VeryCD is an eMule based Chinese P2P media directory. The open source software eMule was first introduced by the VeryCD project to Chinese Internet in September 2003. Driven by the user communities, with thousands of contributors publishing and sharing their media resources everyday, VeryCD has become one of the biggest, well-categorized and easiest P2P media directory in the world. eMule is one of top 5 download managers in China. The other four softwares are Xunlei, Flashget, Bitcomet and Vagaa. Since January 2007 when Google acquired 4% stake of Xunlei and later in August Xunlei released its new version which controversially supported eMule protocol, Xunlei started leading the market.
VeryCD is fighting back. In 1st, April, VeryCD team released its brand new download client called easyMule (English) which has eMule’s UI redesigned and also supports HTTP/FTP protocols. The most important feature comes with easyMule is that it seamlessly integrate VeryCD resource with the client, i.e. you can browse/search VeryCD resource directly on easyMule and start the downloading by one click. The daily download of easyMule has reach 20,000, only 4 months after its first release, and eMule is being download around 300,000 times daily. I asked the leading developer of easyMule if the easyMule can download Xunlei resource in future, the answer is very diplomatic, Maybe.
The revamped VeryCD web site was planned to released for public test tomorrow, but it has been postponed according its project manager. “Users might not see significant change on the UI of the web site. Although we have added many new features but the main change is actually on the backend. We carefully redesign our database which will allow us add more cool features on the frontend.”, the project manager told me. I have not got chance to try it, but according to him, this new site will come with two most important features: everyone will be able to share his resource; the search engine has been enhanced, e.g. you can search by the description of the resource and the results can be sorted by some properties, such as IMDB rating. Some interesting features are also included, for example, users can now comment and rate the resource, have their friend network; the very popular web2.0 site Douban’s movie rate will be integrated too. I am very curious about the new friend network and ask if VeryCD will become sort of P2P resource-centric social network, what I have been told is, they will not focus on the SNS features but with the redesigned backend this will not be a difficult upgrade.
Downloading is such a common activity for Chinese users, this market is obviously getting more and more interesting.
Click on the left image for the screen shot of the site. The new VeryCD site can be found here but it has restricted access.