>Taylor Swift's agent (I think it was the agent) described it this way - a fan pays $15 for the album, and her friend says "why did you pay for that? you could have just gotten it off <pirate site>." Contrast that with "why did you pay for that? you could have gotten it legally for free off <legitimate site>."

That's not how it works for many. I have friends who pay for Spotify and download (illegally) any content not available on the service. Ultimately, this move will not only harm her discoverability but will also harm her reputation by withholding her music (from fans) for greater profit.