The impact of creativity and community facilitation on music streaming adoption and digital piracy

Abstract

Preventing unauthorized downloading and other forms of digital piracy has been a persistent challenge. Strategies based on deterrence, ethical arguments, or technical measures have been effective, but only to a limited extent. The rising popularity of music streaming systems, however, affords the owners of digital content opportunities to experiment with alternative business models and value propositions that may also discourage digital piracy. The results of this field study involving 139 subjects suggest that music streaming systems that incorporate features that facilitate individual creativity and community building contributes towards the enjoyment and usefulness of the system. This in turn leads to music streaming adoption. The results of the study also show that the usefulness of a music streaming system is associated with a reduction in pirating intention. Surprisingly, a link between the enjoyment of a music streaming system and a reduction in digital pirating intention was not supported.