Torrent

• Torrentfreak
• The Pirate Bay

In the BitTorrent file distribution system, a torrent file or METAINFO is a computer file that contains metadata about files and folders to be distributed, and usually also a list of the network locations of trackers, which are computers that help participants in the system find each other and form efficient distribution groups called swarms.^[1] A torrent file does not contain the content to be distributed; it only contains information about those files, such as their names, sizes, folder structure, and cryptographic hash values for verifying file integrity. The term torrent may refer either to the metadata file or to the files downloaded, depending on the context.

The cascade of same-sex marriage rulings is now a torrent, each more quotable and image-ready than the last. Torrent networking debuted in 2001. A Python-language programmer, Bram Cohen, created the technology with the intent to share it with everyone.And indeed, its popularity has taken off since 2005. The torrent community has now grown to millions of users worldwide in 2009. The official µTorrent® (uTorrent) torrent client for Windows, Mac, Android and Linux-- uTorrent is the #1 BitTorrent download client on desktops worldwide.

In a nutshell, a torrent file is like an index, which facilitates the efficient lookup of information (but doesn't contain the information itself) and the address of available worldwide computers which upload the content. Torrent files themselves and the method of using torrent files have been created to ease the load on servers. With help of torrents, one can download files from other computers which have the file or even a fraction of the file. These 'peers' allow downloading of the file in addition to, or in place of, the primary server.

Torrent files are normally named with the extension.torrent.

• 3Extensions
  • 3.1Draft extensions
• 4Examples

Background[edit]

Typically, Internet access is asymmetrical, supporting greater download speeds than upload speeds, limiting the bandwidth of each download, and sometimes enforcing bandwidth caps and periods where systems are not accessible. This creates inefficiency when many people want to obtain the same set of files from a single source; the source must always be online and must have massive outbound bandwidth. The BitTorrent protocol addresses this by decentralizing the distribution, leveraging the ability of people to network 'peer-to-peer', among themselves.

Each file to be distributed is divided into small information chunks called pieces. Downloading peers achieve high download speeds by requesting multiple pieces from different computers simultaneously in the swarm. Once obtained, these pieces are usually immediately made available for download by others in the swarm. In this way, the burden on the network is spread among the downloaders, rather than concentrating at a central distribution hub or cluster. As long as all the pieces are available, peers (downloaders and uploaders) can come and go; no one peer needs to have all the chunks, or to even stay connected to the swarm in order for distribution to continue among the other peers.

A small torrent file is created to represent a file or folder to be shared. The torrent file acts as the key to initiating downloading of the actual content. Someone interested in receiving the shared file or folder first obtains the corresponding torrent file, either by directly downloading it, or by using a magnet link. The user then opens that file in a BitTorrent client, which automates the rest of the process. In order to learn the Internet locations of peers which may be sharing pieces, the client connects to the trackers named in the torrent file, and/or achieves a similar result through the use of distributed hash tables. Then the client connects directly to the peers in order to request pieces and otherwise participate in a swarm. The client may also report progress to trackers, to help the tracker with its peer recommendations.

When the client has all the pieces, they assemble them into a usable form. They may also continue sharing the pieces, elevating its status to that of seeder rather than ordinary peer.

File structure[edit]

A torrent file contains a list of files and integrity metadata about all the pieces, and optionally contains a list of trackers.

A torrent file is a bencodeddictionary with the following keys (the keys in any bencoded dictionary are lexicographically ordered):

• announce—the URL of the tracker
• info—this maps to a dictionary whose keys are dependent on whether one or more files are being shared:
  • files—a list of dictionaries each corresponding to a file (only when multiple files are being shared). Each dictionary has the following keys:
    • length—size of the file in bytes.
    • path—a list of strings corresponding to subdirectory names, the last of which is the actual file name
  • length—size of the file in bytes (only when one file is being shared)
  • name—suggested filename where the file is to be saved (if one file)/suggested directory name where the files are to be saved (if multiple files)
  • piece length—number of bytes per piece. This is commonly 2⁸ KiB = 256 KiB = 262,144 B.
  • pieces—a hash list, i.e., a concatenation of each piece's SHA-1 hash. As SHA-1 returns a 160-bit hash, pieces will be a string whose length is a multiple of 20 bytes. If the torrent contains multiple files, the pieces are formed by concatenating the files in the order they appear in the files dictionary (i.e. all pieces in the torrent are the full piece length except for the last piece, which may be shorter).

All strings must be UTF-8 encoded, except for pieces, which contains binary data.

Extensions[edit]

A torrent file can also contain additional metadata defined in extensions to the BitTorrent specification.^[2] These are known as 'BitTorrent Enhancement Proposals.' Examples of such proposals include metadata for stating who created the torrent, and when.

Draft extensions[edit]

These extensions are under consideration for standardization.

Distributed hash tables[edit]

BEP-0005^[3] extends BitTorrent to support distributed hash tables.

A trackerless torrent dictionary does not have an announce key. Instead, a trackerless torrent has a nodes key:

For example,

The specification recommends that nodes 'should be set to the K closest nodes in the torrent generating client's routing table. Alternatively, the key could be set to a known good node such as one operated by the person generating the torrent.'

