Digital Piracy Explodes During COVID Lockdown

A new study from UK based MUSO shows an unprecedented explosion in digital piracy during the coronavirus lockdown

Film was the focus of most of MUSO’s research, but music is far from immune.

Comparing the last week of March when lockdown began in earnest to the last week of February 2020,  MUSO saw film piracy increase 41% in the USA, 43% in the UK, 50% in Spain, 62% in India and 66% in Italy.

“These numbers would seem to confirm that it has never been easier to view content illegally and people have never been more relaxed about doing,” said MUSO.

Is music immune?

With almost every track ever released available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, et all, it might be. But while Netflix is not Spotify, it would certainly seem to offer users enough content to keep most users busy during lockdown.

As the numbers show, apparently not.

“Much depends on the availability of a vaccine or cure, and that is sadly, for now at least, unknowable,” says MUSO CEO Andy Chatterley. “What we do know however is that millions, if not billions, of people’s economic situation has been dramatically altered and the ramifications of this will have a direct effect on consumption. The signs are already there across every sector and companies are playing catch up on a daily basis with fast-moving changes in consumer behaviour.”