The Pirating Musician: An Examination into the Attitudes and Justifications toward Music Piracy among Musicians

DOI: 10.5176/2382-574X_1.1.4

Authors: Joanne P. S. Yeoh and Pei Ann Yeoh

Abstract:

Research on music piracy has always been conducted among non-musicians. This study sets out to investigate two aspects: (1) the intentions toward pirating music among undergraduate music students using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and (2) how rationalizations justify their actions. A quantitative study looking at 200 music students across music colleges and universities in Malaysia was carried out in attempt to evaluate theory claims. Results show that the intention to pirate music is significantly related to perceived behavioural controls. More importantly, the results show that music students admit to piracy without having a need to justify their criminal activity.