The bottom has fallen out of the music piracy market, and streaming is the answer. YouGov is a market research agency which surveyed British people and discovered the number of people pirating music had dropped by 18 per cent in five years and only one in ten people now pirate.

 

Why the fall? Because streaming is easier than pirating and provides much of what people are after. Those who still pirate told YouGov they do so when the music isn’t available to them on their usual service, e.g. Tidal exclusives.

 

Here’s YouGov’s statement:

 

“While illegal downloads still present a significant challenge to the music industry, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Our research reveals a change in behaviour, with those that previously attained music by unlawful means now being enticed by the low costs and ease of use associated with streaming. Simply put, many don’t feel they need to go to the same lengths to acquire the music they want, now they have it at their fingertips. Whether or not streaming is what finally banishes illegal downloads remains to be seen, but there are encouraging signs.”