Of Death Metal took the stage at Bataclan over the weekend. The terrorists who took hostages at the venue were just minutes away from arriving with guns drawn. Credit: manuwino.com)
The terrorist attacks that took place in Paris over the weekend are still fresh in everyone’s minds, and now that the dust is finally starting to settle the world is wondering how best to respond. U2 frontman Bono was quoted in the press as claiming the hostage situation at the Bataclan concert hall to be the “First direct hit on music.” He’s not wrong, but this incident is not the first hit on the entertainment industry. The past year has been littered with news of gunmen in movie theaters all over the United States, which in their own way are also acts of terror, and now it seems the venues that once felt like a safe place are also being targeted by those who wish to see the demise of our culture.
I’ve been to hundreds of concerts in my lifetime, and I can honestly say I have never really questioned my safety at any given event. There have been times I thought certain shows may have been overcrowded, or perhaps held in an area that was definitely breaking fire codes to host said show, but I had never even contemplated the possibility of a terrorist attack at a show I attended until I heard the news from Paris over the weekend. I imagine many of you reading this now probably had a similar experience. There are occasionally stories of death or violence at music events, but they have become increasingly rare, and never in my nearly thirty years on this planet has there been anything like what took place at the Bataclan over the weekend. The closest thing I can even think of is the on-stage shooting of Dimebag Darrell in 2004. That event was once called the ‘Worst Day In The History Of Metal,’ but after the last few days I’m convinced that is no longer the case.
The immediate response in any situation like this is to find ways to ensure such tragedies never occur again, so it should come as no surprise that the media has begun questioning the security, or lack thereof, found at most live music events. There was no way the staff at the Bataclan could have prepared for the terror they endured, but looking ahead other venues around the world will more than likely have plans of action for this, as well as other acts of terrorism. They have to, really, as the public will no doubt demand it. Young people make up a large portion of the concert-going community, and parents are only going to allow their children to continue attending shows if they feel their child will be safe at the venue. Likewise, adult concert-goers with spouses and children won’t want to risk their lives to see a band perform a few songs they enjoy. The risk outweighs the reward.
LiveNation, the largest concert promoter in the world, issued a statement earlier this week regarding their plans for the future. It reads:
“The safety and security of our shows, fans and venues continues to be our highest priority. Due to the recent events in Paris and in an abundance of caution we have implemented heightened security procedures globally. However, because of the sensitive nature of these protocols, we cannot elaborate further on the specific details.”
This is a fairly boilerplate statement. It makes no specific promises, but insists LiveNation is taking steps to improve their security efforts worldwide. There is no doubt that is true, but one does have to wonder what specific actions could and should be taken in response to these tragic events.
Scott Hammontree, General Manager and Talent Buyer for the Grand Rapids, Michigan based venue The Intersection, claims the attacks in paris were an eye-opening experience for he and his staff. In a message sent to Haulix in response to an inquiry regarding his thoughts on the attacks, Hammontree wrote:
“We are actually meeting on this internally to discuss things moving forward. We’ll be focusing on making any and all changes to prevent things like this from happening in our venue. I can certainly send along what those changes are once they are finalized. In the meantime we’ll be increasing the number of our security personnel on site and making some changes to what is allowed into the venue as well as monitoring behavior more closely of those in the venue. More to come.”
It seems it may be a bit too soon to know for sure how things will change, but one thing that seems certain is that change will come.
Speaking with The New York Times, Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni makes a good counterpoint that may be hard for some to swallow. “It’s only logical for major venues worldwide to have heightened security,” said Bongiovanni. “But the truth is that there is only so much anyone can do to stop a wave of suicidal attackers.”
Bongiovanni may have a point. There is no way anyone could foresee a terrorist attack on a concert venue, which only makes the whole affair more terrifying for consumers. Venues can add all the cameras, metal detectors, and checkpoints they want, but at the end of the day there are limits to the amount of security one can provide.
