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EMI Launches Advertising-Supported P2P Service

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ads-and-pay-to-play-not-so-new dept.

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."

11 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. That sure was fast... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Qtrax's proprietary ".mpq" file format

    There, out of business before I was able to read to the end of the article.

  2. Wait, so why should we get this? by Frenchman113 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Let's see... I get a "free" version of this P2P. Said P2P software contains adware and r00ts my system. Therefore, I pay a monthly fee for songs that are so DRM'ed that I can't play them more than a few times? Am I the only one that thinks there's something broken with this?

    1. Re:Wait, so why should we get this? by cyxxon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That was exactly my first thought. After checking some pics on the install guide, my jaw dropped to the floor. This installer replaces tcpip.sys and even advises the user just to click away the warning message Windows pops up because system files are being touched. Install guides like this are ok if I find them on some forum explaining how to install XP Visual Styles by using patched Dlls since I kinda know what I am doing, but coming from a global player like EMI and obviously directed at the unsavvy unwashed mashes... *shudder* I mean, Joe Sixpack will trust these guys!

      This is one major point where Microsoft has always been critizised - lax security. And now really big companies undermine even the weak efforts Microsoft has put into their OS because of freaking ad-supported DRM encumbered music... way to go, EMI...

  3. Permanently? by haeger · · Score: 5, Interesting
    ...or purchase music permanently.


    So, that means that I'll be buying .mp3 (or .ogg) with no DRM in them? If not I'm not interested. I refuse to buy the same music over and over again. Give me something that's better than the (illegal) p2p-nets out there and I'll use it.


    Oh, and on an unrelated note ThePirateBay is back up again.

    .haeger

    --
    You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. -- Harlan Ellison
  4. Re:iTunes FairPlay Vs Qtrax DRM by ovoskeuiks · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well given my recent troubles to decrypt an EMI copy protected CD i'm not sure where to go for music that I can listen to in the manner I choose.

    Seriously I use to pirate alot of music then I decided one day that it wasn't right and I should pay for the music I listen to. So I went out and purchased a couple of new CD's and I get rewarded with CD's that don't play in some CD players or as with the case with the last CD I bought, cannot play it on my computer or store the music on my computer. I can run the Macromedia player thing that comes with it but that it turns out is just playing .wma files hidden in a second session on the cd. 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.

  5. Not gonna work by FiveDollarYoBet · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Hmmm.... so I can either watch ads and download music in a proprietary format that expires after time OR I can pay for a subscription and all of the songs I download are only good for as long as I keep paying each month?!?!?!

    FTA:The premium subscription service tier uses Microsoft's Janus DRM technology, which allows consumers to pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to music in the Qtrax network. Subscribers will also have the ability to transfer content to Windows Media enabled portable devices for as long as the subscription stays active.

    Services like this will never work. Their formats aren't compatible with iPODs and their proprietary formats and 'listen as long as you subscribe' business models are just plain stupid.

    How about a service where it's fifty cents to download a song, you can choose what format you want it in and it doesn't expire.
    How about letting me download it and listen to it first to see if I like it. If I don't pony up the two quarters it expires in a week.
    How about making an online store that doesn't require iTunes, Windows Media Player or any of the other bloatware mp3 players out there.
    How about putting together an online music store that people will actually use, until then me and everybody else I know of is just going to keep pirating.

    signature goes here

    1. Re:Not gonna work by 19061969 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Like Magnatune? ;)

      Sorry to bang on about it and okay, I know the selection isn't the best but it's not bad at all. You can try entire albums before you buy, download in whatever format (MP3, OGG, WAV, Flac, etc), albums costs $6.00 each (you can pay more if you want), it doesn't need any proprietary player, the downloads work with any MP3 player.

      Oh and you can give 3 copies of your download to friends legally. And the help is way better than anything else out there for music.

      And yes, I do use it. In fact, it's the only place I get music these days because I'm tired of being treated like a potential criminal ("pirate") and paying for the privilege.

      --
      bang goes my karma... again...
  6. Re:No iPod compatability = dead. by grub · · Score: 5, Insightful


    Won't work on iPod. Won't work on any portable music player. This'll go the way of Circuit City's DIVX and they'll blame piracy for the failure of their inflexible system.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  7. nice system! by tehwebguy · · Score: 4, Funny

    wow this sounds like the only p2p system more annoying than kazaa!

    --
    -- lol pwned
  8. Finally! by Zaphod-AVA · · Score: 5, Funny

    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

  9. EMI takes one step forward, two steps back... by Pollux · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It appears that EMI has seen that P2P can be a legitimate medium for which to distribute music to consumers, but it still has a lot to learn:

    The premium subscription service tier uses Microsoft's Janus DRM technology...for unlimited access to music in the Qtrax network. Subscribers will also have the ability to transfer content to Windows Media enabled portable devices for as long as the subscription stays active.

    1) You don't ever own the music. It's being licensed, and as soon as you cancel your subscription, the DRM will stop the music from playing.

    2) You can't burn the music to a CD, still the most common method for playing music.

    3) You can't play the music on any portable device that doesn't support Windows Media, meaning iPod owners can't transfer the music to their iPods.

    EMI doesn't seem to understand that consumers want to take their music with them, not leave it on the computer. The #1 portable music player right now is the CD player, and iPod is #2. You can't have a viable competitor in the market if you cut off the top two music players, parading your DRM agenda. This service won't fly.