2008 Woodie Awards
Qtrax launch lacks proper licenses
A.J. Self
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: News
The term "peer-to-peer file sharing" is commonly associated with illegal music downloads. However, start-up company Qtrax hopes to change the way many downloaders get their favorite tunes if it can secure the proper licenses, which, after years of planning, still has not happened.
Recently, Qtrax was launched boasting free music downloads without risk of adware or spyware using the gnutella p2p network, which the popular p2p program Limewire uses.
The company plans to make money by integrating advertising. The music and Internet browser hybrid will have a banner displaying advertisements as users search for music. But for now, the program has yet to deliver on its boast of free music.
Last year, Allan Kepfsiz, CEO of Qtrax parent company Brilliant Technologies, said Qtrax would have licensing agreements with large record companies EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG and Universal Music Group, according to the New York Times.
Last month, when Qtrax was set to launch, many users found a disappointing amount of songs available.
Three of the four labels have officially stated Qtrax does not have the licensing it said it had with the record labels. What it does have, though, is everyone's attention.
Qtrax held a launch party featuring performances by singer James Blunt and rapper LL Cool J at the Midem conference in Cannes, France. Though the launch was considered a failure, the company carried on with negotiations between the record labels.
"When you launch a service billed as the first legal peer-to-peer, it sets up expectations," said former EMI Group digital executive Ted Choen to the Los Angeles Times. "It's going to be tough for them to recover from this."
If they hope to, Qtrax will have a long way to go. Currently, it boasts it will eventually have five times the amount of songs available compared to iTunes. According to Apple.com, iTunes has approximately six million songs available for purchase.
If Qtrax could launch its plan for free music, some students at Western Illinois University would use it.
Recently, Qtrax was launched boasting free music downloads without risk of adware or spyware using the gnutella p2p network, which the popular p2p program Limewire uses.
The company plans to make money by integrating advertising. The music and Internet browser hybrid will have a banner displaying advertisements as users search for music. But for now, the program has yet to deliver on its boast of free music.
Last year, Allan Kepfsiz, CEO of Qtrax parent company Brilliant Technologies, said Qtrax would have licensing agreements with large record companies EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG and Universal Music Group, according to the New York Times.
Last month, when Qtrax was set to launch, many users found a disappointing amount of songs available.
Three of the four labels have officially stated Qtrax does not have the licensing it said it had with the record labels. What it does have, though, is everyone's attention.
Qtrax held a launch party featuring performances by singer James Blunt and rapper LL Cool J at the Midem conference in Cannes, France. Though the launch was considered a failure, the company carried on with negotiations between the record labels.
"When you launch a service billed as the first legal peer-to-peer, it sets up expectations," said former EMI Group digital executive Ted Choen to the Los Angeles Times. "It's going to be tough for them to recover from this."
If they hope to, Qtrax will have a long way to go. Currently, it boasts it will eventually have five times the amount of songs available compared to iTunes. According to Apple.com, iTunes has approximately six million songs available for purchase.
If Qtrax could launch its plan for free music, some students at Western Illinois University would use it.
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posted 3/05/08 @ 7:24 AM CST
YOU MENTIONED NOTHING OF THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS WITH MUSIC PUBLISHERS "EMI PUBLISHING", "SONY/ATV PUBLISHING", and the largest independent label on the planet, "TVT RECORDS" !!!!
Here are the announcements: http://blog. (Continued…)
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