Personally, I agree with Bongiovanni and am sure that there is any way to fully prevent tragedies like the one that occurred at Bataclan from happening again, but I do understand the need to try. We as music professionals have to do everything in our power to make consumers feel safe and welcome in concert venues. Live music is the backbone of our business, and the attacks this past weekend put the immediate future of that industry in jeopardy. While the proper channels plan and carry out their response, we need to be working to increase safety protocols across the board. We have to let consumers know the sense of freedom and community that has long been associated with live music cannot be scrubbed away by those who wish ill will upon on our way of life. We also need to honors those we have lost, and do our best to ensure similar tragedies do not ever occur again. It won’t be easy, but it’s what we must do. Not for our business, but for the fans, bands, and everyone else who finds joy in music.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for taking a some time out of your day to spend with us. We try our hardest not to take too much time away from our educational efforts for self-promotion, but when considering the updates and developments that have taken place in recent months we thought it might be a good time to remind the world why we’re so good at what we do.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
The music industry has changed a lot over the last fifteen years, and that evolution has largely been guided by technology. When Napster went live, everything we knew about the business and how it functioned up to that point was no longer relevant. A new age had dawned, and it was on those in power to react – fast. We could go on and on about things that should or should not have happened at that point in time, but the hard truth is that almost fifteen years later we are still trying to find solutions for the problems that plagued us just after Y2K fears began to subside. There is no end to digital piracy in sight, but we wholeheartedly believe that through Haulix record labels and independent artists alike have a fighting chance against music pirates. Here’s why:
SECURITY
First and foremost, Haulix offers one of, if not the most secure platform for digital distribution available today. Through a combination of advanced watermarking technology, permissions, encryption, and secure traffic techniques we are able securely host, distribute, and track your media while you focus on promoting the material itself.
What is a watermark? Good question. Watermarks contain user specific information that allows us to identify which contact specifically downloaded or streamed a file through Haulix. On average, each track will contain 15-20 watermarks which can survive most attacks such as re-encoding and conversion. Additionally, you have fine grained control over how many times they can stream or download a promo. All traffic in and out of Haulix is SSL encrypted (like bank websites). Haulix automatically prepares your tracks for watermarking and when a contact downloads or streams an album, the injection process is performed in seconds.
AUTOMATED PIRACY/LEAK TAKEDOWNS
This feature only launched in the last couple months, but it has quickly become one of our most popular tools in the battle against leaks. Our ‘Piracy Takedown’ tool, when activated, crawls the web seeking unwanted files and links to files featuring watermarked content from Haulix clients. When that content is located, our system automatically distributes takedown notices and tracks the results so clients will know when their content copyrighted has been taken down.
This process does not happen once or twice, but repeatedly for as long as a client is a member of Haulix. For more information on this tool and how it can help your efforts to battle leaks, click here.
CUSTOMIZATION
There are more bands, labels, and pr outlets in existence today than ever before, which means the amount of pitches and messaging being thrown at writers is also at an all-time high. Haulix recognizes this, and through our state of the art messaging system we have created tools that allow our clients to present their upcoming release(s) however they see fit. We love to focus on the backend of things so that publicists, labels, and bands can put their efforts into promotion. We know that in order to do that to the best of their abilities our clients need to be in control of how their content is no only dispersed, but presented. From the “promo” pages where your music securely lives online, to the email you will send when inviting press to experience your material, there are dozens of ways our product can be customized to fit your needs. Want to use a color theme or still image as the background to your “promo” page and/or emails? No problem! Want to limit the number of times an album can be streamed or downloaded by any particular individual? We can do that too.
ORGANIZATION & ANALYTICS
Expanding on an aspect of our service mentioned in the previous points, Haulix also helps distribute content. Through our one-of-a-kind email system our clients are able to create contact lists ( or upload their existing contacts), organize them into groups however they see fit, send personalized messages, and access analytics on their contacts engagement with various promos with ease. You’ll know who read your message, which ones accessed the material, and how they engaged with it once on the promo page. We also track downloads.
JOURNALIST APPROVED
All of these tools would mean nothing if journalists did not like our product. After all, at the end of the day it is the writers who are on Haulix the most, and it is through Haulix that writers engage with unreleased music. If their user experience was bad it could have a negative impact on their view of the record. Worse, it could impact how they view a particular label/pr firm as a whole.
