The recorded music industry has scored another win in shutting down stream-ripping sites. German based operation Convert2MP3, which reportedly generated 684 million visits over the past year, has been closed thanks to a joint effort by the IFPI and local trade group BVMI. Continue Reading
Digital music distributor DistroKid has entered a deal aimed at curbing unauthorized streaming. DistroKid signed an agreement with Audible Magic and will use its new partner’s RightsRxTM solution to check the authenticity of all uploads by its artists. DistroKid is furthering its internal tools for stopping piracy. Continue Reading
MusicWatch has released its new annual study into piracy in the United States, and found that stream-ripping remains a major issue in the country. The report estimated that the U.S. had 17 million stream-rippers in 2018, a rise from 15 million in 2017. Continue Reading
The RIAA has been doggedly continuing its legal fight against piracy, and has made progress in identifying the operators of stream-ripping sites. The trade group recently collaborated with Music Canada and the IFPI to force illegal file-hosting service DBR.ee offline. Continue Reading
Muso, a piracy tracking startup, has raised £3.5 million. The move is an extension of a Series A round worth £2.5 million with Harwell Capital in 2017. The new financing will support expansions of Muso’s sales and marketing efforts. It will also grow the company’s footholds in digital media, gaming, and live broadcasting. Continue Reading
Muso has released its latest piracy statistics for 2018. Its new report found that piracy websites attracted 189 billion visits last year, down from 300 billion visits in 2017. Those totals include illegal access of all forms of entertainment. Continue Reading
A German court has issued a ruling against a stream-ripping site. ZeeZee sought out user-requested tracks in online radio streams and then made copies of those songs available for download. Universal Music Group brought a lawsuit against ZeeZee in 2014 and successfully won an injunction against the site from Regional Court of Hamburg. The same decision was reached by the Appeal Court of Hamburg following an appeal from ZeeZee earlier this month. Continue Reading
YouTube paid more than $1.8 billion in ad revenue to rightsholders in the music industry from October 2017 to September 2018. According to the How Google Fights Piracy report, that figure brings YouTube’s total music industry payments to more than $6 billion in ad revenues. Continue Reading
Stream-ripping remains a top concern in music piracy, and several labels joined forces for a legal fight against the practice. Stream-ripping involves making an illegal copy off of legally accessed digital media. YouTube videos are a common source of this type of pirated material. Continue Reading
Music piracy in the UK is on the decline thanks to the easy access and availability of streaming services. That’s the takeaway from a new report from YouGov, which found that just one in 10 people in the UK are using illegal downloads. Continue Reading
Piracy isn’t always listeners’ first choice for how they consume entertainment, and pirates aren’t always averse to paying for content. That’s the top takeaway from new data by piracy specialist MUSO. Continue Reading
Muso has released its Global Piracy Report for 2017, and it shows a mixed bag for the state of fighting illegal access to music. It was the second-largest piracy segment behind television. Music piracy specifically increased 14.7% from 2016, with 73.9 billion visits worldwide to music piracy websites. Continue Reading