Bootlegging is the scourge of many industries. Could it be music’s greatest strength?

The word “bootleg” has long left a bad taste in brands’ mouths. Quite literally defined as “illicit goods,” these unauthorised versions or replications of clothes, handbags, concert tees, and other items have long plagued brands. In the era of fast fashion, the pace of bootlegging has accelerated sharply, with Wirecutter even deeming the 2020s “the Era of Fake Products.” This is all happening alongside the separate, but related, trend of consumers sharing “dupes” of luxury products online. Owning a fake is no longer something to hide, but to share far and wide, as the hype around Walmart’s recent $80 Birkin dupe attests.

In music, the hundreds of bootleggers who hawk their concert tees outside venues have turned into tens of thousands of fans selling their unauthorised creations on Amazon and Etsy. But it is not just music merchandise that has long been bootlegged — it is also the music itself. And while the music industry has traditionally tried to shut down these creations, it is beginning to learn from the fashion industry to view them as a strength.

Bootlegging reflects cultural impact

As Ghostly International founder Sam Valenti IV explored in a recent Substack, iconic fashion houses like Gucci eventually began to understand bootlegging as a compliment, even collaborating with bootleg creators. “If your brand can’t be bootlegged,” Valenti writes, “it’s possible your signal strength isn’t high enough.” At a time when brands are struggling to hold consumer attention, build sustainable audiences, and drive cultural moments, this is truer than ever. Bootlegging as a creative practice is also becoming more accessible, such that it is no longer only the realm of professionals, but anyone with an internet connection. Today, the biggest cultural moments tend to revolve not around original content, but around consumers’ interpretations and creations based on that content. Consider YouTube’s finding that the majority of gen Z Americans often spend more time watching content that discusses or unpacks something than the thing itself.

Music’s unique bootleg-ability

If bootleg-ability is the shortcut to cultural impact, and the percentage of consumers engaging in this practice is only set to grow, then the formats which are easiest to copy, remix, and iterate upon have a serious advantage. That which was once a risk is now a strength. This is good news for music. As music remixing becomes ever more accessible, more people are taking up DJing, and many more are posting their bootleg remixes of tracks on platforms like SoundCloud and TikTok. In 2023, content identification firm Pex reported that 38% of the TikTok videos it tracked contained modified audio, and MIDiA consumer surveys reflect strong interest in audio modification tools. Fan-made remixes that have taken off on TikTok in recent years include Madonna x Fireboy DML and Ethel Cain x Robyn, while creators like Tristan Olson post exclusively remixes to millions of followers.

Unlocking the opportunity

Of course, the next question is how to ensure artists and rightsholders are compensated. Solutions are already in the works. On the merch front, startups like Softside enable artists to work with fan merch creators and share revenue. Audiomack introduced audio modification in February 2024, and Spotify is said to be working on it (per Wall Street Journal). However, for these features to take off, platforms must have social functionality — something the major music streaming platforms lack. As consumer creation is a fundamentally social and interactive behaviour, the ability for bootleggers to share and interact with each other’s creations is crucial. Social apps and games hold the opportunities to unlock, and labels and publishers hold the keys.