How do tracks get leaked?

[Loose Cannon]

I know somebody finds it and copies it onto the streets or onto the internet, but i mean, wouldnt you keep your shit close to you so nobody jacks it? I already heard half the tracks thats supposed to be on Detox and knew people who had The Beautiful Struggle 2 months before it came out.

 

[PhleX]

usually recording engineers tend to copy em off and distribute them on a streeet level
i think thats how its works... even wif dre as u se du heard half tha detox tracks, (where they any good) even though he has had the same engineers for like 7 years n shit, same instrument players but somewhere down the line ppl will let it out, whether sumone who works in the same studio as a trusted mastering egineer might somehow get hold of a track etc...

 

[esentric]

sound engineers
I wouldn't be suprised if pressing companies leaked material for the right price.

Label people ... trying to create a buzz. REMEMBER: Publicity is the name of the game.

Just my theory

 

[blak flame]

from what i understand when a whole cd gets leaked it usually happens during duplication...once you send something in for pressing its out of your hands they can take and do what ever they want with...but as far as single songs and shit, thats usually the work of the artist or their label for promotion and to build up a buzz

 

[mercurywaters]

also when they send out promo copies to magazines and websites, and tastemakers. they usually do it before the album is released so that all the publicity can be out by the time the album is released. plenty of oppurtunity for leaking there

 

[Sacred One]

is exactly what black said, once they send them out to get pressed, its basically over, u just asking somebody to take it