According to a recent European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) study, music piracy appears to be flattening across the EU in 2023, amid growing streaming adoption and anti-piracy efforts.

Key findings from the 2023 report:

• Overall piracy in the EU stabilized at 10.2 accesses per internet user per month
• Music piracy averaged only 0.6 accesses per user monthly
• Current music piracy rates are approximately 25% of 2017 levels

Most common music piracy methods in 2023:

• Stream-ripping (nearly 50% of illegal consumption)
• Direct downloading
• Illegal streaming
• Torrenting (smallest share)

Country-specific variations:

• Stream-ripping dominated in:
  • Denmark (63%)
  • Hungary (67%)
  • Greece and Slovenia (68%)
• Ireland showed different patterns:
  • 25% illegal streaming
  • 42% direct downloads

Notable trends:

• Mobile devices account for the majority of music piracy
• TV and music piracy showed slight increases from 2022 to 2023
• Overall piracy rates have remained relatively stable since 2021

The declining piracy rates correlate with increased accessibility of legal streaming services, with many platforms offering competitive pricing below €10.99 monthly and frequent promotional offers like three months of free premium service.

The full study spans over 100 pages and represents EUIPO's fourth comprehensive piracy analysis since 2019, covering various media types including music, film, and television across the European Union.

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