It seems odd that in our tech-driven world still having music be regionally restricted is still something music lovers have to contend with. What’s more, this will still be the case for some time as streaming platforms are generally beholden to the governments of countries meaning that they have to adhere to a country’s laws, no matter how draconian they are. However, there is good news and technology in the form of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that allows music lovers to bypass regional restrictions.
What is a VPN?
There are literally tons of good explanations online for what a VPN is and how they work but simply put they create a secure encrypted connection between your device and a secure server at a different location. This different location bit is the most important for our purposes, as you can connect to a server in a different country, effectively unlocking that country’s regionally restricted content.
Some Research Required
Say your favorite post-hardcore band based in Belgium has just released a hotly anticipated album. For whatever reason, the album is only being released in that country and nowhere else. While this scenario is unlikely it is not impossible. But, for the purposes of a fictional example, it will do.
You do not live in Belgium and cannot access the album but you’ve heard of the power of a VPN. You will need to find a Belgian VPN server in order to bypass the regional restriction. This means you need to find a VPN service with a server in Belgium. Luckily, this isn’t too hard as most paid-for and reputable VPN services have server locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, with many having a significant presence in Europe.
Once you’ve signed up for the VPN, you’ll need to select the server in Belgium to connect to so that you can listen to that album you’ve been dying to hear since it was first announced on your favorite social media platform.
Conclusion
Regionally restricted content is nothing new and is still such a pain for music aficionados. Luckily, VPNs help you bypass such restrictions. VPNs can also help boost your online privacy preventing governments, internet providers, and large corporations track your online movements.
