Large Legal Music Download Site Opens. CD Media Dead? End to Music Piracy?

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A REVOLUTIONARY online music service offering free song downloads will launch today.
Qtrax, a file-sharing site funded by advertisers and backed by the pop industry, will initially boast a five-million-song catalogue – similar to iTunes.

And its Melbourne pioneer said the plan is to eventually deliver about 25 million free songs to music lovers.

The site, launched in Cannes, France, with stars James Blunt and LL Cool J, is predicted to signal the death knell for CDs and a massive challenge to iTunes. "This will change music profoundly," Qtrax chief Allan Klepfisz said. "Once the genie is out of the bottle, the industry won't turn back. The time has come for free music."

Significantly, major record companies, which have traditionally sued file sharing or peer-to-peer (P2P) sites, support Qtrax. Qtrax has licensing agreements with the majors – EMI, SonyBMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group – allowing access to about five million songs.The same catalogue is on sale at the popular online music store, iTunes.

Mr Klepfisz, 52, has been working on Qtrax for eight years, initially in Melbourne and more recently in his New York base.
Artists and record labels were supporting Qtrax to stem a losing fight against stolen music, he said. And Qtrax would compensate artists unlike illegal music download sites, he said.

Record companies will get an equal split of advertising revenue and royalty fees it collects from Qtrax. A recent music industry report by Jupiter Research said for every song sold online, 100 were stolen. Ninety-four per cent of those online were unwilling to pay for music, the report added.

"I think the record companies realise their attempts to make up for lost sales are not working," Mr Klepfisz said. "The compact disc – as the main conveyer of mainstream music – is dead. So they need to look for alternatives. They need to see whether this vast mass of people can be brought into a legal arena and monetised with advertisers."

Mr Kelpfisz said punters were still willing to pay for concert tickets and merchandise. "But they are not willing to pay for music online," he said. "The idea of free music is not so radical. Commercial radio and free-to-air television is paid for by advertisers and available for free to consumers."

In the US, observers said Qtrax posed the first real threat to the Apple-owned iTunes. But Mr Klepfisz expects Qtrax will affect illegal P2P sites more and boost sales of iPods.
As the site expands it would add rare, unreleased and live concert recordings, he said. "We plan to have north of 25 million songs," Mr Klepfisz said.

Eagles star Don Henley and Annie Lennox have also been in talks to appear at today's launch.
Punters will be able to access free music after the launch at www.qtrax.com

The story is being carried by major news networks, ie below, CNN.
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More information on the thing...
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:source: Source: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/s...006301,00.html

The site is already down.

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Originally Posted by bornwithnoname

The site is already down.

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I imagine it's getting slammed right now.
It did make CNN...


I would think this is bad news for itunes and napster. LOL.

All I have to say is Holy Crap!

i wonder what bitrates were offered on that site.. however i doubt even if this site goes through that private trackers will lose any activity. after all, pedros offers flac, and I'm sure alot of albums won't be on that site

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Originally Posted by T.S.O.L.

i wonder what bitrates were offered on that site.. however i doubt even if this site goes through that private trackers will lose any activity. after all, pedros offers flac, and I'm sure alot of albums won't be on that site

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It has gone through, the papers are all signed.
I must add, It's really about time. "They", never had a chance fighting piracy.


*Edit*
The web site's back up. Still running slow (due to load??).
They'll be allowing downloads again starting at mid-night EST.

wow...i never saw that coming haha..I don't like the idea of CD dying off totally tho. Sometimes I do like to buy albums buy artists I love. I want that full crisp digital audio uncompressed. They need to offer wave downloads along with an mp3 "VBR" option to fully replace CD for good. Maybe they could have a FLAC option too.

From the New York Times:

Listeners will be able to hear songs a certain number of times — probably five in the case of most major label acts. If listeners like what they hear, they will be able to purchase those songs, much as they can on iTunes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ktasera

From the New York Times:

Listeners will be able to hear songs a certain number of times — probably five in the case of most major label acts. If listeners like what they hear, they will be able to purchase those songs, much as they can on iTunes.

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I can't believe that from everything I have read.
Please link to source.

Sorry, I should have done that in the first place. It is linked to on the Qtrax website under "press". Here is the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/te...l?ref=business

It is from last April, so maybe it is not accurate anymore, but a couple of the other press releases do mention limited playback.