A former employee of Eminem has pleaded guilty to selling unreleased tracks by the rapper, which later racked up more than 8 million plays across streaming platforms. According to court documents cited by the Department of Justice, Joseph Strange sold 10 or more audio files to online buyers for roughly $50,000.
The case underscores the financial and reputational risks labels and artists face when internal staff gain access to unreleased material. It also highlights how leaked tracks can quickly spread and generate significant streaming activity once they reach the public, raising questions about royalty allocation and platform policing of unauthorized content.
Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.