# Have you been to the allmusic website recently? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416 "2016-11-02T01:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/1 "2016-11-02T01:55:56Z")
I don’t know if this is old news, but I’ve just discovered that [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com) is apparently struggling and looking for ways to generate income. If you want to use the site, the homepage gives you three options: [ul] [li]Access the site ad-free with a “SupportFreeContent” extension[/li][li]Continue after disabling your ad blocker[/li][li]Continue with a paid subscription ($12 annually)[/li][/ul] So… [ul]Under the SupportFreeContent extension option, there is a link for more info. The link does not work for me. [li]I disabled my ad blocker and still could not access the site.[/li] [li]I have not (yet) ponied up for a subscription.[/ul][/li] I did fire up the Internet Explorer (no ad blocker) and visited the site. An obnoxious video ad filled a full third of every screen. I guess I have to decide if the site is worth a dollar a month to me. mmm ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/2 "2016-11-02T06:40:20Z")
Same problem with inability to access even after disabling ad blocker. Pity, it was a useful site. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/3 "2016-11-02T07:06:52Z")
I use allmusic nearly every day. I created an account. I write a lot of reviews. I don’t recall having any problems with the site; seems to work the same as it ever was for me. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/4 "2016-11-02T12:03:52Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I use allmusic nearly every day. I created an account. I write a lot of reviews. I don’t recall having any problems with the site; seems to work the same as it ever was for me. ‘Created an account’ meaning you paid the fee? Or you were able to create an account and continue using as before, no fee? mmm ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/5 "2016-11-02T13:11:49Z")
I use it regularly. I think I chose both non subscription options but although uBlock Origin says it’s not blocking anything I see no ads. I have no idea what _Support Free Content - AllMusic_ is supposedly doing. So it just looks like it always did to me. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/6 "2016-11-02T14:10:06Z")
I just checked the website and it offered subscription service, but I was able to access everything on the website, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/7 "2016-11-02T14:11:37Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I use it regularly. I think I chose both non subscription options but although uBlock Origin says it’s not blocking anything I see no ads. I have no idea what _Support Free Content - AllMusic_ is supposedly doing. So it just looks like it always did to me. From a quick look through the code, the extension might be reporting every site you visit in other tabs to AllMusic (to be clear, it would only report the sites you visit while the AllMusic site is open). Again, it was a quick look at the code so take this with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/8 "2016-11-02T15:05:23Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > I just checked the website and it offered subscription service, but I was able to access everything on the website, anyway. So how does one bypass the screen that gives you 3 options to proceed? mmm ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/9 "2016-11-02T15:35:45Z")
Works fine for me (uBlock Origin + Flash blocked + Javascript disabled). ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/10 "2016-11-02T18:20:11Z")
[Allmusic.com](http://Allmusic.com) is one of my top to-go sites I use almost everyday, but I’ve had the same problems as the OP for some weeks now. Disabling AdBlock for the site doesn’t change anything, I still get the screen with those three options. So I installed the SupportFreeContent extension. That worked for a few days, but then I got very annoying pop-ups via this extension on almost every website I opened, so I quickly uninstalled it. My only workaround so far is to open [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com) in a different browser that hasn’t any adblocking software installed and to live with the annoying ads. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/11 "2016-11-02T21:34:03Z")
I may have found a workaround. Disable your ad blocker. Close your browser (Firefox, in my case). Re-open your browser. Go to allmusic. Once there, enable your ad blocker. This is working for me so far. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/12 "2016-11-03T07:28:43Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > ‘Created an account’ meaning you paid the fee? > > Or you were able to create an account and continue using as before, no fee? > mmm No fee. I’ve had the account for years; since whenever they first allowed us to make accounts. I use Safari on a Mac, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/13 "2016-11-03T09:20:13Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I may have found a workaround. > > Disable your ad blocker. Close your browser (Firefox, in my case). Re-open your browser. Go to allmusic. Once there, enable your ad blocker. > > This is working for me so far. > mmm Sorry, but I don’t change my security/privacy/anti-annoyance protocols for a web site. Let them change their site if they want me to browse it. I also use a modified HOSTS file that blocks most ad sites, so disabling my adblocker probably wouldn’t do the trick either. I opened AllMusic in Chrome and it gave me a third option to install some sort of “free content” extension. Seemed to work after that. IE couldn’t get past that annoying splash screen. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/14 "2016-11-03T09:45:20Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Sorry, but I don’t change my security/privacy/anti-annoyance protocols for a web site… Apology accepted. mmm ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/15 "2016-11-03T23:55:03Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I may have found a workaround. > > Disable your ad blocker. Close your browser (Firefox, in my case). Re-open your browser. Go to allmusic. Once there, enable your ad blocker. > > This is working for me so far. > mmm Hey, great, works for me too (in chromium on puppy linux, if that matters). Good thing is, only the allmusic home page shows ads, all subpages are still blocked by AdBlock. Thanks for the tip. ETA: this was a special little problem that was bugging me for months, but I found no good workaround and I thought it too special an issue to ask for it on the dope. And now this thread by **mmm** , et voilá, there’s a solution. Shows how great the dope can be. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-to-the-allmusic-website-recently/770416/16 "2016-11-04T06:05:35Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Hey, great, works for me too (in chromium on puppy linux, if that matters). Good thing is, only the allmusic home page shows ads, all subpages are still blocked by AdBlock. Thanks for the tip. > > ETA: this was a special little problem that was bugging me for months, but I found no good workaround and I thought it too special an issue to ask for it on the dope. And now this thread by **mmm** , et voilá, there’s a solution. Shows how great the dope can be. Glad it’s working for you, **Einstein** ; still works for me FWIW. I should have mentioned that I did create an AllMusic account (registered, not paid a fee). I’m not sure if that matters or not with the fix. mmm