Bit Torrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol used to distribute large amounts of data. The first distributor of the complete file(s) acts as the first torrent seed. Each peer to download the torrent data also uploads it to other peers. Torrent provides a significant reduction in the original distributor hardware and bandwidth resource costs. It also provides redundancy against and reduces dependence on the original torrent distributor.

Torrent programmer Bram Cohen designed the torrent protocol and released a first implementation on 2 July 2001. Torrent is now maintained by Cohens company BitTorrent, Inc. Usage of the protocol accounts for significant Internet traffic, though the precise amount of torrent traffic has proven difficult to measure. There are numerous BitTorrent clients available for a variety of platforms.