How Singapore was Once the Pirate Capital of the World episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 6, 2026 · 31 MIN

How Singapore was Once the Pirate Capital of the World

from Tell You First · host Mediacorp

In the 1980s, Singapore was openly labelled the world’s leading producer of pirated tapes, exporting millions of counterfeit cassettes across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In this episode, we trace how piracy became a full-blown industry with factories, retail shops, and global supply chains, and how Singapore shed its past to become global intellectual property hub.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 6, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

How Singapore was Once the Pirate Capital of the World

0:00 31:13

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Tell You First?

This episode is 31 minutes long.

When was this Tell You First episode published?

This episode was published on February 6, 2026.

Can I download this Tell You First episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!