AllOfMP3.com finally shut down, replacement already launched

It never looked like those crazy semi-pirates over at AllOfMP3.com would stick around long, and indeed, after a couple years of legal struggles, the site has finally had its plug pulled. Despite the site supposedly barring Russia from WTO entry, and high profile lawsuits filed on behalf of the record labels, it's not clear at this point whether AllOfMP3 was shut down due to an internal decision or an external mandate. Unfortunately for copyright holders, the MediaServices folks behind AllOfMP3 aren't exactly changing directions: they've merely opened up a practical mirror image of AllOfMP3.com over at MP3Sparks.com, and are keeping up with their nefarious ways.

[brassready @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:32AM]

Haha, you go guys! Don't let "the Man" get you.

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:33AM]

Friendly reminder that copyright infringement is NOT theft. Not legally, not morally. Never has been. Never will be. Don't believe the RIAA bullshit...

...it is still a crime though so dont do it!

[JT_X @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:13PM]

Not theft; rather, taking something without paying for it. Make sense?

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:56PM]

Can you find one person convicted of theft for downloading/uploading etc? NO! Its a completley seperate crime called 'copyright infringment'. Theft is an extremely serious crime, copyright infringement is a lot less serious, unrelated crime.

Its like saying someone who doesnt pay a parking ticket is a car thief.

[ethana2 @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:29PM]

This is like, in the age of star trek, the following scenario:
Hey! You replicated my camero! Now I don't have... um, wait. I'll think of something...
...The only Camero on the block! I'm gonna sue!

Use Creative commons, people. Information demands freedom- it's its nature. You cannot stop that. To quote Shuttleworth: "The people who try to impose analog rules on digital content will find themselves on the wrong side of the tidal wave."

I am going to be one of the guys surfing down it screaming "Yeehaa!!!!"

[JT_X @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:46PM]

Copyright infringement is the theft of intellectual property. In your world, if someone steals a copy of a CD, it's "theft", but taking a copy of the music contained on it isn't. Using your logic, the physical CD has value, but the creative process used by the musicians has no value.

Either way, you're taking something without paying for it. Just because the law defines the two crimes differently doesn't make the end result any different.

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:19PM]

"Copyright infringement is the theft of intellectual property"

No. CI is the unauthorized use of intelectual property.

"Using your logic, the physical CD has value, but the creative process used by the musicians has no value."

In no way did I say or imply that. Theft is very serious because the original owner no longer has whatever it is you took. With CI the owner still has their object. I never said CI was good or acceptable. And its not my logic its the logic of every lawmaker in the world.

"Just because the law defines the two crimes differently doesn't make the end result any different."

So your just ignoring established legal definition now in favor of your own non-sensical argument? It must be great be you, you're always right!

[MegaMe @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:37AM]

I will miss allofmp3

They did some things right. Allowing people to choose their own format and bitrate, pay per file size, offer loseless.

I wish I could use paypal on their new site.

[Mike @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:28PM]

Technologically, the site was brilliant. Unfortunately, they were selling STOLEN music and you were helping justify it.

I'm surprised that the Russians didn't seize their servers and networking equipment. Now it's probably in a Sealand data center.

[Cal @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:40AM]

So are allofmp3 customers who still had credit in their account screwed?

[Rick @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:08PM]

no, your credit still shows up in the new site (and thankfully, you can once again use major credit cards to reload credit).

[Kryten @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:53AM]

Accounts and balances were transferred over to mp3sparks.com. Unfortunately you still can't refill your balance.

[Cal @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:56AM]

I cannot login with my account, i had my password emailed to me to double check but I still cannot get in.

[Rob @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:18PM]

@Cal
I'm in the same boat. MP3Sparks remembers my user ID & PW (as in it will send it to my email as if I forgot), but it won't let me log-on. Also tried opening up a new account, but it says my old user id is taken.

[potentato @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:18PM]

Rick, I looked last night and the new site doesn't have any method of payment available at all, let alone major credit cards. Sure, my account balance of $-.09 was still there, but there's no way to add more.

[Brad @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:40AM]

All of mp3 was an awesome site It did a lot of things right and sold music at a pricepoint that makes more sense in my eyes. This new site though is exactly the same thing with a different background. That is the ONLY difference so why do they think this will be any different?

[JeffDM @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:09PM]

I'm not convinced that AoM's pricing makes sense. Any artist in the West using this model would probably find the model unsustainable.

