bootleg
what it is
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging. Recordings may be simply copied and traded among fans of the artist without financial exchange, but some bootleggers have sold recordings for profit, sometimes by adding professional-quality sound engineering and packaging to the raw material.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make bootleg a playlist
turn these 19 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is bootleg?
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging. Recordings may be simply copied and traded among fans of the artist without financial exchange, but some bootleggers have sold recordings for profit, sometimes by adding professional-quality sound engineering and packaging to the raw material.
What are good bootleg albums to start with?
Try Purest Feeling by Nine Inch Nails, Dawn of the Black Hearts by Mayhem, The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9) by Bob Dylan, and ...And Justice For Jason by Metallica.
Who are some women making bootleg?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/bootleg/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making bootleg, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20