In 2024, technology improved so much that we can’t imagine our lives without it. It has made our lives so much more fun and provided us with an infinite amount of content. We can now listen to every song ever recorded. And also watch movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos. The best part is that everything is just one click away. We can do it all from the comfort of our bed, on the laptop, or smartphone. We live in an instant world that now works completely different in comparison to a few decades ago. The technology era enabled so many people to create new jobs and live amazing lives. It provided plenty of platforms for artists to upload their music and find their way to the audience.
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If we want to talk about the bad sides of fast technology development, there is one obvious thing. Piracy became very present in the online world. Piracy was not that common in the past. It required a lot of steps and effort. If you want to download a song illegally, you didn’t have many options, and you had to put in the work to do so. And today everything is different, barriers have been torn down and it is easier than ever to download the pirated content. Although many platforms that offered illegal content were shut down, there are still plenty of them out there. Of course, this is a problem for audio content creators, because they lose their profit due to piracy. It is not fair, but it is a common thing in these modern times. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep fighting to prevent this from happening in the future. And there are many smart ways to detect and stop audio piracy in 2024. Here are some of them:
1. Stimulating people to use the original content instead of pirated versions
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The most logical thing that can be done to prevent illegal downloads is to stimulate people to buy the original content. How to do it? There is more than one way to achieve this, but the first one is adjusting the price. One of the biggest reasons why people choose pirated content is because the price of the original one is unattainable to them. That doesn’t mean you should lower down your prices completely. You are supposed to earn from your work, and that is fine. But you should try making them reasonable for most people. If they see they can get fantastic content at good prices, most likely they will go for it. And forget about the pirate version. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll succeed to exterminate illegal content, but at least you’ll discourage some people to download it. One more thing to have in your mind is that money is not the only significant factor here. People appreciate good interface and overall experience with audio platforms. If you can get them interested in your platform and make them like it, it is more likely they will stick to it and get back again in the future.
2. Educating people that piracy is illegal and morally wrong
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It is a fact that many people are downloading piracy content because they do not see anything wrong with it. And maybe everyone in their surroundings is doing it, so they never thought it through. That’s why another good way to fight piracy is to make campaigns and educate people. Consumers need to understand that piracy is both illegal and morally wrong. Maybe they don’t feel they’re making a crime by downloading their favorite song from a pirate platform, but that’s exactly the case. Although it is easier and free for them, it costs someone else, and that should be pointed out to them. Many people would be interested in supporting creators, but they are not aware they are harming them by downloading illegal content. Raising awareness about this topic can change a lot. People can become more considerate and stop using pirate audio content.
3. Track your copyrighted material and detect its illegal use
There are many ways you can detect your copyrighted material is being used for illegal purposes. For example, Intrasonics provides audio content recognition technology. They offer a forensic watermarking solution that enables tracking and tracing illegal use of copyrighted material. Detecting that your content is being used for illegal purposes is a vital first step for preventing piracy. Once you understand how your copyrighted audio material is used, you can make a strategic plan to stop illegal downloads. Having a big picture is always a good idea, and it can help you with choosing your future actions.
4. Cleansing the accidental piracy over the web
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In many cases, piracy is accidental. People are exchanging and distributing audio content without being aware that they are making a crime and doing something illegal. To prevent this from happening, it is important to put a bigger focus on the education we mentioned before. But when accidental piracy has already happened, it is vital to do something about it. That’s why making planned cleansing operations should be a must for the industry. Social media and endless amounts of platforms are making this harder, but it is not unattainable. Labels are more than important these days when plenty of platforms are offering to their users to share and promote their audio content. Using watermarking enables tracking of the original content and preventing illegal uses. Only planned, strategic actions can make piracy the past.
5. Block websites that offer illegal content
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In some cases, it is possible for original content creators to directly do something about the platforms that offer illegal content. For example, they can work with individual Internet Service Providers and block websites that offer pirate content. And as a consequence, users won’t longer have access to it. There are a few ways to do that, and one of them is to block the domain name server. This is another option that can be used in critical situations.
Conclusion: Technology has significantly improved in the past few decades, and made many things more available to us. Unfortunately, the bad sides of technology exist too, and one of them is more and more common pirate content. There are many ways audio content creators can detect their material is used for illegal purposes, and they can fight against it in many ways too. The most important thing is to educate people about piracy is a crime and morally wrong, and try to raise awareness among the population.
