BitTorrent to Monetize Its Platform With BitTorrent Bundle Alpha
BitTorrent has built a format called the BitTorrent Bundle, which will let content owners charge for some files within a torrent.
The company has partnered with the music label Ultra to test out the Bundle Alpha by sharing a mix of behind-the-scenes music, videos, and a "digital tour booklet" from Kaskade, a star in the realm of electronic dance music.
The BitTorrent Bundle is not an album, an MP3, or an MOV. It's a multimedia format. It's an early build of a new type of torrent file where fan interaction, like email collection or donation, happens inside the torrent.
Ultra's BitTorrent Bundle is a behind-the-scenes look at Kaskade's 2012 "Freaks of Nature" tour, designed to support the artist?s May 14th documentary release.
When you download the Ultra Bundle from BitTorrent, you get half the content gratis: the Dada Life remix of Dynasty, and the "Freaks of Nature" tour trailer. The other half of the content inside the file is a functional record store, with content you can unlock using your email. Opt to keep in touch, and Kaskade will hook you up with unreleased footage from his historic 2012's Staples Center show, as well as an exclusive digital tour booklet.
In partnership with Ultra Music, Kaskade, and the people of the Internet, BitTorrent is working on a distributed technology solution for creators.
"Our goal is to move the interaction to where it matters; making it a property of the file, versus the distribution framework; giving artists real data about, and real access to, their fans," the company said in a blog post.
The Bundle Alpha works like any other torrent. However, you must open the torrent in BitTorrent or uTorrent. When a user begins downloading content, a new browser window opens as well. In the case of the Kaskade "Freaks of Nature" Bundle (download), users are asked to contribute an e-mail address. However, the same mechanism allows torrent creators to charge for content if they choose to do so.
The BitTorrent Bundle is not an album, an MP3, or an MOV. It's a multimedia format. It's an early build of a new type of torrent file where fan interaction, like email collection or donation, happens inside the torrent.
Ultra's BitTorrent Bundle is a behind-the-scenes look at Kaskade's 2012 "Freaks of Nature" tour, designed to support the artist?s May 14th documentary release.
When you download the Ultra Bundle from BitTorrent, you get half the content gratis: the Dada Life remix of Dynasty, and the "Freaks of Nature" tour trailer. The other half of the content inside the file is a functional record store, with content you can unlock using your email. Opt to keep in touch, and Kaskade will hook you up with unreleased footage from his historic 2012's Staples Center show, as well as an exclusive digital tour booklet.
In partnership with Ultra Music, Kaskade, and the people of the Internet, BitTorrent is working on a distributed technology solution for creators.
"Our goal is to move the interaction to where it matters; making it a property of the file, versus the distribution framework; giving artists real data about, and real access to, their fans," the company said in a blog post.
The Bundle Alpha works like any other torrent. However, you must open the torrent in BitTorrent or uTorrent. When a user begins downloading content, a new browser window opens as well. In the case of the Kaskade "Freaks of Nature" Bundle (download), users are asked to contribute an e-mail address. However, the same mechanism allows torrent creators to charge for content if they choose to do so.
