China's Baidu Qualifies Partnership with Music Service Qtrax

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 6, 2009 - 10:41am.

*A clarification was made to this story.

Los Angeles - Chinese search giant Baidu (NASD: BIDU) has issued a statement indicating that it will not in fact be directing users searching for music on the site to ad-supported downloads available from U.S.-based Qtrax -- as that company announced earlier this week, IDG News Service reported. "The partnership with Qtrax regards text-based information, such as singer backgrounds; it has nothing to do with the music itself," a Baidu spokesperson told IDG. Qtrax said in its announcement that Baidu would direct users to Qtrax "wherever Qtrax has the queried...song in its catalogue."

Clarification: IDG News Service has amended its original story, with input from Qtrax CEO Allan Klepfisz. Qtrax links will appear on artist pages on two of Baidu's entertainment-related portals, but will not feature on Baidu's popular MP3 search engine page. The company maintains that users searching on Baidu's Entertainment Portal and Qian Qian Music Online sites will be directed to Qtrax "when Qtrax has the queried artist or song in its catalogue." The Qtrax service isn't expected to launch in China until next month.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/t3umf (IDG)

http://snipurl.com/t3umz (DMW previous coverage)

http://www.baidu.com

http://www.qtrax.com