Qtrax Adds Sony on Partnership List
Qtrax, the ad-supported online music sharing service so busy lately with signing contracts with big names in the music industry and extending its offering, follows its chain of deals with the major music publishers with Sony. The joint venture will have Qtrax offering Sony's digital music catalog for free to users who install on their machines its music downloading client.
Similarly to the agreements with EMI and Universal, Qtrax got from Sony only license to the latter’s regular digital music catalog which contains the music that has already been made available via digital music stores such as iTunes and free, ad-supported sources like imeem and SpiralFrog.
However, the company’s plans are much more extensive than that, Qtrax intending to come with a smashing offer that would include unreleased, live, rare, remixed and other major label music not included in the official catalog. Among the sources Usenet might be considered.
According to Wired.com, Qtrax president and CEO Allan Klepfisz is confident this way the company will enrich its music offering up to 30 million tracks (currently iTunes offering include 8 million tracks). However, that picture is still a long way until it may come into view.
Enthusiasm was the key note in which Sony global digital business and US sales president Thomas Hesse presented this partnership with Qtrax:"We are always exploring new and exciting ways of bringing our music to fans in the digital space and are very happy to support Qtrax and their innovative ad-supported business model."
In his turn Qtrax's Klepfisz said "Sony BMG has a well deserved reputation for innovation. We welcome the addition of this vast and vital catalogue to Qtrax's worldwide service. "
