The primary parties affected by electronic theft of a song are the original artists and songwriters who created the music. When their work is stolen and shared illegally online, they lose out on potential royalties and revenue that they would have earned if the song had been purchased or streamed through legal channels. Record labels and music distributors may also be affected by electronic theft, as they lose out on profits when copyrighted music is distributed without proper authorization. Additionally, consumers who unknowingly download or stream illegally obtained music may be indirectly affected if they unknowingly support piracy and contribute to financial losses for the music industry.
