How to Convert Millions of BitTorrent Users to Qtrax
Written by enigmax on January 28, 2008If you’re interested in file-sharing, you can’t have failed to have heard about Qtrax, the ‘new’, ‘legal’ P2P platform for downloading as many music tracks as you like. Here’s how to easily convert millions of BitTorrent users to Qtrax users in a few simple steps.
My RSS reader is filled with Qtrax articles. Dozens of them. I want to write about BitTorrent but everyone is banging on about Qtrax, so I guess it’s only right to follow the crowd. From the look of the lovely flashy Qtrax website it seems they have everything sewn up. So, surely it’s time TorrentFreak considered a rebranding exercise to become ‘QtraxFreak’ - after all, free, legal P2P is what everyone wants, right?
Qtrax should’ve gone live today and it hasn’t, effectively ruining our chances of riding along with the Qtrax launch-day media hype, becoming QtraxFreak and converting the entire BitTorrent collective from one free service to another. Damn. Plan B.
My understanding of Qtrax, limited as it is - and, to be fair, I don’t think many of the news stories about it today are based on any sort of live test - is that it’s essentially a DRM-infested Gnutella client which converts everything you download to Windows Media DRM format - making it a sort of Dr. Frankenstein’s LimeWire, but in a bad way.
Now, please tell me if I’m wrong, as I obviously haven’t tested the service, but aren’t the files you download just like all the the others on the Gnutella network? You know the sort - they call them ‘Scene releases’ and ‘home rips’, identical to the ones you can see on LimeWire. I mean, Qtrax aren’t guaranteeing a ‘pure’ copy are they? If they are, all well and good but I can’t see it myself, something doesn’t sit right.
From their ‘legal’ page:
LTDnetwork Inc is not responsible for any content such as audio, video, text or any other file owned by users of the Qtrax/Qtraxmax software.
Is Qtrax really offering to dress up pirate MP3s from Gnutella and give them to Qtrax users, paid for by advertisers? Maybe they’ve got some sort of ‘walled-garden’ inside the Gnutella network, accessible only by Qtrax users with non-pirate copies?
..
Sorry, I just drifted off then. Got a bit carried away dreaming of getting a 64K KaZaA-quality, advertizing-supported mono rip of Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, labeled up as an audiobook entitled ‘How to End Piracy Overnight’ and listening to it with sparkling Windows Media DRM. All authorized by the RIAA. Oh boy.
Ok, ok, ok, I’m being negative. I like BitTorrent and yes, that makes me biased but I have strange feelings about Qtrax and they aren’t good. Warner Music, one of the supposed partners of Qtrax said in a statement that it “has not authorized the use of our content on Qtrax’s recently announced service.”
Also, Universal Music Group and EMI Group both confirmed that they have no licensing deals with Qtrax. It’s probably not that significant that a Sony spokesman said: “Sony BMG can confirm it has not signed a deal with Qtrax for the ad-supported service”. I know, just because they say they don’t have a deal, doesn’t make it so. After all, the music companies always lie, don’t they?
I concede, I might be completely wrong about Qtrax. They probably didn’t launch today because of some minor last minute cosmetic issue with the skin on the client, and as everyone is in a meeting in Peru today, they can’t inform the masses by way of a news update on their website. Or maybe they’re adding that last minute code that somehow enables anti-piracy organizations to differentiate between Qtrax and LimeWire users on the Gnutella network.
And maybe the Big Four are probably just being coy until Qtrax really launches tomorrow by which time someone will have taken www.qtraxfreak.com. Damn.
Previously: Torrentz Shuts Down Torrent’Em For Copyright Infringement
Next: Rapidshare To Be Forced to Shut Down Following Court Defeat?
102 Responses
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[quote comment="274349"]i hope it does. legal p2p would be great![/quote]
did you even read what was written above ?
i read about this Qtrax today morning,and the first thing came in mind was BS !!!
like “enigmax” mentioned,im sure something smells fishy here
lets see till when will this joke keep on going
@24:
if it works, it will only pull non-techie/stupid people thus the p2p community/network gets better (out of eternal september YAY)
anyways, i checked the contact us and it has 2 domains, @qtrax.com and @rebeldig.com, the later being an advertising firm that uses free hosting from GoDaddy.com.
There is NO F**KING WAY a firm that does not have enough money to pay for a proper hosting plan can get a contract with any big label
oops, that was meant @25, not 24
[quote comment="274374"]Just go to music.qtrax.com and register. Then you can browse and search through the entire catalog. Right now the site claims 9695469 tracks and 1379 users online - how many of these are actual client users and not just logged on to the web nobody knows.
All we need now is the actual client which some people claim to have gotten as betatesters yesterday or something.
A funny thing: Next to each track is an Amazon link! Like we’d buy the track when the free mp3 is right there![/quote]
I have tested the service. Music downloaded is low quality and using a different form of DRM making it almost impossible to convert. To add to the list of issues I found was, its doing the same thing Limewire does, pulls the information from beginning to end with 0 encryption leaving you open to be tracked. I have also noticed that a lot of “seeds” of the music are on peer guardians block list as anti-p2p organizations.
For the few that actually did seed the selected music the speeds were great, between 100kBps and 150kBps.
These speeds still don’t explain why so many people sending the music are anti-piracy groups, but it does explain the terrible quality.
