Music Piracy Statistics – The Latest Trends for 2024
Despite the many streaming services available in 2024, music piracy statistics still paint a bleak picture.
Technological advancements have allowed artists more options than ever to share their work, but they have also made the unauthorized distribution of music easier than ever.
As a result, artists and record labels miss out on revenue, which can negatively impact creative endeavors. Understanding the figures that result from music piracy is crucial to addressing this issue.
In this guide, we'll dive into the latest statistics on illegal music downloads and uncover the consequences of music piracy.
In This Guide- Key Music Piracy Statistics in 2024
- Pirated Music Downloads Statistics
- Music Piracy Statistics By Region
- Impact of Music Piracy
- Efforts to Combat Music Piracy in 2024
- Future Outlook & Challenges
- Tuning Out
- Key Music Piracy Statistics in 2024
- Pirated Music Downloads Statistics
- Music Piracy Statistics By Region
- Impact of Music Piracy
- Efforts to Combat Music Piracy in 2024
- Future Outlook & Challenges
- Tuning Out Key Music Piracy Statistics in 2024
- As of 2023, music was the third-most-pirated type of content on the Internet, making up 16% of illegal downloads - up from 8.1% in 2021.
- There were over 17.1 billion visits to music piracy websites in 2023 alone - up 13.4% from 2022.
- Stream-ripping websites that let users rip" the audio from YouTube videos accounted for 40% of all music piracy traffic in 2023.
- 2022 saw a significant uptick in the popularity of music piracy in the UK, with 25% of Internet users engaging in it.
- Malta had the highest percentage (43%) of illegal music downloaders in the EU in 2022.
- Nigeria saw the biggest reduction in music piracy; 76% of Nigerians engaged in it in 2023, down from 88% in 2022.
- The American economy loses $12.5 billion per year due to music piracy.
- Torrenting is the least popular type of music piracy, as only 3% of piracy site users torrent.
First, let's take a closer look at the latest figures on pirated music downloads and the most common types of music piracy.
Latest Music Piracy FiguresAs of 2023, music was the third-most-pirated type of content on the Internet, making up 16% of illegal downloads - up from 8.1% in 2021.
The other two were TV shows, making up 49% of illegal downloads, followed by movies which made up 17%.
Source: MusoIn 2022, 30% of people were downloading music illegally. And in 2023, although lower than the previous year, 29% of people nonetheless admitted to music piracy, according to IFPI.
43% of respondents were members of Generation Z (16-24-year-olds).
Source: IFPIAdditionally, there were over 17.1 billion visits to music piracy websites in 2023 alone - 13.4% more than in 2022.
Most Common Music Downloading MethodsToday, most people pirate music through two main methods - either by using special mobile apps or through a practice called stream ripping.'
Source: StatistaIFPI reports that 20% of those who pirated music in 2023 used mobile apps to do so, up from 17% in 2022.
Like this infographic? Feel free to use it on your website or blog, but please remember to give us creditThe practice of stream ripping refers to creating downloadable files from content available to stream online.In 2023, users ripping" audio from YouTube videosaccounted for 40% of all music piracy traffic.
We found similar figures in 2021, so this has clearly been an ongoing trend. Finally, the somewhat outdated practice of music torrenting, or P2P file-sharing, is still carried out today.
However, WIRED reports that as of 2023, it's the least popular type of piracy, as only 3% of piracy site users torrent illegal downloads.
Music Piracy Statistics By RegionAttitudes towards music piracy vary considerably across different regions and have been changing in the last few years.
For instance, 2022 saw a significant uptick in music piracy in the UK, with as many as 25% of UK Internet users engaging in it-approximately 9.2 million people.
Source: StatistaIn this section, we'll look over the statistics and figures of music piracy across different regions.
Music Piracy in EuropeMusic piracy seems uniform across European countries, though Malta stood out with the highest percentage of illegal music downloaders in the EU in 2022 - 43%, to be precise.
Like this infographic? Feel free to use it on your website or blog, but please remember to give us creditMalta is closely followed by Belgium and France, with 29% of each country's population engaging in music piracy. Germany had the fewest respondents engaging in music piracy at 12%.
As of 2022, only 15% of young Europeans listened to music exclusively from illegal sources. 21% of young people from Europe said they listened to music from both legal and illegal sources.
Opinions about music piracy vary across Europe. For instance, most people in Finland don't approve of music piracy, even if it's for personal use (although 25% of Finns do).
On the other hand, over 50% of Hungarians believe music piracy is acceptable for personal use. Only 16% of users in Hungary disapprove of music piracy for that reason.
Music Piracy in the APAC & MENAIn the previous subsection, we saw that while music piracy still existed in Europe, it wasn't very prevalent. On the other hand, the APAC and the MENA regions paint a very different picture.
According to the 2022 and 2023 IPFI Engaged with Music" reports, China and India take the lead for the percentage of population that engages in music piracy.
Like this infographic? Feel free to use it on your website or blog, but please remember to give us creditAnd that's after China's piracy levels dropped from 78% in 2022 to 75% in 2023. India's, on the other hand, grew from 73% to 74%.
