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EMI Launches Advertising-Supported P2P Service
SirClicksalot writes to tell us that EMI is launching the first ad-supported peer-to-peer music downloading service called Qtrax. With Qtrax users will have two tiers of membership available to them, which EMI hopes will draw in a large segment of users to try it out and graduate many of them to stay on with a monthly fee or purchase music permanently. From the article "In the ad-supported, free tier, users will be able to search the network for specific tracks, and those tracks registered with Qtrax will be made available for download in Qtrax's proprietary ".mpq" file format. Users will then be able to play the downloaded .mpq file in full-fidelity sound quality for a pre-defined number of times. Each time a consumer plays a track, the Qtrax player will also offer fans click-to-buy purchase options, as well as the opportunity to upgrade to a premium subscription service for a flat monthly fee."
This sounded fine, until I read the fatal words: Qtrax's proprietary ".mpq" file format
I like the idea. I will likely subscribe. As soon as I put my hands on .mpq to .mp3 converter.
Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
wow this sounds like the only p2p system more annoying than kazaa!
-- lol pwned
Finally we have a service that combines the advertisements we love with the digital rights management software that keeps our music safely encoded! Bonus feature: we get to enjoy the advertisements all over again when our favorite song expires!
-Z
You can buy a universal audio format converter for $5 at RadioShack. Apparently a loophole in the DMCA allows the sale of this product.
It was one hell of a lot easier to simply download the music, why do I feel punished for trying to do the 'right' thing.
Don't worry about it too much. The important thing is that you learned your lesson.