Music Piracy All at Sea – IELTS Reading Answers

With the diligent practice of passages like Reading Answers of Music Piracy All at Sea, the Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types in the Reading Module.

The Academic Reading passage, Music Piracy All at Sea, is an IELTS reading passage that consists of 14 questions. The questions in the IELTS Academic passages are divided into sets, each of which involves the completion of a specific type of work.

So, let’s see how easy this passage is for you and if you’re able to make it in 20 minutes. If not, try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.

The question types found in this passage are:

• Short-Answer Type Questions (Q. 1-5) & (Q. 12-14)
• Matching Sentence Endings (Q. 6-9)
• Multiple-Choice Questions (Q. 10-11)

Reading Passage 

Music Piracy All at Sea

In 1999, a nineteen-year old student decided he wanted a fast and efficient way to share his favourite songs with his friends. But he didn’t just want to make compilation tapes on cassettes. He wanted to do the sharing via the computer. The result was Napster. A file sharing community that allowed Shawn Fanning and his friends to share all the mp3 files they ripped from their CD collections with each other and 60 million other users. The rest would be history, if it were not for one small issue, what they were doing was illegal.

At first, that stopped no one. Napster clones with marginally different peer-to-peer client-server architectures appeared. Gnutella networks, eDonkey, AudioGalaxy, Kazaa, FastTrack, Grokster, Limewire, Morpheus, BearShare, and countless others emerged totalling hundreds of millions of users sharing billions of megabytes of files. Add to that Usenet binaries and ICQ/IRC channels through which music, video, software, and other copyright materials had already been shared illicitly for years. This was still years before the advent of BitTorrent networks.

Figures have shown repeatedly that the rise of Napster and its ilk had actually caused a resurgence in lacklustre CD sales. Many users download lots of tracks but then buy the complete album on CD for the sake of having something more tangible to own. The whole file-sharing culture has also, it is claimed, boosted interest in music in much the same way that video piracy in the 1980s saw more people going to the cinema.

Nevertheless, it was inevitable that the copyright holders were going to be a little less than pleased with P2P. With support and advocacy from certain artists themselves, most notably Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and Dr. Dre, the record industry began to fight this cultural sea change. Napster was shut down under court order and many of the other early P2P systems followed. However, others sprang up to replace them almost as quickly as others were knocked down. The development of Bit Torrent has added a whole new approach to file sharing veiled with a layer of legitimacy.

In the meantime, more savvy agencies, namely Apple Corp and a Russian site going by the name of Allofmp3.com, as well as a few other innovators, had latched on to the fact that mp3 downloads, despite the fears of the wider industry, would be the way forward.

The difference between these paid-for downloads (Allofmp3’s dubious international legality aside) and the original incarnation of Napster is that users had to pay and royalties were apparently passed on to the record companies, and one would hope, the artists themselves. Ultimately, the Napster name was resurrected as a paid-for service endorsed by the record industry and others followed suit.

At this point in download history, there were paid-for services such as Apple’s iTunes, Walmart.com and BuyMusic.com, Real Rhapsody and the successors to Allofmp3, MP3Sparks and AllTunes. These are still possibly of dubious legitimacy but offer much cheaper downloads than most of the Western companies and of course the dozens of P2P file sharing systems, including the Gnutella system and the vast numbers of BitTorrent users and the torrent search sites like The Pirate Bay that service them. So, there is a mix of legal, possibly illegal, and most certainly breaking copyright law sites and systems.

The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) has chased after illegal file sharers and had some successful and some failed suits against many. However, there are millions of downloaders and dozens of “offshore” Internet sites to host the necessary search systems and hash files to allow P2P downloads.

Writing in the International Journal of Electronic Finance, Alan Smith of the Department of Management and Marketing at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA, asks which will prevail – pay sites or piracy? “There is much controversy concerning the issue of music piracy over the Internet and the implementation of new information technology,” he says, and points out that there has been a growing acceptance of paid for downloads in the user community. But downloading free music today is, he emphasizes, just as popular as it was when Napster was first fired up to allow people to swap music for free.

