Music piracy is on the rise again, despite the availability of legal streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. YouTube would also be one of the targets of choice for various pirates.
According to a new report from research firm Muso, there have been more than 17 billion visits to music piracy sites worldwide in 2023, an increase of 13% from the previous year. The report also reveals that “YouTube rippers”, which extract audio from YouTube videos and convert them into downloadable music files, are the most popular form of music piracy, representing 40% of the total number of visits.
Muso CEO Andy Chatterley says resurgence of music piracy shows music industry needs to understand changing consumer behavior and preferences which push them to turn to unlicensed channels. He explains that music piracy has declined over the past seven years, mainly because artists and labels stopped releasing exclusive albums on certain music platforms, prompting many fans to pirate them instead. . However, In 2023, music piracy is on the rise again, for various reasons.
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YouTube is one of hackers’ favorite targets
According to Chatterley, reasons for the increase in music piracy include the high prices of music streaming services, the cost of mobile data in some areas and the convenience of downloading music to phones over Wi-Fi. rippers” are then an important issue for the industry because they allow users to easily access and download music from the world’s largest video sharing platform, without paying any fees or royalties to artists or labels.
Jack Malon, a YouTube spokesperson, says the company is aware of the problem with YouTube rippers and is taking steps to combat it. He is pointing out that YouTube blocks offending domains and develops technical methods to stop their usen, while sending cease and desist notices to the developers of these applications.
It also states that YouTube invests significant resources in tools to report and manage copyrighted content, and that it works closely with other industry leaders to set the standard for combatting piracy by technology companies.
Taylor Swift is one of the most pirated artists
Muso did not reveal which YouTube hackers he tracked for his report or how many downloads they were responsible for. However, it provided data on torrent downloads, another form of piracy.
The report shows that some of the most popular and successful artists, like Taylor Swift, who is nominated for six Grammys this weekend, also have some of the most pirated albums. Swift’s albums have been illegally downloaded nearly 5 million times in 2023its re-recorded version from 1989 being the best-selling album of the year.
YouTube therefore has every interest in taking rapid action against this phenomenon. Piracy deprives artists of their income. However, most are often not adequately remunerated, particularly by the various streaming platforms. Some have even been forced to leave TikTok, one of the most popular social networks in the world, because Universal Music Group has not renewed its contract with the platform. Music piracy also often harms consumers, who expose themselves to malware, viruses and poor quality music.