Haulix has been receiving the praise of journalists worldwide since launching in the mid-2000s. We listen to their opinions on everything from our site design to the functionality of our product and work with them to better our efforts over time. We don’t want to pat ourselves on the back too much, so I’ll let the writers who engage with Haulix on a regular basis speak for themselves:
“I’ve been using Haulix for the past three years and most of the websites that I have written for use Haulix too. It is efficient and of course, highly recommended.” – Lav Nandlall, Heavy Metal Duchess
"I always get a little extra excited when I see I have new music through Haulix because I know I can jam it in mere seconds with no hassles.” – Jameson Ketchum, Substream Music Press
“I’ve been using Haulix for the past 3 years and a half and that’s still where I enjoy receiving promo music. Aside from the fact that I can download my music on it, it keeps things organized by expeditor, due dates are visible and it’s all simple and clear.” – Mariam Bouabid(Plug-In)
“Haulix takes all of the hassle out of receiving new music. It simply combines everything on one page and provides you with promo pictures, bios, videos and whatever else. Since most of the publicists we work with tend to use it, it’s nice to be able to quick switch back to your full catalog of promos you’ve received.” – Drew Maroon, MindEqualBlown.net
“I prefer a watermarked (to keep be accountable of course) zip download with high quality mp3s. Now I don’t always get that, so I roll with what I get. Haulix is cool because you can download and stream and it has the capability of supplying high quality stuff if the label/PR people provide it.” – Drew Beringer, Absolutepunk.net
“I want tracks I can stream, and preferably download too — I’m a New Yorker and do a lot of my listening on the subway, where streaming isn’t an option. Haulix is straightforward and intuitive.” – Jesse Richman, PropertyOfZack.com
INDUSTRY APPROVED
Journalists are not the only ones who enjoy Haulix. Many of our clients have been with us for years, and they are not shy about sharing their satisfaction with our product:
“We have always been looking for a great place to allow us to share our music with those that need it early, but in a safe way. Haulix was that answer for us, and we will be lifelong customers of theirs.” – Chris Hansen, No Sleep Records
"I love the security aspect as well as the ability to truly track what people are doing with the promos. It takes the guessing game out of, “…well I spent a bunch of money to send a ton of packages out that I hope made it to their final destination… and I’m hoping these folks answer their emails and phone calls when I reach out to check on the packages.” You can see what’s going on, you can reference whether someone got their email, opened it, even listened to it or downloaded it, etc. And my favorite – the ability to create reports to follow up with people based on what they’ve done with the promo.” – Natalie Cammillo, Adrenaline PR
"Leaks aren’t 100% preventable but there are ways to insuring you stop leaks from coming from you. I’m a big user and supporter of Hauled. 90% of the writing world is familiar with Haulix and how it’s watermarked with each writer’s info. So that’s a good preventative.” – Rey Roldan, Another Reybee Production
We love this blog. We really, really do. Every now and then, however, it also is a source of great frustration when people contact us believing all we do is spend our days writing about what it’s like to be in the music industry without actually doing much contributing to its progress ourselves. The truth is, the this blog is meant to serve as a marketing tool as much as it is intended to help the next generation of music industry professionals. Our real mission in life is to create the most advanced, secure, and easy-to-use digital servicing platform in the world, and this post exists to bring that mission to your attention.
Today we’re going to look at four reasons people sign up Haulix, and in the weeks to come we’ll be posting more updates on what is going on behind-the-scenes at HQ. If you have any questions about our product, or if you would like to schedule a tour through the service, please do not hesitate to contact james@haulix.com.
1. Security – Music piracy is at an all-time high, and here at Haulix we are doing everything in our power to prevent your album from falling victim to early release. Through a combination of advanced watermarking technology, Permissions, encryption, and secure traffic techniques we are able securely host, distribute, and track your media while you focus on promoting the material itself.
Watermarks contain user specific information that allows us to identify which contact specifically downloaded or streamed a file through Haulix. On average, each track will contain 15-20 watermarks which can survive most attacks such as re-encoding and conversion. Additionally, you have fine grained control over how many times they can stream or download a promo. All traffic in and out of Haulix is SSL encrypted (like bank websites). Haulix automatically prepares your tracks for watermarking and when a contact downloads or streams an album, the injection process is performed in seconds.
2. Customization – We love to focus on the backend of things so that publicists, labels, and bands can put their efforts into promotion. We recognize that in order to do that to the best of their abilities our clients need to be in control of how their content is no only dispersed, but presented. From the “promo” pages where your music securely lives online, to the email you will send when inviting press to experience your material, there are dozens of ways our product can be customized to fit your needs. Want to use a color theme or still image as the background to your “promo” page and/or emails? No problem! Want to limit the number of times an album can be streamed or downloaded by any particular individual? We can do that too.