One reason it is still so popular is because it is quicker to download software on a file-sharing program, rather than drive to a store and physically buy it. The P2P option also displaces what is essentially theft in the eyes of the law as it stands in most Western countries.

However, there is an ethical side to the argument on the side of the P2P users. “Record companies have traditionally fixed music product prices to avoid competing with each other and to maximize their profits,” Smith argues. It is perhaps not surprising that music lovers have taken up against this perception of self-serving corporate greed that, apparently, does not provide an equitable arrangement for the majority of employed artists. With obvious big name exceptions; most artists receive less than 10% of royalties on CD sales and iTunes downloads (of course, that’s 0% for illegal downloads).

More to the point, not all musicians wanted to see an end to Napster and its ilk. Many wanted Napster to remain online so that their music could be heard. This was an especially common thought among smaller bands and artists. Governments are going to have to take some rather draconian and inevitably unpopular measures to close down all illegal file sharing systems. But, even then, just as successor after successor emerged following the Napster debacle, those who want to find a way to get downloads for free will find a way. Perhaps the record industry needs to reinvent its out-moded business model which still hinges on the record store approach and attitude. Maybe they will find a profitable approach to music sharing that is equitable for artist, company, and music fan alike.

Questions 1-5

1 How had videos been shared for years before Napster?

2 How did the record industry manage to stop Napster from operating?

3 What do MP3Sparks and AllTunes have in common?

4 Who has sued some file sharers?

5 What kind of bands wanted Napster to keep operating?

Questions 6- 9

6 Downloading from the Internet

7 Many music fans feel that corporate greed

8 The old fashioned approach to business by the record industry

9 People still buy CDs because they think it

A is still popular today.

B is a cultural sea of change.

C is nice to have something you can touch.

D is all through Bit Torrent now.

E is less than ethical.

F is still based on selling CDs in record stores.

G is more acceptable now.

Question 10 -11

Which TWO people, or groups of people, support the downloading of music?

A Smith

B Ulrich

C Morris

D Fanning

E Dr. Dre

F copyright holders

G P2P clients

10 ………………………….

11 ………………………….

Question 12 -14

12 Which two artists opposed free downloading?

13 Who wonders whether pay sites or free downloads will be more popular in the future?

14 Why do record companies standardise their prices?

Answers of Music Piracy All at Sea Reading Answers With Location and Explanation

1 Answer: Usenet binaries / ICQ/IRC channels (any one answer)

Question type: Short-Answer Type Question

Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 4

Answer explanation: In the second paragraph, it is given that “Add to that Usenet binaries and ICQ/IRC channels through which music, video, software, and other copyright materials had already been shared illicitly for years.”. This section points out that people used Usenet binaries, ICQ, or IRC channels to share various kinds of media illicitly over the years before the advent of Napster. Hence, the answer is ‘Usenet binaries / ICQ/IRC channels’ (any one answer).

2 Answer: court order

Question type: Short-Answer Type Question

Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 3

Answer explanation: The third line of Paragraph 4 states, “Napster was shut down under court order and many of the other early P2P systems followed.”. As many eminent people in the music industry were not pleased with Napster, they decided to stop (shut down) the operation through a court order. Hence, the answer is ‘court order’.

3 Answer: dubious legitimacy

Question type: Short-Answer Type Question

Answer location: Paragraph 7, line 2

Answer explanation: In the mentioned line, it is specified that “These are still possibly of dubious legitimacy but offer much cheaper downloads than most of the Western companies…”. From this reference, it can be concluded that both MP3Sparks and AllTunes had dubious legitimacy. Hence, the answer is ‘dubious legitimacy’.

4 Answer: RIAA

Question type: Short-Answer Type Question

Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 1

Answer explanation: In the cited line, it is stated that “The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) has chased after illegal file sharers and had some successful and some failed suits against many.”. Based on this statement, it can be commented that RIAA has sued some file sharers. Hence, the answer is RIAA.

5 Answer: smaller bands

Question type: Short-Answer Type Question

Answer location: Paragraph 12, line 2- line 3

Answer explanation: In the indicated paragraph, it is given that “Many wanted Napster to remain online so that their music could be heard. This was an especially common thought among smaller bands and artists.”. It can be concluded that smaller bands and artists were among some who wanted Napster to function online. Hence, the answer is ‘smaller bands’.