However, in 2023, the UAE surpassed both figures, with 77% of the population listening to music via illegal sources.
On the flip side, Nigeria saw the biggest reduction in music piracy in the MENA region; 76% of Nigerians engaged in it in 2023, down from 88% in 2022.
To add to that, piracy isn't restricted to music. In South Korea, for example, music is the second-most pirated digital art form (20.1% of Internet users)after TV broadcasts (26%).
Music Piracy in the AmericasThe US is one of the largest music streaming markets in the world, so it's no surprise that it's also one of the largest culprits in music piracy.
For example, in Q3 of 2021, the US ranked third in the world for visits to music piracy sites after India and Iran, with almost 310 million visits from American Internet users.
That year, music piracy in the US accounted for 10.6% of all global piracy traffic, including film and music.
Source: StatistaOther countries in the Americas also report high music piracy figures, albeit not as high as APAC and the US. For example, Brazil ranked eighth in the world for music piracy website visits (114.92 million in Q3 of 2021).
Impact of Music PiracyNow that we've seen some facts and figures surrounding the world of music piracy, we'd like to attempt to study its impacts on artists and the music industry in general.
Source: StatistaAs you can see from the chart above, the TV and movie industries lost over $50 billion to piracy. In this section, we'll discuss the music industry's losses.
Impact on the Music Industry and ArtistsThe Tortured Poets Department" has broken the all-time record for most illegally downloaded album, with 174K downloads. pic.twitter.com/8x7M5N05C9
- Taylor Swift Charts (@chartstswift) April 18, 2024
The damage done to artists is well-documented. It may not be as damaging to some, like Taylor Swift, whose albums were illegally torrented just under 5 million times in 2023, but who'd sold over 100 million albums altogether.
However, as we saw above, torrenting onlyaccounts for 3% of all music piracy. Most pirated music files are created via stream ripping and online or mobile downloads.
Therefore, it's very hard to quantify the impact of piracy on each artistsince so much illegal downloading happens in the shadows and isn't reported or easily traceable.
However, the Institute for Policy Innovation estimates thatmusic piracy costs theAmerican economy $12.5 billion per year.
Although the Institute's report is from over a decade ago, given the growth of the music industry and piracy in recent years, this figure has likely only grown since.
We saw this happen in the decade after Napster's launch in 1999 when the US music industry revenue fell from $12.8 billion to $5.5 billion.
In addition to these financial impacts on the industry, artists also miss out on revenue. While billionaire Taylor Swift may not feel the adverse impacts, less prolific artists easily can.
Due to piracy, these artists miss out on both immediate earnings and long-term royalties from legally purchased music. For example, Mungo Jerry claims they'd lost 23 million ($27 million) in royalties due to piracy.
Efforts to Combat Music Piracy in 2024The 2001 shutdown of Napsterpaved the way for other illegal music-sharing websites and platforms and highlighted the need for stronger copyright protections. Let's look at some of them now.
Copyright Laws & PrecedentsLaws like DCMA and EU Copyright Directive are significant initiatives in the fight against music piracy. Their purpose is to ensure that platforms take down copyright-infringing content by way of a special letter or notice.
In addition to the legislation, there have been numerous copyright lawsuits and legal cases combating music piracy. Here's a list of some of the most prolific ones:
- Metallica vs. Napster: This 2000-2001 case ultimately led to the bankruptcy and liquidation of Napster.
- Arista Records LLC vs. Lime Group LLC: The 2006-2011 case led to the shutdown of the popular P2P file-sharing software LimeWire.
- BMG vs. Cox Communications: The ISP Cox Communications lost the 2016 lawsuit because they didn't take action against copyright infringers. This highlighted the Internet providers' responsibility to do so.
Digital Rights Management systems (DRMs) are a means of control and management of access to copyrighted materials. Examples of that are digital watermarks, encryptions on files, and usage restrictions.
DRMs have been around for decades, and while they serve as a deterrent to illegal downloaders, they've been criticized for restricting fair use and infringing consumer rights.
Moreover, there are many tools out there that can bypass DRMs today.
Future Outlook & ChallengesIn the final section of this guide, we'd like to consider some future trends impacting music piracy.
Technological Advancements of PiracyThe advancement of streaming has had a significant impact on music piracy. On the one hand, its availability reduced the overall levels of piracy. On the other hand, it gave rise to the practice of piracy via stream ripping.
Indeed, technological advancements in the music industry give rise to other technological advancements in music piracy, like specially designed desktop and mobile software. Even torrenting is still around.
Therefore, it's safe to say that we should expect future technological advancements that will impact piracy in both positive and negative ways.
Legal ProtectionsWith ongoing tech advancements, copyright laws should also be advancing in the future to safeguard the works of music against illegal downloading.
While some countries have robust copyright protections in place, that's not the case for others.
However, given the global nature of music and streaming, such protections need to be in place everywhere to reduce piracy.
Picture generated with DALL-ESuch regulations, especially when harmonized, could help artists stay more competitive and ensure the music industry doesn't lose revenue.
