AN EXPLORATION OF ESSENTIAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE MUSIC STREAMING ADOPTION AND THE INTENTION TO ENGAGE IN DIGITAL PIRACY

Abstract

Preventing unauthorized downloading and other forms of digital piracy has been a persistent challenge for many who own the rights to digital content. Attempts to counter digital piracy with strategies based on deterrence, ethical arguments, psychosocial considerations, or technical measures have been effective, but only to a limited extent. The increasing popularity of music streaming systems, however, offers additional opportunities to experiment with novel business models and value propositions that may discourage digital piracy. The results of this quasi experiment involving 139 subjects indicated that for music streaming systems, perceived system and information quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment contributed to purchasing intention. These factors also influenced unauthorized downloading intention; however, an expected negative relationship between perceived enjoyment of the music streaming system and unauthorized downloading intention, a form of digital piracy, was not supported.