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Qtrax is back with new claims of a digital music revolution

Qtrax screenshotQtrax is aiming for a relaunch some time in 2015 as an ad-supported streaming service that will stop piracy and better compensate artists. CEO Allan Klepfisz talked a big game in an interview with The Telegraph, calling those goals “two paradigm shifts.”

The news of Qtrax’s resurgence has been met by the music press with mostly skepticism. The company last made headlines back in 2008, when it was an ad-supported free download service that claimed to have licensing deals with the major labels. Several of those labels promptly responded that Qtrax had no such deals.

Not only does Qtrax have that mark on its name, but ad-supported streaming is already a crowded space. Appealing to performers is a great first step. Its business model plans to dedicate 30% of its equity for an Artists Trust and 10% of royalties are slated to go directly to artists and songwriters. That addresses the musicians who are releasing their own work, but having a competitive service will still require playing ball with labels and publishers. The freemium approach also has proven a very hard sell among the artist community.

Anna Washenko

3 Comments

  1. No different than Mad Rip-off (Genius? Really?) who stole Radical’s idea hook, line, and sinker, or Beyond Stupidity (Oblivion?!?) who stole over 80 million dollars from suckers with a mathematically (and morally) bankrupt idea, artists will not see dime one from these idiots. They are bottom feeders struggling for cheap headlines to support imagination-less concepts, and they have no intention to help anyone but themselves. Allan Dipshitz (Klepfisz?) will fall by the wayside faster than Qtrax (if it ever even launches).

    Even PONO is a good idea in comparison to this. And despite its naiveté, PONO will likely pay Artists SOMETHING before the world catches on to Neil having no clothes (why couldn’t he have just stuck to music and left tech to the technically qualified?).

    Frankly, The Telegraph (and RAIN) should not give such losers an audience via column space. These guys are morons deliberately trying to confuse both artists and listeners of serious services for personal gain. They are the used-car salesmen of a complex and ultimately bright streaming future. And if any of them has the gumption to meet me face-to-face over a beer I’ll be happy to tell them the same, in no uncertain terms.

    Good morning by the way 😉

    From the HotSeat,
    Tom McAlevey, CEO Radical.FM

  2. after reading your comment Tom, I searched online and found a lot of stuff about this company. Also something on FB, of people who used to work for Qtrax, and claim they didn’t get paid or something.

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