Multiple trackers[edit]

BEP-0012^[4] extends BitTorrent to support multiple trackers.

A new key, announce-list, is placed in the top-most dictionary (i.e. with announce and info)

HTTP seeds[edit]

BEP-0017^[5] extends BitTorrent to support HTTP seeds.

A new key, httpseeds, is placed in the top-most list (i.e. with announce and info). This key's value is a list of web addresses where torrent data can be retrieved:

Private torrents[edit]

BEP-0027^[6] extends BitTorrent to support private torrents.

A new key, private, is placed in the info dictionary. This key's value is 1 if the torrent is private:

Merkle trees[edit]

BEP-0030^[7] extends BitTorrent to support Merkle trees. The purpose is to reduce the file size of torrent files, which reduces the burden on those that serve torrent files.

A torrent file using Merkle trees does not have a pieces key in the info list. Instead, such a torrent file has a root_hash key in the info list. This key's value is the root hash of the Merkle hash:

Examples[edit]

Single file[edit]

Here is what a de-bencoded torrent file (with piece length 256 KiB = 262,144 bytes) for a file debian-503-amd64-CD-1.iso (whose size is 678 301 696 bytes) might look like:

Note: pieces here would be a 51 KiB value (${\displaystyle \lceil \frac{\mathtt{l}\mathtt{e}\mathtt{n}\mathtt{g}\mathtt{t}\mathtt{h}}{\mathtt{p}\mathtt{i}\mathtt{e}\mathtt{c}\mathtt{e}\mathtt{l}\mathtt{e}\mathtt{n}\mathtt{g}\mathtt{t}\mathtt{h}}\rceil \times 160=414080\mathrm{b}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{s}}$).

Multiple files[edit]

Here is what a de-bencoded torrent file (with 'piece length' 256 KiB = 262144 B) for two files, 111.txt and 222.txt, might look like:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'BEP-0003: The BitTorrent Protocol Specification'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
2. ^'BEP-0000: Index of BitTorrent Enhancement Proposals'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
3. ^'BEP-0005: DHT Protocol'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
4. ^'BEP-0012: Multitracker Metadata Extension'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
5. ^'BEP-0017: HTTP Seeding'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
6. ^'BEP-0027: Private Torrents'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
7. ^'BEP-0030: Merkle hash torrent extension'. Bittorrent.org. Retrieved 2009-10-22.

External links[edit]

The top torrent sites currently include old favorites like The Pirate Bay, as well as very popular sites like RARBG, 1337X, Torlock, YTS.ag, TorrentDownloads, and LimeTorrents.

That said, we know that the best torrent site is always the one that has the high-quality torrent you're after, and with the most seeders, so a large and thorough list of torrent sites, like those in the list below the torrents that are the best of the best, is always a welcome resource to find.

We don't condone illegal sharing of copyrighted files. Please see our full disclaimer and warning for new torrent users at the bottom of the page.

Tips for New Torrent Users

If you're new to torrents, we have two resources that will help you get started in torrenting.

• Torrent File Sharing: A Beginner's Guide: Learn how BitTorrent file sharing works, what a torrent file is, how to protect yourself, and how to get to the movies and music you're after in the safest and efficient way possible.
• How to Spot Fake Torrents: Fake torrents are a big problem and not one a newcomer might assume is something she or he has to worry about. This article contains lots of torrent site searching tips to keep you out of harm's way.

Also, be sure you're running fully updated anti-malware software before you visit any of these sites, and try one of the Best VPN Service Providers that can help keep your torrent activity, and other browsing, private and secure. Also, if you're new to torrents, don't forget that you'll need a torrent client to get these files.

All torrent sites below are working unless otherwise noted, at least as of the last update to this page. Let us know (feedback@lifewire.com) if we need to adjust a listing.

The Top Torrent Sites

These seven sites made the top of the list. They're not the only torrent sites out there, but they are among the best.

This torrent site is a classic, and one of the most popular on the web. TPB has been around in one incarnation or another for a long time and the torrents here are, and have always been, trusted.

Icons on each download help users quickly see if a seeder is trusted or a VIP which helps to ensure safe downloads.

TPB occasionally moves around. If you're still experiencing issues reaching TPB, try these listings on the ProxyBay. It's possible you'll find another way into the site.

This torrent site is for movie enthusiasts. It's full of quality, high-resolution video torrents.

Top 10 lists help users find the most popular movies on the site, and a detail page for the download includes a variety of information from the size of the file and the date it was added to actor information, and the number of seeders and leechers for the download.

At RARBG, it’s about quality, not quantity.

If you're after older or more obscure torrents, 1337X might be for you. Their torrent database isn't nearly as large as some others, but it might have just what you're after. The front page is regularly updated with current and popular information about torrents, torrenting, and categories of interest.

The level of advertising you’ll encounter on this site is frustrating. Links often require two clicks...one to bring up an ad (in a separate window) and one to actually access the information you want. However, once you get passed the advertising, the search result pages contain lots of useful information.

This is the 'no fake torrent' site you've been waiting for. The site actually pays its users $1 per fake torrent they find, and claims to have more than 5 million verified torrents.

