A music leak is an unauthorized release of music over the internet. Songs or albums may leak days or months before their scheduled release date. In other cases, the leaked material may be demos or scrapped work never intended for public release. Leaks often originate from hackers who gain unauthorized access to the online storage of an artist, label, producer, or journalist.
Unreleased music is often acquired by hackers who gain unauthorized access to the e-mail or cloud storage accounts of artists, producers or record labels. [1] Some leaks originate from advance copies sent to journalists, and are leaked by the journalists or by individuals with unauthorized access. For example, the 2006 Joanna Newsom album Ys was leaked when a hacker gained access to an FTP server maintained by the music publication Pitchfork . [2] In 2015, a server controlled by the music website Spin was hacked, resulting in the leaking of albums by Beach House, Mac DeMarco, and Destroyer . [1] It has been alleged that some record labels intentionally stage leaks to create publicity. [3]
During the 1990s, leaked music was occasionally shared on the internet, despite relatively slow transmission speeds and music codecs being in their infancy. One of the first albums to leak on the internet was Depeche Mode's 1993 album Songs of Faith and Devotion , which was shared by fans in chat rooms. [2]
In the early 2000s, peer-to-peer file sharing sites such as Napster were widely used not only for musical piracy, but also for the distribution of leaked music. The landmark copyright lawsuit Metallica v. Napster, Inc. centered on the leak of a demo recording of the Metallica song "I Disappear", which was planned to be released as part of the soundtrack to Mission: Impossible II. The leaked demo, which made its way onto radio airplay, was traced to Napster. [2]
As peer-to-peer file sharing services declined in popularity, other channels have been used for the distribution of leaked music, such as BitTorrent and "File hosting" services such as MediaFire. [2]
When a song or album leaks ahead of its scheduled release date, record labels often react by moving the release earlier, a process which became simpler as music has shifted from physical to mostly digital distribution. [4] An early example of this was Eminem's 2002 album The Eminem Show . Originally scheduled for June, its release date was moved to May 28 after the album leaked that month. [2]
The effect of leaks on sales or popularity is unclear. [3] In 2000, the album Kid A, by the English rock band Radiohead, was leaked online and shared on the peer-to-peer service Napster. Asked whether he believed Napster had damaged sales, the Capitol president Ray Lott likened the situation to unfounded concern about home taping in the 1980s. [5] In some cases, a leak may precipitate an official release for materials not planned for release. For example, in 2019, Radiohead released MiniDiscs [Hacked] , an archive of recordings made around the recording of their 1997 album OK Computer , after a hacker leaked them online. [6]
Labels may attempt to stop or slow the spread of leaked files by issuing DMCA takedown notices to websites hosting leaked material, or search engines which index these sites. [3]
Album leaks have become increasingly common, with some record executives stating that, beginning in the late 2000s, most albums leak "as a matter of course", though many of these leaks occur shortly before the album's scheduled release and therefore have relatively little effect. [3] When Watch the Throne , a 2011 collaboration between rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, was released without being preceded by any leaks, this was noted as an unusual circumstance for a highly anticipated album in the Internet age. [7] [8]
Copy protection software has been used on CD releases to prevent the unauthorised distribution of music onto online sites. A notable example of this was the Copy Control system, a digital rights management software system used on around 22 million CDs from 2001 to 2006, which was discontinued in the wake of its supposed use as a rootkit in the Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal. [9] [10] [11]
Digital watermarks, typically used on CD advance copies have allowed leaks to be traced to their original source, are used to deter would-be leakers as it allows them to face legal action. [3] [12] While the source of a leak is not usually announced, it has been in the past; an example of this was with the 2009 Converge album Axe to Fall , where the band publicly named and shamed Shaun Hand at MetalSucks.net, whom the album leak had been traced back to using a digital watermark on a CD advance copy. This can be used to create viral negative publicity. [13] [14] [15]
Prior to the release of her 2003 album American Life , Madonna planted files on file sharing websites purporting to be leaked tracks from the album; in fact, the audio files consisted of Madonna saying: "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" [16] Progressive metal band Tool also announced a fake album called "Systema Encéphale" with a fake tracklist in order to deter and detract from leaks of their 2001 album Lateralus . [17] [18]
The rise in leaks during the 2000s led to some popular recording artists surprise-releasing their albums. [19] Some artists have released their albums early in order to deter leaking, for example Greg Puciato's 2020 solo album Child Soldier: Creator of God , which was released three weeks earlier than its planned release date in response to a leak. [20] [21]
Album | Artist | Release date | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Untouchables | Korn | June 11, 2002 | Leaked in a slightly unfinished format four months before the album's planned release. The band said the leak originated from a hacker stealing files from James Shaffer's laptop, [22] though it has also been suggested the band's vocalist Johnathan Davis intentionally leaked the album due to a spat between the band and their record label, Epic Records. [23] The album's release date was moved forward a month. [24] |
