In 2020, torrents and peer-to-peer file-sharing programs are no longer as popular, it's easy to assume everyone switched to streaming, however; what if the industry overlooked something important?
Kyle Keith, Ascendents Corporation founder/president and lead singer-songwriter/electric guitarist from The Ascendents rock band, mentions how the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected industry artists -- when normally musicians everywhere could be generating income from live events/touring, currently it is not happening legally, causing skilled music artists whose careers rely on the music industry to struggle even harder for survival, greater hindering culture/society's ability to create art.
Discovering artist music downloads being leaked/offered for free by a trusted distribution partner (as if the work is worthless) is disappointing, because of a consensus that these mainstream distribution partners had a similar business model of generating income for artists all around the world.
Perhaps this alternate server interfaces with their main servers, while removing undeniable connections back to their business, because if the backdoor website is simply a hack by another third-party and the site name is a coincidence, then why would the real company allow it to continue, maybe they aren't watching their Google results?
Try this!
Verify the existence of the download site for yourself! (For information purpose only, not for illegally downloading music)
1. Google search for: qq music search
2. Navigate to download site
3. Search for a song
4. Press the download button
More information
It's easy to wonder how many random internet users have found their way to the download site, the streaming service is said to have half a billion listeners.
Use this calculator to estimate potential lost music revenue.
i.e. 20,000,000 users * 50 songs each * $0.99 per song = $990 million dollars per period
Music from all major distributors have been found on the site, escalating this for public discussion.
It isn't a regular customer support issue -- they didn't acknowledge the free downloads and simply said, "QQ Music is a streaming site. There shouldn't be any "downloads" happening." -- exactly!
If they want a license to provide free downloads, they need to meter the downloads and pay artists $0.99 a song (like the other music sites), otherwise it is outside of their music agreement to offer downloads -- again as support said, "(it) is a streaming site. There shouldn't be any downloads happening."
Is there an additional agreement allowing them to innocently give away all the copyrighted music, or are they out of bounds in doing so, because the site is real, like it or not. Why is that search result even allowed on Google?
Revenue continues to be lost, remaining in the hands of those who devalue the music. Ignoring reality, sweeping it under the rug, and staying in a bubble only allows it to persist. Many artists who have chosen to distribute to them likely assumed their distributor continually does proper due diligence, screening practices for business partners, domestic and international, not just blindly following the competition. Are they a music-laundering knock-off or are they a real and reputable music distribution partner?
Kyle Keith, founder of the Ascendents™ brand companies, the band's original singer-songwriter/performing artist, is also the head editor/reporter for Ascendents.net News. He has a master's degree in business administration concentrating on leadership, organization, management, and strategic coordination of top technology companies and governments, plus changing roles for modern global business and consumer markets such as retail and the music/entertainment industries.
