BitTorrent Now is the ad-supported Spotify/Netflix for independent artists
There’s a new player in the streaming market, BitTorrent, is looking to roll out an ad-supported network of content.
BitTorrent Now has an artist carousel like Netflix/Spotify
BitTorrent Now has launched on Android, soon to follow on Apple TV and iOS. Indie artists will be able to host their content there, with BitTorrent willing to settle for a 30 per cent slice of the any revenue.
The company’s unique pitch is: “We started BitTorrent Bundle: to give artists options. Not rules. The freedom to share your story, no matter what form it takes. The right to know, understand, and reach your audience. The right to choose your business model.”
BitTorrent co-chief executive Jeremy Johnson, said: “We believe art is about engagement, about connecting people. This is why we endeavor to build awesome experiences, to build platforms that allow creators to deliver the most engaging work possible. And to allow them to set the business model that best fits their unique work. And in a way that publishers can access and retain ALL consumer data. Engagement means transparency.”
The company has long had paygates, its BitTorrent bundles landed in 2014, used by Radiohead’s frontman Thom Yorke for the launching his solo album on it. It’s also had prominent figures like Moby, and David Cross experiment with its distribution potential. It claims to have had 200m downloads through its bundles service since launching, a figure not to be dismissed.
It is ambitious for the company to try and cut through the SoundClouds and YouTubes of the world to offer artists an alternative revenue stream. But BitTorrent is a company looking to disrupt the status quo, it’s even eyeing a move into publishing.
Earlier this week it emerged that the company is looking to create a live news channel with the hiring of a news editor, the company has showed a renewed cross platform ambition to be the place independent artists and film makers go to be seen and heard