3. Organization & Analytics – (This may seem like two, but they go hand-in-hand). Expanding on an aspect of our service mentioned in the previous two points, Haulix also helps distribute content. Through our one-of-a-kind email system our clients are able to create contact lists ( or upload their existing contacts), organize them into groups however they see fit, send personalized messages, and access analytics with ease. You’ll know who read your message, which ones accessed the material, and how the engage with it once on the “promo” page.
From a press perspective, Haulix offers a unique organization tool that allows journalists to view all the promos they have been sent by people using our system. Which leads us to our fourth point…
4. Journalist Approved – We could write and write about how we believe our products to be the best in the business, but it wouldn’t matter half as much as the approval of the people bands, labels, and publicists are trying to reach through our service. We don’t want to pat ourselves on the back too much, but here are a few things people have said about Haulix in recent months:
“I always get a little extra excited when I see I have new music through Haulix because I know I can jam it in mere seconds with no hassles.” – Jameson Ketchum, Substream Music Press
“Haulix takes all of the hassle out of receiving new music. It simply combines everything on one page and provides you with promo pictures, bios, videos and whatever else. Since most of the publicists we work with tend to use it, it’s nice to be able to quick switch back to your full catalog of promos you’ve received.” – Drew Maroon, MindEqualBlown.net
“I prefer a watermarked (to keep be accountable of course) zip download with high quality mp3s. Now I don’t always get that, so I roll with what I get. Haulix is cool because you can download and stream and it has the capability of supplying high quality stuff if the label/PR people provide it.” – Drew Beringer, Absolutepunk.net
“I want tracks I can stream, and preferably download too — I’m a New Yorker and do a lot of my listening on the subway, where streaming isn’t an option. Haulix is straightforward and intuitive.” – Jesse Richman, PropertyOfZack.com
Hey there, everyone! If you’re reading this it means you survived another work week and the weekend is just a few short hours away. It also means it’s time to bring you up to speed on all things Haulix, so let’s stop with the pleasantries and get to it!
The last few days have been extremely busy around Haulix HQ. Our new passcode system went live, and from everything we’ve gathered the transition appears to have occurred without any bugs or problems arising. Of course, if you have any questions about the new security measures at any time you can email james@haulix.com.
We are continuing to roll out updates to our software, and as such we have two major news items to discuss…
First, we just pushed out a small update that will help clients with multiple users accessing a single account. Starting today, publicists who login to an existing Haulix customer’s account who have limited access to one or more groups of contacts will now get prompted to easily transfer a contact to one of their groups when they try adding a contact that’s already exists in the Master Account holder’s list. This saves them the time and hassle of having to contact the Master Account and request that they manually move the contact into their group.
Secondly, on Saturday, October 26 between 12:00PM CST and 4:00PM CST we will be performing server patch upgrades. There will be a small window of downtime during the work when all services will be unavailable. We’ll announce on Twitter when we’re back up an running.
…And that about covers it for news. We should have a busy week of coverage next week, including a list of questions artists need to ask themselves before hiring publicists. If you missed any of this week’s posts, you can find a list of links below:
Hello, everyone. I know we usually post our company updates on Friday, but we’re rolling out something special over the weekend that we felt deserved a post of its own. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and/or LinkedIn so you never miss another post.
Security is key at Haulix, and we have an important update on that topic to with you this afternoon. In the coming days we will be pushing out a new security feature that will prevent damage as a result of contacts sharing their invitation links. All other layers of Haulix security will remain unchanged. This is just another barrier to tighten up security and prevent leaking.
So, what is happening?
Good question. Currently, when a contact views a promo they can click on “Available Promos” in the upper right corner of the screen. This button allows them to view all the promos they have been sent from Haulix customers.
When this new feature goes live, contacts who click this button will be prompted to enter a 4-digit passcode. If they don’t have one or forget it, that’s okay. We’ve made it easy for contacts to create a new passcode (and it only takes a minute). This feature is for people in customer contact lists only. No action is required by Haulix customers.
Just to be clear – Promo pages from email invitation will not be passcode protected. Contacts are only prompted to enter their 4-digit code when attempting to view all of their promos through Haulix.
Our plan is to roll out this feature over the weekend. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts.
