DJ Shadow Becomes First Artist to Strike Payment Deal With BitTorrent

Torrents have become the enduring kryptonite for most artists in the music industry, but DJ Shadow has opted to monetize this free file sharing.

The DJ recently partnered with BitTorrent to get revenue each time a user downloads one of his new tracks for free using the site. As part of this deal, BitTorrent is currently offering three MP3s from DJ Shadow’s upcoming album, Hidden Transmissions from the MPC Era (1992-1996).

The user must also install bundled software from one of BitTorrent’s ad partners to activate the artist cut. Depending on location, these bundles can includes media software like Real Player.

“We’ve seen how relevant and meaningful good content offers are to our users, and how supportive the BitTorrent community is of the content creators we work with,” BitTorrent CEO Eric Klinker said in a statement.

Klinker also said that this is the first step towards monetizing the torrent system and changing the image of torrent downloads from online piracy to sustainable business for content creators. “New business models built on top of the BitTorrent ecosystem are the future of content,” Klinker continued. “This is where fans are. It’s time to bring artists, filmmakers and game developers into that conversation in meaningful ways, too.”

In July, BitTorrent also premiered three tracks from Chester French’s new album, Music 4 TNGRS, in a featured bundle.