Even if it was true, it’s ADVERTISING-supported, ADS ARE WRONG WE NEED TO GET RID OF ADVERTISEMENT ! FUCK OFF WITH ADS !
yeah they’re having a meeting to make the ‘download’ button… that fell behind schedule
Alright, I can see how this could be a step in the right direction, but I’m wondering: If you live overseas, where the RIAA and MPAA don’t really have much influence, is it still a legal alternative to P2P? Just because american record companies sign deals (i know they haven’t yet, but if they ever do) doesn’t mean the ones that hold the same music rights outside the states are allowing their music to be shared. Also, what about music that isn’t signed by one of the big 4?
Funniest thing I read all day. Great post!
reminds me of exeem …
[quote comment="274470"]Alright, I can see how this could be a step in the right direction, but I’m wondering: If you live overseas, where the RIAA and MPAA don’t really have much influence, is it still a legal alternative to P2P? Just because american record companies sign deals (i know they haven’t yet, but if they ever do) doesn’t mean the ones that hold the same music rights outside the states are allowing their music to be shared. Also, what about music that isn’t signed by one of the big 4?[/quote]
I live in greece and i have no idea what the actual legislation is about music. I study film making so i got a little insight on copyright of video.
I think that if the exact content is not legally available somewhere, then there is no actual copyright binding it, thus I can download almost any american TV series not contracted by a TV channel available to me without breaking the law.
I hope same goes for music
About the DRM complaints:
I can understand not wanting to PAY for music that has DRM, but this stuff is supposedly free.
Assuming that this is not a PR stunt on the part of a company that desperately needs funding, this seems like a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it looks like labels are not on board yet; I believe it when I see it.
“I think that if the exact content is not legally available somewhere, then there is no actual copyright binding it”
This is not true, but it SHOULD be. If they can’t be bothered to sell it to you, then they shouldn’t complain that you aren’t paying for it.
When free music is legally offered to internet users who complains? What can be said about complainers?
http://thefirsttime.informationnetworkwebsite.com
well i’ve figured out how to browse the site without their program, how to download files and how to block all of the advertisements.
it’s actually a pretty good site, very easy to use, only problem is, because they’ve not agreed with the record labels yet, any time you try to download something you get a “downloads not yet available” popup which is pretty gay.
Is Qtrax using LimeWire code?
I love this one, even though its not very informative.. Ernesto or whoever writes these things is pretty cool.
I like that he is biased, because if he wasn’t I wouldn’t feel the way I do about the site. He isnt afraid to be sarcastic in a way that is so true at the same time. As informed as this man is, I would tend to agree with his thoughts.
I dont like the look of this Qtrax, I mean even the name is gay.. not a good sign.
The Qtrax client is allegedly based on Songbird, a GPL combination of media player and web browser. Songbird itself is based on components from the Mozilla project.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qtrax#_ref-songbird_0
If it uses GPL code, does this mean Qtrax has to release its code also?
http://www.slyck.com/story1645_Major_Labels_Still_Have_no_Qtrax_Deal
Qtrax sucks.
they are scam ! ! !
They are with RIAA / MPAA !
so never, i mean never ;) download those shitty software, i am sure they used some new trick to track what you guys downloading from the net.
don’t bother ur self. use the sites you are using now.
[quote]We will immediately terminate your use of Qtrax which we believe, in our sole discretion, is being used to violate copyrighted works, ….
If actual damages cannot be reasonably calculated then you agree to pay us liquidated damages of $5 for each piece of file type disseminated illegally, spam or unsolicited bulk email transmitted from or otherwise connected with you, otherwise you agree to pay us actual damages, to the extent such actual damages can be reasonably calculated[/quote]
So if they recon you are sharing stuff you didnt get from them they can blatently make some shit up about how much in damages you owe them then sue you? Does this peice of shit have anything to do with those iMesh assholes that killed Bearshare? Just say NO!! kiddies.
This project has a great goal in mind. The whole thing looks a little fishy. It appears that they need a advertising miracle to persuade the record labels to endorse.
The company financials are kinda of a mess. You can find them at the SEC website. Almost looks like fraud or just a couple of guys with seven figure bank accounts.
What is anyone’s opinion as to how the stock might perform *IF* this entire project became up and running. The problem is their revenue would still be nonexistent. But do you think that public relations and all the new Qtraxfreaks would push the price just on word of mouth?
http://www.filefactory.com/file/977aee
this is the qtrax software. it’s exactly the same as songbird… but with advertisements.
go figure.
@42 yes it does. which means anyone else can modify and release builds of the program too. presumably without the ads ;)
@42
Qtrax signed a deal with Songbird, here is a comment I got from one of the people that works on Song bird.
”
…just a clarifying point. Qtrax is a licensed deal with Songbird. Nothing untoward is happening here and the Qtrax project isn’t going to have any negative effects on the ‘bird we all know and love…”
And all qtrax is, is Songbird with a slightly different skin. http://www.songbirdnest.com
The actual software is good, but when you add qtrax to the mix, it F’s it all up.
Well at least the whole qtrax failure thing was funny, I have been laughing about it all day!
If it truely is free who cares if its got DRM? eventually all DRM gets cracked… i personally am happy to see they understand that theres no point to fighting the file-sharing community because when they take out 1, 10 more better ones take its place…
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