6 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Sentence Endings

Answer location: Paragraph 9, line 3

Answer explanation: In the ninth paragraph, it is noted that “But downloading free music today is, he emphasizes, just as popular as it was when Napster was first fired up to allow people to swap music for free.”. This statement points out that downloading free music from the Internet is still as popular as it was when Napster was introduced to people. Hence, the answer is A (is still popular today.).

7 Answer: E

Question type: Matching Sentence Endings

Answer location: Paragraph 11, line 3

Answer explanation: In Paragraph 11, it is given, “It is perhaps not surprising that music lovers have taken up against this perception of self-serving corporate greed that, apparently, does not provide an equitable arrangement for the majority of employed artists”. It can be inferred that many music lovers are of the opinion that corporate greed is less than ethical as they do not provide equitable arrangements to most employed artists. Hence, the answer is E (is less than ethical.).

8 Answer: F

Question type: Matching Sentence Endings

Answer location: Paragraph 12, line 6

Answer explanation: In the quoted line, it is noted that “Perhaps the record industry needs to reinvent its out-moded business model which still hinges on the record store approach and attitude.”. It can be pointed out that the record industry still follows the old-fashioned way of selling CDs in record stores. Hence, the answer is F (is still based on selling CDs in record stores.).

9 Answer: C

Question type: Matching Sentence Endings

Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 2

Answer explanation: In the cited line, it is stated that “Many users download lots of tracks but then buy the complete album on CD for the sake of having something more tangible to own.”. Here, it is clear that people still buy CDs because they want to have something that they can touch (tangible). Hence, the answer is C (is nice to have something you can touch.).

Check Out – IELTS Reading Practice Tests 2023 – Reading Passages and Samples

Tips to Solve the Question Types in Music Piracy All at Sea IELTS Reading Answers

Since now you know the answers to the Reading Answers of Music Piracy All at Sea with explanation, let us check out some quick tips to answer the three types of questions in the Reading Answers of Music Piracy All at Sea.

Short-Answer Type Questions: 

Short Answer Type Questions is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to scan through a passage and answer questions based on the information given following the word limit.

To answer short-answer type questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Go through the instructions carefully – You will find the word limit for the answers there, which you have to follow strictly.
• Read the questions and highlight the keywords – The next step will be to read the questions to know what keywords or information you have to look for in the passage.
• Use the ‘Wh’ words in the questions – Words like ‘What’, (names), ‘Where’ (place), ‘When’ (time), etc. will enable you to understand the type of information you are looking for.
• Use reading techniques to study the passage quickly – Do not waste your time reading the whole passage. Scan through the passage to find out the keywords or their synonyms. If headers are given, use them to locate the answer easily.
• Check the spelling – Once you find the answer, note the correct spelling in your answer sheet.

Matching Sentence Endings: 

Matching sentence ending questions come with two lists – a list of incomplete sentences and another one of possible sentence endings. You will have to match them on the basis of the information provided in the passage.

Some tips to answer the questions and obtain a high band in the IELTS examination are given below:

• The answers will be in the same order as the list of incomplete sentences.
• Use the elimination process to get the correct answer.
• Don’t read the complete text until you have studied the incomplete sentences and the endings.
• Only read the relevant sentences.
• You will have to match meanings and not the exact words. Thus, look for paraphrasing and words.
• You must ensure that the grammatical structure of two halves of the sentence is matching correctly.

Multiple-Choice Questions:

You will be given a reading passage followed by several questions based on the information in the paragraph in multiple-choice questions. Your task is to understand the question and compare it to the paragraph in order to select the best solution from the available possibilities.

• Before reading the passage, read the question and select the keywords. Check the keyword possibilities if the question statement is short on information.
• Then, using the keywords, read the passage to find the relevant information.
• To select the correct option, carefully read the relevant words and match them with each option.
• You will find several options with keywords that do not correspond to the information.
• Try opting for the elimination method mostly.
• Find the best option by matching the meaning rather than just the keywords.

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