Pirates, streamers, mixed tapes and non-downloaders: A typology of contemporary digital music consumption (legal and illegal)

The problem of music piracy has been well documented. Although much of the academic research and consequent industry reaction has focused on stopping such practices through fear/guilt appeals and legislative action it has done... [ view full abstract ]

The problem of music piracy has been well documented. Although much of the academic research and consequent industry reaction has focused on stopping such practices through fear/guilt appeals and legislative action it has done little to curb the problem. Recently, there has been cautious optimism, supported by early industry studies, that legal digital alternatives such as streaming services (e.g. Spotify) can help reduce piracy, indicating that a policy of participation rather than policing is the way forward. However, research is needed that incorporates such practices within the context of contemporary digital consumption and its increasingly complex environment. Following 37 in-depth qualitative interviews, four typologies (steadfast pirates, ex-downloaders/streamers, mixed tapes and non-downloaders) are identified based on their relationship with illegal forms of music consumption. Key themes (e.g. format of consumption, morality and identity investment) are made sense of within the typologies. The main contribution of this paper is the identification of ex-downloaders, a segment that has not attracted previous research, and the mixed tapes, a segment that provides a greater depth of knowledge to a literature that has previously framed music piracy in very black (legal) and white (illegal) terms.