I like allofmp3.com. It lets you get full, proper MP3 files legally (well, according to Russian law). Most music download sites out there will strap the music down so that they can only be played on one device or one computer. It’s highly annoying, as I found out recently to my cost. I bought loads of tracks from Napster and other sources for our wedding but then – later when I wanted to send it to our photographer for a wedding album DVD – he couldn’t play them because he needed to download a DRM licence. I’d paid for them, I wanted them on a DVD for myself but no – the Rights Management system wouldn’t let it happen.
Step forward allofmp3.com – I re-downloaded the music from there (in MP3 format this time and not WMV or WMA) and it worked fine.
However, despite the fact that the record labels are getting richer by the second they’ve now decided to launch a lawsuit against the Russian website. Arista Records, Warner Bros, Capitol and UMG recordings are all trying to shut down the website, which sells albums for around 55p instead of around 6-8 on iTunes etc. The Russian owners aren’t too fussed about it however, and have put this response on their website. I like the following comment from one reader in response to the news story…
“Stick to your guns, allofmp3. Those mean, greedy, american gun-toting record label managers just want to continue to monopolise the trade of music to bleed consumers dry whilst pocketing THEIR rich trillions into their over-sized pockets. Those big, ugly fat millionaires can go jump, and just accept that healthy competition in the marketplace (not monopolisation) is part and parcel of being a fair trading society.”
Too true.