QTRAX was an ad-supported digital music service that provides Downloads, Streaming and Radio via Mac and PC. CEO Allan Klepfisz has stated that maintaining compensation for copyright holders while capturing part of the 95 percent marketshare that continues to download music illegally is the ambition behind Qtrax's current model. QTRAX launched a new initiative, the ARTIST MANIFESTO, on 27 January 2015, aimed at providing music artists with better compensation for digital music consumed via its digital music services. The New York-based company which held license agreements with a number of major and independent labels closed following a Tel-Aviv District Court order. QTRAX allowed music fans to download free and legal music with a selection of millions of tracks from major labels. The Qtrax Player client has been created on the Microsoft Silverlight Platform. The service was totally free to use with registration and generates revenue by a combination of advertising and strategic partnerships. Qtrax value-added service included band pages complete with links to YouTube videos, Ticketmaster ticket searches, Amazon purchase links, and a Wikipedia link. Users could interact socially by creating playlists and sending music recommendations to friends. The files utilize Microsoft's Windows Media Digital Rights Management. This platform ensures the ad-supported application continues to offer free access to music files.
Criticism
The company announced the launch of its service in January 2008, at the music industry's global conference MIDEM in Cannes. Qtrax claimed to have obtained licenses to distribute the music of the big fourmusic record labels: EMI, SonyBMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. In the days leading up to the announcement, the stock price of Qtrax's parent company, Brilliant Digital, reached a 52-week high. However, within days, it became clear to the media that several of the material claims made by the company were untrue. In January 2008, the internet policing company, Web Sheriff notified Qtrax that regardless of whether the music companies supported the service, individual artists would have to give their approval. It was also reported that many of the images on the Qtrax web site were unlicensed. On March 18, 2008, Italian digital music website MusicBlob found that apparently several CD compilations of the Ultra Rare Trax series, a bootlegged CD series circulated on CD during the 1990s and dedicated to artists such as The KLF, Kraftwerk, Duran Duran and others, are listed in the Qtrax catalogue as if they were legitimate release. On April 25, 2015, The Telegraph reported that despite Qtrax's self-claimed approach of being pro-artists, it owes its employees thousands of dollars in unpaid salaries. The former employees are reporting accordingly in their Facebook page and their blog.
International availability
In 2011 the QTRAX Music Service was available in 68 countries.
