yar-harring 201
this guide assumes you're already familiar with the basics of torrenting. if you don't know the difference between torrenting and downloading a .torrent file, you probably shouldn't be here.
otherwise, make sure you're using Firefox with uBlock Origin then read on to learn how to more swiftly sail the high seas.
how did digital piracy actually begin?
in the early days of personal computing, software was often freely shared. the idea of proprietary software, where developers control distribution and usage, wasn't yet established. as home computers became more common, developers introduced licensing agreements and digital rights management to control their products. over time, software became an extension of copyright law, with concepts like theft being stretched to include simple acts of copying data.
will i get in trouble if i visit a pirate website or download torrent files?
most issues come up when copyright holders log your IP address from a public torrent and file a complaint with your internet service provider, typically when your client seeds data back to peers. just visiting a site or downloading a .torrent file in your browser shouldn't set off any alerts with your ISP. however, exercise caution when using any kind of tracker. common sense is your best defense.
a VPN can help avoid warnings, but it's safer to keep "infringing" traffic off your network entirely by using a remote server for torrenting. more on that later.
what's the difference between a public & private tracker?
public trackers don’t require a login and are accessible to anyone with the address. torrents from these sites may be monitored by copyright lawyers and related foul beasts. thepiratebay is a well-known example of a public tracker.
private trackers, on the other hand, require signing up for access. these sites can vary in exclusivity. some have open signup periods, some have interviews, while others are invite-only. it's kind of clique-y, but it's meant to weed out those same copyright lawyers, posers, and people who otherwise don't care enough to follow the rules.
in contrast to public trackers, sites like these are not a free-for-all. you must contribute (by uploading, or seeding) an amount equal to what you've taken from the tracker. a ratio method comparing how much you download to the amount of data you upload is used to keep a record of your contribution balance. this encourages long-term retention of older content that would otherwise become unavailable.
additional information on popular private trackers can be found near the bottom of this article.
how can i tell if what i download is safe?
for files under 650MB, you can scan them on VirusTotal, though false positives are common. other good options are Intezer Analyze or Hybrid Analysis.
for larger, or multiple files, use an open-source scanner like ClamWin.
you should be careful to scrutinize anything from a public tracker before downloading. fake uploaders are common.
while caution is important when doing any torrenting, the risk is generally lower when downloading from private sites with rules and active moderation.
what's a VPN?
a virtual private network, or VPN, creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet, making it difficult for anyone to track your activity. unless the tracker forbids it, always use a VPN while torrenting. keep that thing wrapped.
as crucial as a VPN can be in providing increased privacy and security, it's also important to choose a reputable service, as not all of them are created equal. companies may be legally obligated to hand over logged data on their users because the local government asked nicely, depending on their location.
Mullvad or ProtonVPN are both good options that claim to not log any identifiable data. although more than likely safe, never fully trust services like this. agreements between some countries allow agencies to share data across borders.
(online privacy and how it relates to alliances between governments is somewhat outside the scope of this article. i'm working on writing further about that topic here.)
a more secure option is to set up your own VPN by renting space on a remote server (preferably in another country with lax copyright law), also known as a VPS, or virtual private server.
wait, what's a VPS? i thought it was VPN. help, it's so dark in here.
a virtual private server (VPS) is rentable space on a high-performance computer within a private network. this server hosts programs that you can access remotely. not only can you host a personal VPN that you can route your computer's connection through, you can also run a full torrent client on it too.
the server handles torrenting the files, which can be securely downloaded once complete, leaving the torrent active on the server to continue seeding using its datacenter's fast internet speeds.
a set-up like this gives you more control over your data, helps build up a ratio on private trackers, and keeps suspicious torrent traffic off your network.
that sounds like a lot.
running a whole server yourself can be intimidating at first. of course, there are many vendors out there who will take care of all the updates and configuration for you.
these managed servers, called seedboxes, are optimized for torrenting. they may also offer additional hosted applications like OpenVPN or Plex.
while you give up a lot of control over an unmanaged VPS, you also avoid the potential headache of having to figure everything out yourself.
seedbox vendor list (alphabetical)
here's a directory of some seedbox vendors. these are all managed servers to varying degrees.
i don't have personal experience with most of them so this is not meant to be an endorsement of any specific site. all should provide some kind of documentation to follow to get you set up.
| provider | plans starting at |
|---|---|
| Bytesized Hosting | €14.00 / month |
| Cloudboxes.io | €14.95 / month |
| Dediseedbox | $10.00 / month |
| ElfHosted | $3.00 / app / month |
| EvoSeedbox | $5.00 / month |
| Feral Hosting | £10.00 / month |
| Giga-Rapid | €0.99 / month |
| HostingByDesign | €6.59 / month |
| Hyperboxes | €54.00 / month |
| PulsedMedia | €4.99 / month |
| RapidSeedboxes | €8.00 / month |
| SonicBit | $2.15 / month |
| The Seedbox Company | €10.76 / month |
| Seedboxes.cc | €14.35 / month |
| Seedhost | €6.00 / month |
| Seedit4.me | €11.99 / month |
| Seedmonster | $9.99 / month |
| Swizzin | $15.95 / month |
| Ultra.cc | €4.95 / month |
| WhatBox | $15.00 / month |
| Xirvik | $12.95 / month |
so, what now? how do i join a private tracker?
