4 Reasons Why Streaming Services Are Killing Music Piracy

A new report by market research and data analytics firm YouGov revealed that more Britons are streaming music today than downloading music illegally. According to YouGov’s music report, the rise of music-streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have diminished the amount of piracy among listeners, with 63 percent of people saying that they expect to fully stop downloading music illegally within the next five years.

Many survey participants mentioned the fact that it is easier to stream music than to resort to “pirating” as the main reason they decided to make the change. Furthermore, many didn't feel the need to go through the trouble of downloading music illegally when there is a much easier alternative at their disposal.

“Spotify has everything from new releases to old songs, it filled the vacuum, there was no longer a need for using unverified sources” said an anonymous participant.

Streaming services are helping the industry evolve and ironically the oft-maligned platform is helping eradicate piracy when many expected it to do the opposite. As a record collector myself, it pains me to hear that people don’t buy physical records anymore and it is even harder for me to admit that streaming services are much more convenient. Vinyl may be making a comeback as of late but it is hard to argue about how cheap it is to pay for a streaming service and the sheer amount of music that you get to enjoy in return. Now, nothing beats playing your favorite records on a record player but I will say this, you won’t be able to carry that record player on your way to work or when you are trying to exercise.

Music-streaming platforms are here to stay and if you are looking for a reason why you should support and subscribe to any of them, continue reading to learn 5 reasons why music piracy is dead.

4 No More Viruses!

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Those old enough to remember downloading music on file sharing websites like Limewire may recall being ultra-vulnerable to viruses. With music streaming platforms, that is genuinely a thing of the past. File sharing websites made it way too easy for anyone to be able to distribute a virus, but music streaming services eliminate that threat 100 percent.

3 Discovering New Artists Is Much Easier

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Just like generations before discovered new artists thanks to crate digging in record stores, music-streaming platforms have allowed people to do the same but in a different way. Through new release features and playlists, listeners are exposed to new sounds from artists they would probably never stumble across. These platforms have also become very adept at making recommendations based on what you have been listening to, so there is a good chance that you will enjoy what your streaming service is suggesting you to hear.

2 Music Is Much More Accessible

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Thanks to streaming sites like Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music, anything you want to hear is just one search away. Listeners don’t have to worry about downloading full records or searching for a good quality MP3 version of their favorite songs anymore. Don’t have space on your hard drive? Don’t worry about that either, all the music you want to listen to is available wherever and whenever you want it.

1 You're Supporting Your Favorite Artists

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Many people don’t think twice about downloading music illegally but with cheap subscriptions and the amount of music available, there is really no need for that anymore. At least by paying your subscription you know you are getting good quality music and that some of that money will go to the artists and their respective companies allowing the industry to thrive. It's a win-win-win.