Megaupload.com's Kim Dotcom to launch Megabox.com

As the old adage goes; if you can’t beat them, then join them. Earlier this year saw one of the largest file sharing websites shutdown and at the time Megaupload madly named main man, Kim Dotcom promised to return (despite being arrested on piracy charges) with an 'alternative music store', an alternative that promises free music…

Prior to its shutdown Megaupload was the 13th most visited website behind the likes of Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter and of course The 405* so Dotcom will be hoping to tap into that market with the new site "the major labels thought Megabox was dead," it's "coming, and it will unchain you."

Dotcom is now launching Megabox with a view to take on Universal Music Group head on promising "a site that will soon allow artists to sell their creations directly to consumers while allowing artists to keep 90 percent of earnings." If Megabox pulls that off they will be offering better returns to artists than 99% of labels. The site also insists artists will get paid for free downloads as well, "Yes that’s right, we will pay artists even for free downloads. The Megakey business model has been tested with over a million users and it works."

The above screenshot is pretty much all we have so far in terms of a look at the site but we'll bring you more details of how it works, how good it is and if we think you should use it in due course.