Hail to the Thief | Radiohead | June 9, 2003 | An unfinished version of Hail to the Thief, comprising rough edits and unmixed songs, leaked online ten weeks before release. [25] The guitarist Jonny Greenwood wrote that Radiohead were "pissed off", not with downloaders but because of the "sloppy" release of unfinished work. [26] [27] |
Dangerously in Love | Beyoncé | June 24, 2003 | Multiple songs from Beyoncé's debut solo album leaked online, leading to the sale of physical bootleg CDs. The album's release date was moved forward two weeks as a result. [28] |
X&Y | Coldplay | June 6, 2005 | Leaked a week before its official release, with an early recording of Talk leaked in early 2005. [29] |
Guapa | La Oreja de Van Gogh | April 25, 2006 | Two days before its official premiere, the telephone company Movistar offered a Sony Ericson phone with the 13 tracks from the album and the video of the first single preloaded in the phone, causing the album to already be pirated before its official release. |
Axe to Fall | Converge | October 20, 2009 | Leaked from an CD advance copy from MetalSucks.net staff member Shaun Hand. The band traced the leak to him, and publicly named and shamed him on Twitter, prompting an apology from MetalSucks. [13] [14] [15] |
4 | Beyoncé | June 28, 2011 | 4 was originally scheduled to be in the United States on June 28, 2011, however, the album was leaked in full on the internet on June 7. [30] The album would be released on schedule anyway. In August 2013, NME reported that Sony Music were suing a 47-year-old man from Gothenburg for US$233,000 concerning the leak of 4. [31] |
Rebel Heart | Madonna | March 6, 2015 | Rebel Heart was originally planned for an early 2015 release, with the lead single, "Living for Love", to be released on Valentine's Day. Two tracks from the album leaked on the internet on November 28, 2014, [32] with an additional thirteen leaking on December 17. [33] In response to the leaks, Madonna made the album available to pre-order on the iTunes Store on December 20 and gave those who pre-ordered early access to six tracks from the album. The lead single "Living for Love" was rush-released on the same date, far ahead of its planned release date. [34] On January 21, 2015, an Israeli man believed to have originally acquired the leaked tracks via hacking was arrested. He was ultimately sentenced to fourteen months in a Tel Aviv prison. [35] In social media postings at the time, Madonna described the leaks as "artistic rape" and a form of terrorism. [36] |
Yandhi | Kanye West | Unreleased | The album was originally teased in September 2018, with a release on the 29th of that month. West went on SNL to promote the album, but it didn't release on that date. Yandhi was reannounced as Jesus Is King in August 2019; it was released on October 25, 2019. The album's tracks would go on to leak, and one track "Hurricane" made it to 2021's Donda . [37] |
XCX World | Charli XCX | Unreleased | The original third studio album by Charli XCX, unofficially referred to as XCX World by fans, would have been preceded by the singles, "After the Afterparty" and "Boys". The album's official release was cancelled after it leaked on 20 August 2017. Charli released a different album, Charli , in 2019. [38] |
MiniDiscs [Hacked] | Radiohead | 11 June, 2019 | More than 16 hours of demos, rehearsals, live performances and other material recorded while Radiohead were working on their 1997 album OK Computer leaked in June 2019. [39] According to some reports, a bootleg collector demanded a ransom from Radiohead, but he denied this and it was not corroborated by fans who negotiated with him. [6] After the recordings leaked, Radiohead released them through the music sharing site Bandcamp. [40] |
Future Nostalgia | Dua Lipa | March 27, 2020 | The album leaked in full over the weekend of 21–22 March. Lipa subsequently announced over Instagram live that it would be released a week ahead of its originally scheduled April release. [41] |
Harry's House | Harry Styles | May 20, 2022 | Reportedly leaked in its entirety on April 20, 2022, a month before its release. Sony Music, who owns Columbia Records, advised against listening to the leaks on Twitter, [42] and provoked a strong reaction from a portion of Styles' fanbase, who pleaded for people to not to listen to the leaks. [43] Regardless, the album was released on its originally scheduled release date of May 20. [44] [45] |
Renaissance | Beyoncé | July 29, 2022 | Two days before the scheduled release, on July 27, the album arrived in retailers in France and eventually leaked online. [46] Beyoncé would post an open letter onto her website the following day concerning the leaks. |
A Great Chaos | Ken Carson | October 13, 2023 | Leaked in full after several songs were shared on a Discord server on October 9, 2023, four days before the album's official release date. Carson never commented on the leaks, though stated earlier that year on Twitter that "leaking songs can get you gone". [47] |
The Tortured Poets Department | Taylor Swift | April 19, 2024 | Leaked in full on April 16, 2024, three days before the album's official release date. Fans on Twitter (or X) had mixed reactions, ranging from shock to rage. Swift never commented on the leaks. |
Clancy | Twenty One Pilots | May 24, 2024 | Leaked in full on May 17, 2024, which was the album's originally planned release date before being delayed by a week due to the band finishing the album's music videos. Many stores mistakenly sold CD and vinyl copies of the album on the original release date, leading to it leaking online the same day. Tyler Joseph later joked about the leak on a live stream in which he and bandmate Josh Dun premiered the album's music videos. [48] |
Napster was an American peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing application primarily associated with digital audio file distribution. Founded by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, the platform originally launched on June 1, 1999. Audio shared on the service was typically encoded in the MP3 format. As the software became popular, the company encountered legal difficulties over copyright infringement. Napster ceased operations in 2001 after losing multiple lawsuits and filed for bankruptcy in June 2002.