AccessibilityA big reason for the growth of music piracy is the affordability and accessibility of streaming services (or lack thereof).
AlthoughApple Music andSpotify have low monthly fees and a largeportion of their content is available for free, not all regions have access to them, and not everyone can afford the fees.
Like this infographic? Feel free to use it on your website or blog, but please remember to give us creditAs you can see, some countries, like the UK and Sweden, pay the same fees for different streaming services. However, that's not the case everywhere.
For instance, Amazon Music Unlimited is more expensive in Estonia but cheaper in the US compared to other services. This issue of high price points can be a challenge for people from less affluent countries.
They may not want to pay higher fees or pay for three or more different services due to increased expenses or subscription fatigue.' This affordability challenge is a significant driver of music piracy in such countries.
Tuning OutIf you were an Internet user in the late 90s and early noughties, you undoubtedly came across Napster and LimeWire at least once. While they're not around anymore, their legacy in music piracy lives on.
As we reviewed the latest music piracy statistics worldwide, we saw that users' opinions on pirating music for personal use are very different, and these opinions influence music piracy statistics worldwide.
However, we also saw that most countries have at least some music piracy going on.
To addressmusic piracy in the coming years,we need robust legislative frameworks in place that complement reactive ones like the DMCA. We need to combatpiracy at its root.
Tech advancements in copyright protection must also keep up.
Click to Expand and View Sources- Piracy Statistics 2023 - Internet, Movie, and Music Piracy Facts (EnterpriseAppsToday)
- 2021 Muso Discover Piracy By Industry Data Review (Muso)
- Engaging with Music 2022 - Full Report (IFPI)
- IFPI Finds Music Listeners Are Adding Minutes Each Week, But Piracy Persists (Billboard)
- Engaging with Music 2023 - Full Report (IFPI)
- 2023 Piracy By Industry Data Review (Muso)
- Number of Visits to Music Piracy Sites Worldwide from 1st Quarter 2020 to 3rd Quarter 2021 (Statista)
- Young Music Fans Increasingly Turn to Music Piracy (Statista)
- Music Piracy Is Back in a Big Way - Especially From YouTube (Wired)
- Illegal Digital Music Consumption in The United Kingdom (UK) in 2012-2022 (Statista)
- Have You Done The Following With Music? (Statista)
- UK Study Finds a Sharp Increase in Online Music Infringers (Musically)
- Share of Internet Users Who Have Intentionally Used Illegal Sources to Access Media Content in Europe in 2022 By Country (Statista)
- Share of Young People Who Have Listened to Music Illegally in Europe in 2022 (Statista)
- Finland: To What Extent Do You Agree or Disagree with The Statement that It Is Acceptable to Obtain Online Content Illegally When It Is for Personal Use? (Statista)
- Attitudes Towards Online Piracy In Hungary 2023 (Statista)
- Ways in Which Indians Engage With Music in 2023 (Statista)
- Share of Media Piracy Users in South Korea as of September 2023, By Medium (Statista)
- Music Streaming Market Analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, Middle East And Africa - US, China, UK, Germany, Japan - Size and Forecast 2024-2028 (Technavio)
- Leading Countries for The Highest Number of Visits to Music Piracy Sites Worldwide in 3rd Quarter 2021 (Statista)
- Leading 10 Countries for The Highest Number of Visits to Piracy Sites Worldwide From 1st Quarter 2020 to 3rd Quarter 2021 (Statista)
- How Much Does Piracy Cost The Music Industry? - 8 Effects (Bytes Care)
- The True Cost of Sound Recording Piracy to The US Economy (Institute For Policy Innovation)
- Music Piracy and Its Effects on Demand, Supply, and Welfare (University Of Chicago Press Journals)
- Mungo Jerry Frontman Hopes New Anti-Piracy Tech Stops Artists Losing Out (The Guardian)
- Understanding Music Piracy and Its Impact on The Industry (Reptoir)
- 10 Popular Music Piracy Cases (Bytescare)
- Metallica vs. Napster: The Lawsuit that Redefined How We Listen to Music (Kerrang)
- Arista Records LLC v. Lime Group LLC: Another Win for The Record Companies in an Inducement Claim Against Lime Wire (Jolt Digest)
- BMG Rights Management v. Cox Communications (Loeb & Loeb)
- Everything You Need to Know About Digital Rights Management (DRM) (Medium)
- Global Music Piracy Statistics: $12.5 Billion Lost Annually, 95% Illegal Downloads (Gitnux)
- Music Piracy Statistics: Latest Data & Summary (WIFi Talents)
- How Advertiser-Supported Piracy Helps Fuel a Booming Multi-Billion (B) Dollar Illegal Market (Digital Citizens Alliance)
- US Music Piracy Statistics - Survey 2024 (Piano Dreamers)
- Global Online TV and Movie Revenue Lost Through Piracy From 2010 to 2022 (Statista)
- Global Music Piracy Statistics: $12.5 Billion Economic Losses Revealed (Worldmetrics)
- Music Streaming Costs Around The World (Startle)
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