The only way they've gotten away with it is to use a contrived interpretation of the law designed for live analog radio over cable TV networks, and I'm pretty sure that it didn't allow for international sales because radio over cable TV networks generally doesn't cross borders.

[Jamar @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:20PM]

How do you broadcast radio over cable TV to begin with? Isn't radio supposed to be... wireless, whereas cable TV is... not?

[Guiliano @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:41AM]

how about www.gomusic.ru those guys are doing a sterling job

[TriZz @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:03PM]

I use gomusic.ru all the time. I love it.

[Jugomugo @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:15PM]

I actually spent a fair amount of money at AllofMP3.com... Their price points were great, and I didn't mind sending them some money.

[Mark @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:21PM]

How do I get started with mp3sparks.com now that they can't take Visa etc?

[vince @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:29PM]

Another copy has come up also. http://www.legalsounds.com/.

Looks almost the same in terms of concept.

[pete @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:48PM]

Been a longtime customer AllofMP3.
A month or so ago on the "balance" page there was a little invite link that let you port your account over to MP3sparks. At first I was wary, but ported over when I heard Alltunes sorked with MP3sparks accounts.
I'm now a happy MP3sparks customer.
I can refill my balance, use Alltunes- just like the ol' days of AllofMP3.
I wonder how long it'll take the RIAA to catch on and attempt a shutdown of Sparks. Sparks resolves to a Russian IP, so I guess it's possible still.

[George @ Jul 3rd 2007 7:51PM]

Really!? you can use alltunes? that's great!

[idl3mind @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:11PM]

The first rule of mp3sparks.com, is you do not talk about mp3sparks.com.

The second rule of mp3sparks.com, is you do not talk about mp3sparks.com.

:)

[oneteam @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:24PM]

I was able to access allTunes software last night, just fine. I guess it hasn't affected their allTunes software connection.

[Jitty @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:43PM]

You guys remember when allofmp3.com was just 1 cent per MB? LOL, they eventually tripled that : \ You know you were getting your music cheap when a site can triple their prices and still be less expensive than most other sites...

[culo @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:48PM]

at least my balance was spent up...

[Nikita @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:15PM]

Shhh... If we don't tell anyone about this site, they won't shut it down as fast

[MRKisThatKid @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:25PM]

Is there a moral difference between paying pittance at allofmp3 and its ilk which gets nowhere near the artists anyway and downloading a torrent?

[philipbarrett @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:38PM]

mp3Sparks has been up for a couple of months now actually. "A friend" has had no problems refilling the balance twice so far with Mastercard.

[DanH @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:55PM]

mp3sparks has been around for at least 8 months, i thought you were supposed to be on top of things, Engadget.

[chris @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:02PM]

http://www.mp3fiesta.com/indie_wgenre255/?partner=1608

is another 10¢ per song site

[Mike @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:27PM]

Illegal. Why don't you just walk into Best Buy and put CD's down your pants? It's basically the same thing.

[Dustin @ Jul 4th 2007 4:17AM]

Mike, a little quick to throw around the "illegal" term, aren't you? If Russia decides that it's legal to do this, a Russian citizen can do it without performing an "illegal" act.

Maybe the word you were looking for is 'immoral,' but then again, isn't the **AA immoral for pocket-lining and price-gouging?

How long did they think they could keep that up before a rebellion started?

[Marie @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:38PM]

MP3Sparks has been around for a few months - and there are 15+ other sites out there that profess to be the next AllOfMP3 replacement. There are reviews of over a DOZEN of these sites at http://www.songboom.com - it's worth checking out.

[colveraki @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:32PM]

My alltunes seems to work fine. Just bought and downloaded an album just to make sure.

[Marian @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:29PM]

I am actually glad that they closed a pirate site that _charges_ people for downloading stuff.

[Dustin @ Jul 4th 2007 4:19AM]

iTunes got shut down? yay! Those jagoffs have been plundering wallets for years. Thank god.

[Mike @ Jul 7th 2007 1:43AM]

Makes me sad to be a US Resident. I apologize for our government! They are simply cringing to the golden whips of the RIAA and their money grubbing supporters. Many big-box stores operate on the principal of selling mass quantities of goods for a cheap price rather than a few goods for a big price. How is this different? Guess what, those that were buying music at AllofMp3 are not going to turn around and go buy CDs for 16-20$ now. They will just go to some other underground site and the industry will never even see a penny! Great job RIAA and WTO you losers!