BitTorrent is launching the revenue model through a pilot program using a of songs by hip-hop artist DJ Shadow. The music is promoted visibly on the website. When users download it, they can also opt in to download one of several free applications, such as the RealPlayer video player. Each time a user downloads an app, the software vendor will pay BitTorrent an advertising fee, which BitTorrent will share with DJ Shadow, BitTorrent said on Tuesday.

BitTorrent sees the revenue-sharing model as "a potentially sustainable way for all artists to monetize BitTorrent," it said in a statement. BitTorrent claims to have 150 million monthly active users and says the file-sharing protocol it pioneered drives more than one-fifth of all global Internet traffic.

BitTorrent, like other file-sharing services, is often thought of as a hub for illegal sharing of copyrighted material. The entertainment industry says that practice unjustly deprives artists of the proceeds of their work. But some BitTorrent users share files that are not protected by copyright.

The company did not immediately make anyone available for an interview.

BitTorrent has in the past made arrangements with artists to feature their work on the site. It claimed that such promotional efforts delivered "ancillary revenue" to artists even though no revenue was shared. For example, featured artists may have seen ramped-up concert ticket sales as a result of the promotion.