Spotify says online piracy increases after music festivals

The streaming site says that festivals cause a spike in piracy — but not in streaming and digital sales.

In a report entitled “Adventures In The Netherlands”, Spotify makes the case that festivals increase demand for artists’ music, but that festival goers are content to preview festival acts through illegal channels.

“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.”

Additionally, the studies finds that artists who delay the Spotify release of their albums see higher piracy rates. The streaming service’s data suggests that delayed releases increase piracy rather than increasing sales, but obviously there is a conflict of interest inherent in the findings.

The report comes just a week after Atoms for Peace pulled their catalog from Spotify, igniting a conversation about the service’s pros and cons. [via TorrentFreak]

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