Music leak

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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.

Contents

Sources

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, either being leaked by the journalists themselves, or by individuals who gain unauthorized access to these advance copies. For example, the 2006 Joanna Newsom album Ys was leaked when a hacker gained access to an FTP server maintained by the online 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]

Distribution

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]

Reactions

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]

Prevalence

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]

Prevention

Copy Control logo, used on some CDs from 2001 to 2006 Copy control logo.png
Copy Control logo, used on some CDs from 2001 to 2006

Digital software

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]

Fake album releases

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]

Surprise or early releases

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]

Notable album leaks

AlbumArtistRelease dateDetails
Untouchables Korn June 11, 2002Leaked 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] As a result of the album's leak, the album's release date was moved forward by a month. [24]
Dangerously in Love Beyoncé June 24, 2003Multiple 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. [25]
X&Y Coldplay June 6, 2005Leaked a week before its official release, with an early recording of Talk leaked in early 2005. [26]
Guapa La Oreja de Van Gogh April 25, 2006Two 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, 2009Leaked 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]
Rebel Heart Madonna March 6, 2015Rebel Heart was originally planned for a Spring 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, [27] with an additional thirteen leaking on December 17. [28] 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. [29] 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. [30] In social media postings at the time, Madonna described the leaks as "artistic rape" and a form of terrorism. [31]
Yandhi Kanye West UnreleasedThe 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 . [32]
XCX World Charli XCX UnreleasedThe 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. [33]
Future Nostalgia Dua Lipa March 27, 2020The 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. [34]
Harry's House Harry Styles May 20, 2022Reportedly 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, [35] and provoked a strong reaction from a portion of Styles' fanbase, who pleaded for people to not to listen to the leaks. [36] Regardless, the album was released on its originally scheduled release date of May 20. [37] [38]
The Tortured Poets Department Taylor Swift April 19, 2024Leaked 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. Artist herself never commented on the leaks.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napster</span> On-line peer-to-peer file sharing software

Napster was a 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.

<i>Kid A</i> 2000 studio album by Radiohead

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital music store</span> Online retailer of audio files

A digital music store is a business that sells digital audio files of music recordings over the Internet. Customers gain ownership of a license to use the files, in contrast to a music streaming service, where they listen to recordings without gaining ownership. Customers pay either for each recording or on a subscription basis. Online music stores generally also offer partial streaming previews of songs, with some songs even available for full length listening. They typically show a picture of the album art or of the performer or band for each song. Some online music stores also sell recorded speech files, such as podcasts, and video files of movies.

In computer networks, download means to receive data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar systems. This contrasts with uploading, where data is sent to a remote server.

<i>The Lillywhite Sessions</i> 2001 studio album (bootleg) by Dave Matthews Band

The Lillywhite Sessions (tLWS) is a collection of songs recorded by Dave Matthews Band in 1999 and 2000 and produced by Steve Lillywhite. The songs, recorded by the band as a follow-up to their 1998 album Before These Crowded Streets, were ultimately scrapped by the band's label. Upon being forced by the label to abandon the album-in-progress, Dave Matthews was assigned to work with producer Glen Ballard who, in association with Matthews, wrote the album Everyday in just ten days. This contrasted with the band's prior style of writing, which included significant collaboration between the band members in the studio. The recordings later emerged on the Internet shortly after the release of Everyday, and created controversy among fans as well as the music industry, which was early in its campaign to curb illegal file downloads. The Lillywhite Sessions were never officially released, but most of the songs were later recorded for their 2002 album Busted Stuff.

Madster was a peer-to-peer file sharing service. It was released in Napster's wake in August 2000 and shut down in December 2002 as a result of a lawsuit by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.</i> US legal case

A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc., 239 F.3d 1004 was a landmark intellectual property case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that the defendant, peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster, could be held liable for contributory infringement and vicarious infringement of copyright. This was the first major case to address the application of copyright laws to peer-to-peer file sharing.

An internet leak is the unauthorized release of information over the internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such as books or albums. For example, a musical album is leaked if it has been made available to the public on the Internet before its official release date.

File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digital media, such as computer programs, multimedia, program files, documents or electronic books/magazines. It involves various legal aspects as it is often used to exchange data that is copyrighted or licensed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audiogalaxy</span> Music sharing service

Audiogalaxy was an Internet music service with three incarnations. From 1998 to 2002, it was a file sharing system that indexed MP3 files. From mid-2002 to mid-2010, it was a promotional website for the Rhapsody music subscription service. Finally, from mid-2010 through 2012, it was a personal audio place shifting service. Audiogalaxy ceased operations on January 31, 2013.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Stone (music industry executive)</span> Musical artist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music piracy</span> Copying and distribution of music without the consent of creators or copyright holders

Music piracy is the copying and distributing of recordings of a piece of music for which the rights owners did not give consent. In the contemporary legal environment, it is a form of copyright infringement, which may be either a civil wrong or a crime depending on jurisdiction. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw much controversy over the ethics of redistributing media content, how much production and distribution companies in the media were losing, and the very scope of what ought to be considered piracy – and cases involving the piracy of music were among the most frequently discussed in the debate.

"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 Drake, John Legend, The-Dream, 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.

Torrent poisoning is intentionally sharing corrupt data or data with misleading file names using the BitTorrent protocol. This practice of uploading fake torrents is sometimes carried out by anti-infringement organisations as an attempt to prevent the peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing of copyrighted content, and to gather the IP addresses of downloaders.

Metallica, et al. v. Napster, Inc. was a 2000 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California case that focused on copyright infringement, racketeering, and unlawful use of digital audio interface devices. Metallica vs. Napster, Inc. was the first case that involved an artist suing a peer-to-peer file sharing ("P2P") software company.

"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.

"Illuminati" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart (2015). It was written by Madonna Ciccone, Toby Gad, Maureen McDonald, Larry Griffin Jr., Mike Dean, Kanye West, Ernest Brown and Jacques Webster. The song was produced by Madonna, West, Dean and Symbolyc One, with co-production by Charlie Heat and additional production by Travis Scott. The song's demo was leaked to the internet in December 2014, with twelve other tracks from the album. Its final version was released on December 20, 2014, with five other tracks on the iTunes Store as "an early Christmas gift" to avoid further leaks. The song's demo version features dance synths and acoustic guitars; after showing the song to West, he felt connected to the song and changed it to a darker sound. The song was conceived after Madonna was accused of being a member of the Illuminati; she wanted to write a song about who they really are and what they are not.

<i>MiniDiscs (Hacked)</i> 2019 compilation album by Radiohead

MiniDiscs [Hacked] is a compilation of recordings made by the English rock band Radiohead while they were working on their 1997 album OK Computer. It comprises more than 16 hours of demos, rehearsals, live performances and other material.

References

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  13. 1 2 "REGARDING THE LEAK OF CONVERGE'S AXE TO FALL". MetalSucks. 2009-10-06. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
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