What Is Music Torrent?
There may have been times where you have come across a website or link that allows you to download free music, such as your favorite artists’ new album or a popular song from an emerging independent artist. Many times, these recordings are normally accessible by accessing iTunes or another music streaming service that charges for each file to be downloaded. So, when visiting the website or viewing the link, you may ask yourself how is that file is available to you for free in this particular location, when otherwise you would have to pay.
Well, that is where a music torrent comes in.
A music torrent is a file that can be downloaded through a downloader in order to access the music file. The music file itself is compacted within a tracker so that the person downloading actually establishes a connection that then delivers a list of peers who are actively connected to the same tracker, accessing portions of the larger file. Each person downloading the file receives all of the pieces of data contained in the system from each other as opposed to receiving them directly from the system.
The website owner gets benefits from permitting torrents to be downloaded from their site is not only the increased traffic to their website, but it also saves bandwidth that would normally be required to host the file.
Is It Illegal To Download A Music Torrent?
When inquiring about the downloading of music torrent is illegal, but then again it is not. What would make downloading a music torrent valid would be if the file is not copywritten protected from redistribution. This could include music that is self-recorded or recorded by an individual party that is not associated with an entity claiming intellectual rights to the content. That could include artists who are not signed to a label or attempting to gain an independent status so they purposefully release the music file in order to brand and advertise their product and talents.
Another instance in which a downloaded music torrent would be valid is when the music is in the public domain, with the public endowed with the legal right to share the content. There are several ways in which the public is endowed with the rights to redistribute music, some are implied, others and explicitly expressed. It is incumbent upon the person uploading the torrent file to ensure that they are adhering to all of the federal, state and local laws as they pertain to music torrents.
Besides, music torrent is legal to be downloaded is if it is your own personal file, and it is being used for a private use. In this case, since no other persons are involved in any type of transfer of the file, then no one will question the legalities of whether the act of downloading the file is illegal. This even applies to large corporations like YouTube, Twitter or Social Media in which you may have uploaded or downloaded a file that was also posted on one of their sites.
But the reasons that would make the downloading of a music torrent file illegal would be when the music torrent is copyright protected and restricted from redistribution. Copyright is a form of intellectual property protection to prevents duplication or redistribution without explicitly expressed permission. Any music that is copyright protected cannot, or in this case should not be shared. Hence, downloading a torrent file of copyright protected music, that action is actually illegal.
Is It Safe to Download A Music Torrent File?
For the most part, downloading torrent files are safe, especially when they are downloaded from a popular and well-known website. The problems come in when a new site emerges that no one has heard of and their files are corrupt or contain malware.
In some cases, it is accidental that the file is infected by malware or corrupted. There are cases in which a file is corrupted during uploading due to missing files, partially coded data and files that did not transfer properly. Some software that process torrents may become corrupted from exposure or taking data from other files that are encrypted with the virus. Which means any file that the virus becomes attached to will carry and deliver that virus. In this situation, the file is unknowingly infected. Hence, when it is downloaded and the corrupted file is unpackaged on the computer, the malware is installed on the computer and may harm your computer.
In some other instances, it is a purposeful act of uploading a corrupt or malware file on behalf of the website owner. In some cases, the malware installs other programs on your computer. These files and programs can do bad things including stealing personal information, corrupting your files, and sometimes resulting in the hard drive crashing.
What is the Impact Of Music Torrent On Musicians?
The musician or composer who created the music that is available for download through a torrent experience varying impacts as a result of the redistribution. Although some of them are positive, the overall impact is negative.
Positive
In the wake of digital music, the music industry has suffered tremendously. Not only are albums sales on the rapid decline, most people acquire their music in digital format. This makes CDs and cassette tapes almost obsolete in demand. Even though having low sales of albums sold in stores is a bad sign for record labels in music executives, it is also a detriment for the artist who created the music in the first place. Not having albums sold where people can listen to their music, and even more, with a lack of interest from consumers and browsing through CDs and purchasing them like it used to be years ago, it is increasingly difficult for artists to circulate their music and acquire a listening audience.
An artist does not make any money from a music torrent file that is shared from peer to peer online, it does, however, expose their music to an underground world of hungry consumers who are specifically interested in their creative messages. The sharing of the files is not monetarily beneficial to the artist. However, it increases their reach and makes their music much more easily accessible.
Negative
As mentioned before, a musical artist does not gain any profits from the transferring of their music torrent files from one person to another. Not only does this action knots generate any profits for the position, it takes away their control from where and how the file is distributed. Even more, if the artist has not protected the music torrent file with copyright protections, then their artistic creation can be modified, altered and reclaimed by another individual with no legal recourse.
This means that a person who is the original creator of a artistic masterpiece that is then transformed into an illegal music torrent creator. Another person will take sole credit for the creation. Moreover, the music can be profitable to the new creator while leaving the original creator profitless.
How Can Music Be Pirated Without Getting Caught?
There are various programs available online that’s masked your Internet provider address so that you will not be able to be personally identified when you download a music torrent file. Software’s like Torrent VPN assist you with being able to download a file while remaining anonymous by encrypting all of your information that would identify you while hiding your IP address. Instead of showing your real IP address, the VPN server IP that is assigned to you is shown. Besides, that VPN server IP is used with all of your activity on the Internet so that the footprints that are left behind by you when surfing websites consistently show the same IP address.
If you download a music torrent file while using published torrent tracker, copyright holders will not be able to access or obtain the identifying information that would be needed in order to prove that you are illegally obtaining copyright protected music torrent files.
Even more, the VPN will also prevent you from suffering consequences by being recognized as downloading music torrent files from your Internet service provider. Not only will you not receive any warning messages or experience the throttling of your bandwidth, they will not have any information accumulated about you in reference to downloading any illegally obtained music tour files.
So, is it impossible to track your footprint if you download a music torrent?
The answer is no. Some tech savvy or the internet service provider still able to track you with advanced technologies.
How Are People Caught Downloading Music Torrents?
Interestingly enough, there are music torrent traps online that will catch you read handed when downloading a music torrent file. These traps work by using fake torrents that attract users to attempt to download a copyright protected file. When the fake music torrent is downloaded, the downloaded file is installed on the computer and collects the IP address of the connection and computer. It sends that information, along with additional information, back to the publisher.
Once the publisher possesses the IP address from your computer, then they contact your internet service provider. With the IP address being able to identify you specifically, that amounts to all the information that is needed in order to successfully plead their case against you. Not only to your internet service provider, but to the courts too.
What Happens If You Get Caught With A Torrent?
If the copyright holders are able to track your download, then they can file a lawsuit in court for copyright infringement. They can also submit their proof accumulated to the provider of your internet service and effectively deliver copyright alert notices that would inform you that your illegal activity as been discovered and reported.
Corporations such as Verizon and Comcast have partnered with copyright holders in order to ensure that their internet subscribers do not involve themselves in the redistribution or downloading of copyright protected music torrent files. Their partnership also ensures that if a subscriber is discovered to have had infringed upon the privacy rights of a musician, that the corporation will swiftly take action with determination and attempt to remedy the impacts of such redistribution, which includes the restriction against you and providing evidence that would support a lawsuit against you as evidence.