You’ll find current and popular files to download in movies, anime, software, games, and music, as well as other categories, and a Top 100 list lets you know what’s most popular with the most seeders and peers.

Focusing exclusively on movies, YTS.am (or YTS.ag) has an easy-to-use layout and a wide variety of titles both old and new. The torrents themselves are known to be easy on bandwidth, which will make those with data caps happy.

YTS.am is the unofficial successor to the now-defunct YTS/YIFY group, which closed its virtual doors in 2015. The current site has a massive user base, too, which helps the bittorrent protocol work more efficiently.

We love the super straightforward torrent detail page at TorrentDownloads. That would be reason enough to give this one a try but the big database and high quality of torrents make it a great choice.

Users can find current torrents in a variety of categories. The ability to rate files and leave comments on files helps to reduce the number of fake files found on the site. An Advanced Search option also allows users to narrow the field of possible returns by category, provider, and status.

You don't want to miss this site in your torrent search. Users report the size of their database is impressive and the frequency of legitimate torrents is enough to keep them coming back.

Torrentfreak

It’s easy to quickly determine whether a torrent is worth downloading. Internal lists show the date added, size, seeder and leechers, as well as a health meter for each file. The information page for each download also provides additional information about the file.

Other Torrent Search Sites

There are way more than just seven torrent sites out there, of course. We’ve compiled the following list, just in case you want to explore beyond the ones above.

The advertisements on many of these sites are often of the NSFW variety. You should use caution when accessing these sites from public computers or with children present.

• Popcorn Time: Popcorn Time is a site dedicated to streaming movies for free, so in the strictest of terms, it's not a torrent download site. However, if you don't mind watching movies on your PC, you'll find plenty of options here, and you can watch them as often as you like.
• Torrentz2: This is like a super torrent index, searching for torrents across dozens of other torrent sites. You can see the complete list in their Sites in our index page.
• ETTV Torrents: This is a good, active site that includes television episodes. The site search functionality is good enough and the site has a nice, clean design.
• Torrent Galaxy: A decent database of torrents, good search features, and a clean website design make Torrent Galaxy another site you want to include in your search.
• KAT: This is the official torrent site! Don't be tricked by mirrors of the same name.
• EZTV: You won't find every torrent you're after here, but users say the quality of the torrents you do find is consistently good. This site, like others, can go down sometimes; a little bit of patience will likely see it back up.

• Torrents.me: This meta torrent site isn't too special among all the others but we love the amazing dashboard on their home page. If you're a data nerd and a torrent fan, you'll appreciate what they've done.
• Monova: A nice, clean design is reason enough to spend time on this torrent site. Advertising can be an issue at times but if you can get over that, it's a great torrent site.
• Toorgle: This is another meta torrent search engine, pulling the databases in from over 450 torrent sites into one place.
• Seedpeer: With a sizable database of torrents, Seedpeer is and always has been a great place to search. The interface isn't as nice as some others, but it's still a very usable site.
• TorrentFunk: This is a pretty popular torrent site, in no small part due to its verified status indication, as well as user reviews.
• Zooqle: This is another torrent site you don't want to skip in your search. Users love the size of their database and the frequency of legitimate torrents.
• BitTorrent Database: With a huge database and pretty clean interface that's devoid of advertisements, it's no wonder this multi-million strong collection of torrents is one we frequently hear about.

• YourBittorrent: The clean interface is a big reason to try this torrent searcher...especially if you're new to BitTorrent.
• 7tor: 7tor appears to be a Russian website, though the greatest traffic to this site comes from Pakistan. However, the site is minimally maintained, and only available if enough users donate to support the monthly hosting for the site. It does appear that torrents are still being added to the site, so you may be able to find obscure titles here.
• rutracker: Another site that appears to be Russian, this site is currently active and appears to have current torrents available. Rutracker also offers distribution awards, a hall of fame, and more.
• Pirateiro: This English-language site, offers a variety of downloads, including current and older files. A word cloud at the top of the home page lets users know what the most popular searches on the site are.
• Nyaa: Nyaa is a Chinese-language site that also seems to have some English- and other languages available in downloads. You can easily track seeders and peers on the downloads you find here, as well as the ability to comment on files.

• ArenaBG: This Bulgarian site was restricted in Bulgaria. It’s now based in Frisco, Texas. The site is fairly easy to use, once you translate it to your preferred language, and offers both current downloads and older files.

Disclaimer & Torrent Legal Warning

Lifewire does not condone illegal sharing of copyrighted material. While P2P file sharing technology itself is completely legal, many of the files traded through P2P are indeed copyrighted. Uploading these copyrighted files puts you at risk of a civil lawsuit in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK, at a minimum.

Lawsuits can be targeted at individual users or groups of users. These P2P civil lawsuits are very real and, whether or not they are successful, they are often an extreme financial and emotional burden on the defendants.

The Pirate Bay

Additionally, your Internet Service Provider may choose to release a history of your download and upload activity to potential copyright plaintiffs. In general, the more data you download and upload, the more risk you have of being sued by copyright protection groups.