Music festivals are mainly responsible for increasing online music piracy, according to a new research from Spotify.
The latest research revealed that festivals boost demand for artists’ music, while that festival-goers mainly sample them via illegal channels.
The music streaming service reported that artists who delay their releases on streaming services would suffer more from piracy compared to those who directly release them.
Spotify also believes that artists who launch music to the streaming markets while also putting it on sale, also trim down risks of their music being pirated.
Spotify said in a statement that an analysis uncovered some examples of torrents spiking immediately after festival performances.
"Explanations for these spikes merits further study, but one intuitive driver is instant gratification," the music streaming service said
"Academics and policy makers who are researching this topic may want to consider other events such as awards and talent shows to see if similar spikes occur."
On the other hand a case study of a Dutch music festival finds that the rise in demand is limited to illegal channels.
However, Spotify reveals that there is no indication that artists’ who delay their launches on the streaming service experience huge music sales.