Monday, January 28, 2008

Free Music?

A published web article describes a free music download that is going to provide access to over 25 million free songs! Here is a blurb from the UK Times Online article:


 

From today, feel free to download another 25 million songs - legally

Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent, in Cannes

After a decade fighting to stop illegal file-sharing, the music industry will give fans today what they have always wanted: an unlimited supply of free and legal songs.

With CD sales in free fall and legal downloads yet to fill the gap, the music industry has reluctantly embraced the file-sharing technology that threatened to destroy it. Qtrax, a digital service announced today, promises a catalogue of more than 25 million songs that users can download to keep, free and with no limit on the number of tracks.

The service has been endorsed by the very same record companies - including EMI, Universal Music and Warner Music – that have chased file-sharers through the courts in a doomed attempt to prevent piracy. The gamble is that fans will put up with a limited amount of advertising around the Qtrax website's jukebox in return for authorised use of almost every song available.

The service will use the "peer-to-peer" network, which contains not just hit songs but rarities and live tracks from the world's leading artists…


 


 

Qtrax's website can be found at: http://www.qtrax.com


 

Does anyone know anything about this, and what is going on?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tom,

I have not heard this. I do know that the publishers are no longer putting security in the songs, but giving them away???? If something sounds to good.......

Bill

Jason Wolff said...

Hey, a post I can contribute something meaningful to!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23434386-details/Free+music+downloads+site+in+chaos+as+record+giants+pull+out/article.do

That about sums it all up!

-Jason (via Bryan's blog)

Jason Wolff said...

Hmmm, link didn't seem to copy correctly

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23434386
-details/Free+music+downloads+site+in+chaos+as+
record+giants+pull+out/article.do

Try piecing that together

Anonymous said...

Jason,

I followed the link but could not find the article. What did it say? Interesting that this is in the UK but we have nothing about it here in the US.

Dad

tom wolff said...

Thanks Jason for finding the article. Here is the article Jason provided the link to:

Free music downloads site in chaos as record giants pull out
Last updated at 00:52am on 29.01.08

Music fans can download free songs without breaking the law

Music fans around the world faced confusion today as it was announced they would be able to download unlimited, free songs without breaking the law.

A revamped online file-sharing service had vowed to offer a catalogue of 30million free songs that are compatible with iPods, but record labels have denied they had granted permission to share the songs.

Qtrax, which makes its debut today, is the latest online music venture counting on the lure of free songs to draw in music fans.

The key to their revolutionary venture was thought to be advertising, which they hope will pay the bills, namely record company licensing fees.

The New York-based service was among several peer-to-peer file-sharing applications that emerged following the shutdown of Napster, the pioneer service that enabled millions to illegally copy songs stored in other computers.

But Warner Music said it had not authorised the use of its tracks by Qtrax - and later Universal Music Group and EMI followed suit, saying they did not have licensing deals with Qtrax and discussions were continuing.

Justin Kazmark, a spokesman for New York-based Qtrax, has declined to comment.

To take advantage of the free but legal service, the user will need to download the Qtrax software which displays adverts while the user is searching and downloading songs.

The site was expected to feature special sections including one called "Last Night" where users can search for newly added tracks from live concerts that were recorded the night before.

It will also feature music videos, artist documentaries, interviews, album reviews and biographies among other features...