Spotify claim festivals cause a spike in music piracy

According to streaming site Spotify, piracy of music seems to suspiciously increase after major festivals – without leaving a similar imprint in streaming and digital sales.

In the recent report ‘Adventures In The Netherlands’, the company suggests that festivals heighten demand for music and that festival-goers are then previewing acts through illegal channels before deciding whether or not to buy.

“What is surprising is that our analysis uncovered some examples of torrents spiking immediately after festival performances,” Spotify finds. “Explanations for these spikes merits further study, but one intuitive driver is instant gratification. Academics and policy makers who are researching this topic may want to consider other events such as awards and talent shows to see if similar spikes occur.”

Studies also find that artists who push back the Spotify release of their albums see higher piracy rates. The streaming service’s data makes the case that delayed releases increase piracy rather than increasing sales. Obviously, the accuracy of this data is questionable because of the conflict of interest.

The report comes just a week after Atoms for Peace pulled their catalogue from Spotify which sparked a debate on the streaming site’s pros and cons.