Music piracy is rapidly changing––both in the methods used, and the platforms engaged to pirate that content. Most music piracy today is being done through smartphones, as compared to the past, when desktops were the main culprits. The issue of music piracy is a multifaceted one, and there is more to this problem than simply changing to a portable device.

A research carried out MusicWatch discovered that over 50 million Americans were actively participating in music piracy. One thing that stood out from those results is how pirating was being carried. Rather than using torrent sites like Pirate Bay, more people are now stream-ripping directly from YouTube. Other web-based piracy tools include MP3 download sites and also storage lockers. All of these different kinds of piracy are being carried out on smartphones rather than desktops as people continue spending more time on their better-connected and more powerful handsets.

The data from the latest music piracy research shows that smartphones are now responsible for approximately 30% of all music piracy. This indicates that the future of piracy is going to be largely from smartphones. Part of the reason for this shift is simple convenience––a user always has their smartphone with them, while a laptop or desktop is usually not. Music piracy is also rising alongside other types of piracy, such as live streaming. Both the devices and the platforms are driving the continuous growth.

So most of the stream-ripping is being done through mobile devices, and especially through YouTube. Smartphone piracy has overtaken grown by over 45% in the last year alone. More and more users are turning towards mobile-driven piracy. In 2015 there were more than 40 billion visitors to pirate sites. Clearly piracy is a big problem––a very big problem.

In terms of accessibility, ripping is easier than torrents. As mobile phones continue to offer the convenience of music streaming through legitimate services like Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal, ripping has fecund soil in which to flourish. Perhaps this is the best time to start thinking about developing a mobile-focused piracy app. As more and more piracy opportunities pop up, and consumers continuously seek access to cheaper media, the issue becomes something that makes all copyright owners nervous. Very nervous.