A hacker who stole unreleased music from artists including Coldplay, Upsahl, and Melanie Martinez has been sentenced after a lengthy investigation by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.
Skylar Taylor Dalziel, 22, of Winchester Gardens, Luton, illegally accessed multiple cloud storage accounts linked to the artists and sold the stolen tracks online. The court heard that Dalziel made approximately £42,000 from the illicit sales.
Sentencing and Charges
Dalziel pleaded guilty to nine copyright offences and four computer misuse offences at Luton Crown Court on 4 October 2024. Today, 3 January 2025, she was sentenced to:
- 21 months imprisonment (suspended for 24 months)
- 180 hours of unpaid work
PIPCU’s Response
Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from PIPCU, condemned Dalziel’s actions:
“Stealing copyrighted material for financial gain is illegal. It jeopardizes the work of artists and the livelihoods of the people who create and release their music. This type of criminal activity contributes to over 80,000 job losses each year.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that cybercriminals will be found and held accountable. We believe Dalziel was working with suspects overseas and are now working to identify them.”
How the Hack Was Uncovered
The case came to light in June 2021, when Sony Music Entertainment reported to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) that Upsahl’s cloud account had been compromised. 40 unreleased tracks were stolen and illegally sold online.
Further investigation by IFPI and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) revealed that an online forum was being used to sell unreleased tracks from artists under Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group. The account was linked to Dalziel, and PIPCU took over the case in June 2022.
Arrest and Investigation
On 9 January 2023, PIPCU officers arrested Dalziel at her Luton home, executing a search warrant that led to the seizure of:
- Three solid-state drives containing 291,941 music tracks
- A spreadsheet detailing customer transactions
During police questioning, Dalziel refused to answer any questions, giving only “no comment”.
A review of Dalziel’s PayPal and bank accounts showed she had received payments totaling £42,049 between April 2021 and January 2023. Some of the money was transferred to bank accounts in the United States, prompting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to assist in tracking down international accomplices.
Prosecution’s Warning
Richard Partridge, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), criticized Dalziel’s “complete disregard for musicians’ creativity and hard work”:
“This type of activity doesn’t just impact the artists but also record company employees. Dalziel selfishly exploited their music for personal profit.”
The Wider Impact of Piracy
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that at least 86,300 jobs were lost in the UK in 2016 due to counterfeiting and piracy. The case highlights the growing issue of cybercrime in the music industry and the efforts by law enforcement to combat digital piracy.
Further Investigations Underway
PIPCU is continuing to work with international partners, including US Homeland Security, to track down suspects involved in selling stolen music worldwide.
