# Musician says illegal downloads beat Spotify

A musician publicly stated in 2011 a preference for illegal downloading over using Spotify, citing concerns about artist compensation. The comment reflects ongoing debates about how streaming services pay musicians compared to piracy.

**Importance:** 2/5

## Sources

### Technology
- [Hacker News](https://derekwebb.tumblr.com/post/13503899950/giving-it-away-how-free-music-makes-more-than) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:20:51 +0000