We’ve written about AllofMP3 a number of times, including a review of their iTunes-like client software and as part of a general review of downloadable music. AllofMP3 offers DRM-free downloadable music in a variety of different formats and quality levels, for $0.02 per MB, far below what legitimate music services charge.

The site has evolved from being a little known cult favororite service to a powerful force in music sales. In April 2006 it was second only to iTunes in U.K. online music sales.

Pressure on Moscow to close the site has been intense and is increasing. In recent comments, Russian President Putin stated that they would do more to fight copyright infringement in order to gain admission to the WTO.

I am a fan of AllOfMP3 because it puts pressure on labels to strip out DRM and keep online prices low. It’s disruptive to a broken business model. I hope it comes back online.

The model is simple, download the application, signup for an account, find music (amongst the 40,000 albums they have) click and download. The price is 2c per megabyte downloaded, which works out to be around $1-1.50 per album, much better than the $0.99c a song at iTunes. The reason the prices are so low is because AllOFMP3 and allTunes operate in Russia, where they claim they are complying with local copyright law and paying royalties back to artists and labels. The legality of the service is questionable, but they have been in operation for years now with no seeming threat to their existance.

The catalog is very broad, I was able to find some rare international music that I hadn’t heard for years, as well as all the usual classics. The preview feature is just awesome, it allows you to listen to a low-quality version of each song from within the player – not just a snippet but the full song (as long as you have credit in your account). I have actually been listening to music all evening just with the preview player – the quality is bearable. For sophisticated audiophiles, allTunes allows you to download your songs in a variety of codes and bitrates, from almost-lossless through to 64kbps MP3.

AllOFMP3 has been a service I have constantly used for years now, and allTunes has made it even better. I am certain these guys get a lot of business, I hope that instead of being shut down it forces the record labels to re-think their pricing strategies.