check the sites listed below, or opentrackers. if the tracker you're looking for isn't available, you can get started on one that has open signups and build a ratio there by seeding popular torrents.
some trackers also have their own invite forums that you can use to work your way into other more exclusive sites once you meet their ratio requirements.
where should i look to join for different types of content?
i won't be providing any direct links but you should be able to track them down yourself with the info below.
once you get access, you're all set to get back to more safely navigating these dangerous waters. good luck out there, i believe in you.
general:
Torrentleech (TL)
large general tracker known for having open signups very often
difficulty to join: open/easy
FileList (FL)
general tracker with a huge amount of content including encodes from top groups like HDB internals
difficulty to join: easy
games:
Pixelcove (PxC)
general gaming tracker
difficulty to join: easy
GazelleGames (GGn)
one of the largest gaming trackers, featuring content for just about every system
difficulty to join: medium
books:
MyAnonaMouse (MAM)
book/audiobook/comics tracker with an open interview for anyone who wants to join
difficulty to join: open/easy
Bibliotik (BIB)
one of the largest trackers for books, known for long wait times for accepting new sign-ups
difficulty to join: hard
movies:
PassThePopcorn (PTP)
the premier movie tracker. houses a huge selection of both popular and niche content
difficulty to join: very hard
Cinemageddon (CG)
centered around B movies and other cinematic garbage fires
difficulty to join: hard
Anthelion (ANT)
general movie tracker that has less content compared to PTP, but is quickly growing. sister site of the TV tracker NBL
difficulty to join: easy
Karagarga (KG)
niche movie tracker focused around non-Hollywood and arthouse films
difficulty to join: very hard
Secret Cinema (SC)
focused on obscure and arthouse content, overlaps a lot with KG, but is much easier to join
difficulty to join: easy
Great Poster Wall (GPW)
a Chinese gazelle based tracker with movies and some TV. Chinese university email required, but recently had open signups so it's still more accessible than AoM
difficulty to join: unlikely
for more sites with movies, see the HD section
TV:
BroadcasTheNet (BTN)
the top TV tracker, featuring a huge catalog, well known internal releasers, strong retention, and no ratio requirements
difficulty to join: very hard
MoreThanTV (MTV)
previously the runner up TV tracker, the staff are rebuilding the site and community so retention is not like it once was. ratioless
difficulty to join: medium
Nebulance (NBL)
another ratioless TV site, good for popular or new TV, not so much for unpopular or older content. sister site of movie tracker ANT
difficulty to join: easy
Tv-Vault (TVV)
focusing on older TV, does not allow any show that did not finish airing at least 5 years ago
difficulty to join: hard
for more sites with TV, see the HD section.
HD (movies and TV):
HDBits (HDB)
the internal release site for a massive number of encoders, including many of the top groups. it also has a collection of full disc rips. there is another less active site, SDB, for SD content
difficulty to join: very hard
BeyondHD (BHD)
known for being the internal release site for the remux group FraMeSToR, as well as being the new home of many former AHD internals. untouched SD content is allowed if no HD version exists
difficulty to join: hard
Blutopia (BLU)
considerable collection of DVD/Blu-ray discs of all regions. internals and user remux program are known for solid releases, and they also have a dedicated fanres section
difficulty to join: medium
PrivateHD (PHD)
former home of the release group EPSiLON
difficulty to join: medium
HD-Torrents (HDT)
entry level HD site with basic activity requirements and no hit & run policy
difficulty to join: easy
music:
REDacted (RED)
the largest general music tracker (also has some software). it has an interview to join, although the wait can be incredibly long
difficulty to join: dependent on your patience/time for the interview
Orpheus (OPS)
very similar to RED, as both are based on What.CDs model. less content overall, but a bonus point system that makes building ratio easier. features a similar interview, although wait times seem less long
difficulty to join: dependent on your patience/time for the interview
Jpopsuki
Asian music tracker (not just jpop)
difficulty to join: medium
...or just use Soulseek.
anime:
Animebytes (AB)
huge archive of anime with great retention, isn't as organized as other top trackers
difficulty to join: hard
BakaBT (BBT)
very old anime tracker known for unmatched retention, does not have as much content as AB or Nyaa. interview to join
difficulty to join: easy
Nyaa
public tracker which most anime content is released to, however retention isn't always great for older content and it isn't very well-organized
difficulty to join: open
e-learning:
TheGeeks
e-learning site with occasional open signups. difficult to build ratio
difficulty to join: open/medium
Bitspyder
popular alternative to TheGeeks
difficulty to join: medium
misc:
Art of Misdirection (AoM)
extremely exclusive tracker devoted to community content & trade secrets for stage magic
difficulty to join: impossible (YOU HAVE TO BE A LIKE FOR REAL, DOCUMENTED MAGICIAN)