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Departing from their earlier sound, Radiohead incorporated influences from electronic music, krautrock, jazz and 20th-century classical music, with a wider range of instruments and effects. The singer, Thom Yorke, wrote impersonal and abstract lyrics, cutting up phrases and assembling them at random.
Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released under Radiohead's record contract with EMI, the parent company of Parlophone and Capitol.
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.
Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. Rolling Stone described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.
Ye is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. One of the most prominent figures in hip hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums including Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), was met with critical acclaim and yielded the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He peaked the chart on four other occasions with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T.", and "Carnival" (2024).
The English rock band Radiohead have released nine studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, one remix album, nine video albums, seven EPs, 32 singles, and 48 music videos. Their debut album, Pablo Honey, released in February 1993, reached number 22 in the UK, receiving platinum certifications in the UK and US. Their debut single, "Creep", remains their most successful, entering the top 10 in several countries. Their second album, The Bends, released in March 1995, reached number four in the UK and is certified triple platinum.
"Nude" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released in March 2008 as the second single from their seventh studio album, In Rainbows (2007).
"Lift" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released in 2017. It was first performed in 1996; bootleg recordings were widely circulated, and it became a fan favourite. Radiohead recorded versions of "Lift" during the sessions for their third album, OK Computer (1997), but abandoned it. Members of Radiohead said they had felt pressured by its commercial potential, and that it did not represent what they wanted to say at the time.
"Beat Goes On" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna for her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008). The song features American rapper Kanye West and background vocals by Pharrell Williams. It was co-written by West in collaboration with its producers, Madonna and The Neptunes. The song was leaked in August 2007, featuring only Williams and different lyrics than the album's version, which was released a year later, having additional vocals by West. "Beat Goes On" is a disco song with hip-hop influences, featuring instrumentation from bells, handclaps and whistles.
What.CD was a private, invitation-only music BitTorrent tracker and community launched in 2007. The site was shut down on 17 November 2016, after French authorities seized the site's servers.
"All of the Lights" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). It was produced by West and features additional vocals from several other recording artists, including John Legend, The-Dream, Drake, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Elton John, Ryan Leslie, Charlie Wilson, Tony Williams, La Roux, Alvin Fields, Ken Lewis, Kid Cudi, and Rihanna; the latter two are credited on the official music video and single version, but not on the album version. It is often played along with its accompanying interlude "All of the Lights (Interlude)", which precedes the song on the album's tracklist.
"True Love Waits" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. Radiohead worked on it for over two decades before releasing it on their ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).
"Wash All Over Me" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). The song is a pop ballad that makes use of a "baroque piano" over a "contemplative melody". Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the song with Avicii, Mike Dean and Kanye West; additional writers include Arash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll, Vincent Pontare and Tommy Brown, with Charlie Heat serving as a co-producer.
Rebel Heart is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released by Interscope Records on March 6, 2015. She worked on the album throughout 2014, co-writing and co-producing it with various musicians, including Diplo, Avicii and Kanye West. The album also features guest vocals by boxer Mike Tyson and rappers Nicki Minaj, Nas and Chance the Rapper.
"Bitch I'm Madonna" is a song by American singer Madonna from her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015), featuring guest vocals from rapper Nicki Minaj. The artists co-wrote the song with MoZella, Toby Gad, Ariel Rechtshaid, Diplo, and Sophie. It was released as the third single from the album by Interscope Records on June 15, 2015, along with a number of remixes commissioned. Produced by Madonna and Diplo, it is an EDM song with lyrics about Madonna having continuous fun because she is Madonna.
"New Body" is an unreleased song by American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign. Originally recorded in 2018, it first contained a guest appearance by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. Lyrically, the song debunks body shaming and the stigma surrounding plastic surgery; portions of West's lyrics are unintelligible. It was originally slated for inclusion on West's album Yandhi in late 2018, which was never released. A reworked version of the song featuring Christian-themed lyrics was later previewed at listening parties and subsequently leaked. It was this time intended for West's ninth studio album Jesus Is King (2019), from which it was also excluded due to creative differences by West and Minaj. In June 2020, Minaj expressed interest in releasing the song after it became viral on TikTok.
MiniDiscs [Hacked] is a compilation album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in 2019. It comprises more than 16 hours of demos, rehearsals, live performances and other material recorded while Radiohead were working on their 1997 album OK Computer.
A surprise album or surprise release is an album or single with little or no prior announcement, marketing or promotion. The strategy contrasts traditional album releases, which typically feature weeks or months of advertising in the form of singles, music videos, tour announcements and album pre-sales. Often, the release of a surprise album is the formal announcement of its release. This strategy developed in part due to the prevalence of album leaks on the Internet during the 2000s and became popular by the mid-2010s among high-profile recording acts.