Music Industry

The murky, illegal, hard-to-kill world of unauthorized online music sales

Buying digital music files online usually means a trip to iTunes. But there are sites that will also do business with you, except that they’re not authorized to sell you anything.

There’s Music Mafia, for one, a site that–well, just take a look.

Music Mafia first popped up a year ago, stock with music apparently supplied by hackers and people on the inside of the music industry.

Clicking around brings up lists of artists (Kanye, Coldplay, Drake, Beyonce and dozens of others) and links to unreleased material (included pre-release songs), and still-to-released music videos, all of which require cryptocurrency for purchase.

Naturally, artists, composers, publishers and other owners of the intellectual property get zip.

The RIAA, America’s music industry watchdog, is on the case. Let’s see how this unfolds.

More at Hypebot and TorrentFreak.

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38019 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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