Summary of The Shady Business of Music Leaks

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

The video explores the issue of leaked music and how it affects the music industry. Hackers can sell unreleased songs to fans for large sums of money, impacting an artist's album rollout and streaming numbers. Common techniques used by hackers include SIM swapping, hacking emails, stealing hard drives, and even catching producers or sound engineers who sell songs they know will never release. Despite increased efforts from artists and producers to prevent leaks, it is still impossible to avoid them entirely. Leaks are sold on platforms such as Discord or by individuals who sell them for easy cash, and taking down illegally shared music is difficult. While music leaks are illegal and not morally right, fans can still support their favorite artists in other ways.

• 00:00:00 In this section, the video discusses the issue of leaked music and how it affects the music industry. Leaked music is not a new phenomenon, but it has become almost impossible to avoid despite increased efforts from artists, producers, and engineers today. Hackers sell the leaked songs to fans for large amounts of money, which means more music for fans, but it is an artist's worst nightmare when their songs leak. Music can leak in several ways, one of which is through a technique called SIM swaps, where hackers gather personal information about an artist, convince customer service representatives to activate a new SIM card, and access an artist's entire phone. Music leaks can have a negative effect on artists and their management, as seen by Young Nudy, whose 172 songs leaked last December.
• 00:05:00 In this section, the video explains that unreleased music is not only obtained through Sim swaps but also by scammers hacking musicians' emails, stealing hard drives, exporting recording sessions from unused songs, and even catching producers or sound engineers who sell songs they know will never release. Leaked music is sold through group buys on Discord or by individuals who sell them off for easy cash. Scenarios like these often have a negative effect on artists' album rollouts, as seen with Trippy Red's recent album, which leaked weeks before it was scheduled to be out. The leaked song's popularity can also serve as a test run for the artist to determine how their audience responds to particular songs.
• 00:10:00 In this section, the video discusses the impact of leaked music on an artist's streaming numbers and the challenges of preventing leaks. Leaked music can adversely affect streaming numbers for an artist, as fans who listen to leaks do not count in the official streaming numbers. Despite the measures taken by artists and producers to prevent leaks, they are still impossible to prevent entirely. Leakers use different tactics, such as uploading unreleased music on streaming platforms under different artists' names. Difficulties in taking down illegally shared music also contribute to the rampant spread of leaks in the music industry today. While music leaks are illegal and not morally right, fans can still support their favorite artists in other ways.