Illegal Download Scene to Remain a Challenge
Illegal downloads have always been a problem for the paid digital content market. A recent survey by the European Commission shows that nearly 70% of all consumers who watch movies download video files illegally. The most common reasons behind this trend are the high price of cinema tickets and DVDs and early availability. Not much different is the case with illegal music downloads. Since is many countries digital content, be it illegal or not, is often described by the law as a type of information, limiting its distribution could even be defined as a crime. Therefore, until this Catch 22 remains open, so will the illegal downloading increase.
Streaming – A Rising Threat
But online pirating is not the biggest threat that will challenge the future of digital downloads. Streaming services have started to overtake digital sales, eating up their market share. Again, according to Nielsen SoundScan, digital album sales see a stable market performance. However, streaming music platforms like YouTube, Spotify and Rhapsody, registered an increase of over 30% in just one year. In addition, when Sony announced its streaming gaming service PlayStation Now, the shares of the biggest gaming retailer immediately plunged.
Although streaming might to lead to the fall of digital downloads, the way digital content started taking the place of physical books, music albums and DVDs, consumers are not expected to adopt the new trend overnight. Even if that was possible, digital downloads will still have their advantages over streaming, which guarantees them a future.
