File Sharing Moves Into The Light

January 28, 2008

Qtrax, a digital music download service that bills itself as the first Internet file-swapping service to be “fully embraced by the music industry,” announced it would carry up to 30 million tracks from “all the major labels.”

Warner Music, EMI, and Universal immediately repudiated that claim, saying that they in fact had not yet agreed to allow their content to be offered on Qtrax.

In any event, it appears like some sort of solution is on the horizon that will allow people to download music without feeling like criminals, and would enable musicians to get paid, based on an advertising supported system.

According to the Times Online:

Qtrax files contain Digital Rights Management software, allowing the company to see how many times a song has been downloaded and played. Artists, record companies and publishers will be paid in proportion to the popularity of their music, while also taking a cut of advertising revenues.

Qtrax, a subsidiary of Brilliant Technologies Corporation, has raised $30 million to date.

Ford, McDonald’s and Microsoft are reportedly among the advertisers signed up so far.