Where To Download Torrent Files For Bittorrent

  

BitSnoop is one of the largest BitTorrent indexes, claiming to index a massive 21,437,061 torrent files at the time of writing. Torrent files are saved with the extension name.torrent. File structure of a Torrent File. A torrent file is a binary file formatted for specific reasons. This file always contains Meta data and a list of files containing information about all the pieces. This type of files sometimes contains the data of trackers list. We explain the technology behind BitTorrent, how to use it to download files, and how you can keep yourself safe doing it.

Part 1. How to Use Torrent Sites

First of all, assuming you’re new to the world of finding out how to download torrented files, here’s a brief insight into where to get torrents and how to download from torrent sites.

Note:ISP or local agencies are tracking you using torrents that may contain pirated contents. To remain anonymous or stop being tracked, use a VPN for self protection.

Torrented files, more commonly referred to as ‘.torrent’ files (or magnet links) are files that point torrenting software, known as torrenting clients or tools, to a certain online location on another computer.

For example;

Let’s say you want to share your vacation photos and videos with the rest of your family around the world, but you have gigabytes of media that will take days to upload.

All you would need to do is create a .torrent file that automatically recognizes the location of those files on your computer.

You can then share the .torrent file with your family members. They simply download and open the torrent file in their own torrenting client which is then directed towards the location of the files on your computer and can download torrented files directly through the internet.

That’s it!

There’s no need to upload or use space on cloud storage platforms since both you and the receiver’s computer is connected directly via the torrenting software. This process of learning how to download torrent files is possible with individual files, folders, or even entire computer drives.

While you can share your own files, the most common use of figuring out how to use torrent sites is to download all kinds of other media files from other computers. These file types include;

  • Software
  • Movies
  • Television shows
  • Video games
  • eBooks
  • Audio files
  • And more

Spend enough time on the Internet or around tech-savvy types, and you’re bound to hear about BitTorrent. Likely, if you’re new to the concept, you have a few questions, and probably some misconceptions on what exactly torrenting is.

Torrentzilla

What is a torrent file? How do you use it? Is it safe? Is it legal? Torrenting can be a complicated process, so before we get into the meat of how to download and use torrent files safely and legally, let’s cover some important terminology.

Updated 3-3-2016 by Brendan Hesse: This article received a massive overhaul to provide clearer, more detailed information regarding torrent files, how to download them, and how the process works.

What is a Torrent?

Where To Download Torrent Files

Where To Download Torrent Files For Bittorrent

If you’ve dabbled at all in torrent downloading, you’ve almost certainly come across the terms “seed,” “peer,” and “leech.”

A seed (or seeder) is someone who is sharing the file; the more seeds, the more potential locations to download the file. Someone who is downloading the seeded file is a leech. The more leeches a file has versus seeds will make the file download slower, as there are more people accessing the file. Furthermore, if no one is seeding, then no one can download. The entire group of seeders and leeches are your peers — hence why BitTorrent is referred to as “peer-to-peer” file sharing. You collect a file directly through someone else, rather than downloading from a server. This cluster of peers is also referred to as a “swarm,” who are all uploading and downloading the same file.

How exactly does this work? Essentially, the file is broken up into pieces, with each piece being downloaded and compiled by the download program. After you’ve downloaded enough data, you will begin to simultaneously upload the parts of the file you’ve downloaded, thereby increasing the download speed for your other peers in the swarm. Download clients give preferential treatment to those who allocate more bandwidth to uploading, and who are seeding files. Basically, the more you share, the more you receive.

Another term you may have come across is “tracker.” A tracker is a server that keeps track (go figure) of all peers in a swarm, but does not host any part of the file. Instead, a tracker acts as something of a traffic cop, directing peers to available file locations. Your download client will connect to this server as instructed in the .torrent file. There is such a thing as “trackerless” downloading, which we will cover more in a moment.

Installing a BitTorrent client and downloading files

In order to open a .torrent file and begin downloading, you need a download client to handle the file. In the past, this guide has featured numerous torrent download clients, but the current best options are qBittorrent, Transmission, and Deluge.

These three programs have some minor differences, but they’re generally very similar. They’re all open source, and all three support various operating systems, including Windows, OSX, Freebsd, and various Linux Distros. Best of all, they are all devoid of annoying ads, useless “special offers,” or malicious bloatware.

Once you’ve settled on which torrent client you’ll be running, download and install it. An obvious step, yes, but having an installed torrent program is important because it enables you to download torrents via magnet links. You can always download .torrent files and open them with your downloader, but magnet links have been slowly overtaking .torrent files in terms of popularity and use.

Downloading a torrent

After installing a downloader client, such as qBittorrent, you’ll need files to download. There are many website you can use to download .torrent files or access magnet links, the most well-known being The Pirate Bay. Others, such as Kickass torrents, exist, but they usually lack the user base of The Pirate Bay. There are also private trackers, such as Demonoid, that require an account to access.

Torrent Files Download Sites

A quick search through these web will probably help you find what you’re looking for, but take care before downloading as some files can be fake. Check the comments on the file’s download page as users will report fake or broken files. When you open the .torrent, double check the file you’re downloading — if you’re expecting a .rar file, and see an .exe, it’s not the file you’re looking for and likely is a virus. Cancel and delete the download immediately. We will cover further safety tips in later sections.

If the torrent looks legitimate, the download page will likely list two methods for downloading: .torrent or a magnet link. Considering there are two download methods, you might be wondering what the difference is between the two.

.torrent files can essentially be described as treasure maps. These tiny files contain the locations for the various parts of files. Your download client will use the file to find the various parts of whatever it is your downloading, download the parts, the compile them into the file.

Magnet files work much the same way, but are a direct line connecting the downloader to each file, instead of needing to follow a “map” as provided by a .torrent file. There are further, more technical differences that have to do with tracker servers and DHT procedures, but we’ll leave those alone for now.

Best Site To Download Torrents

If your goal is simply to download a file with a BitTorrent client, both methods work great. Magnet links take a slight bit longer to begin due to establishing direct connections, but they also remove the step of downloading and opening a .torrent file. Regardless of the acquisition method, once a download begins, your speeds will be dependent on the swarms seed-to-leech ratio, and your bandwidth.

Where To Download Torrent Files For Bittorrent Download

Once the download has completed, you will have access to the file, and you will begin to seed the file. While seeding does up your priority for downloads, it also increases your risk for being caught if you’re seeding copyrighted files. If you do not wish to seed you can either completely close your download program, or you can delete the .torrent, usually by right clicking the seeding file in your client and selecting “delete .torrent.” Be sure not to delete the data, however, or you’ll need to re-download the entire file.