As a result of this verdict, millions of LimeWire users had to find an alternative download client, resulting in a healthy boost in downloads for a variety of P2P applications.

Over the past days TorrentFreak has spoken with the developers of various P2P applications that are considered to be alternatives to LimeWire, and without exception they all report a huge boost in download numbers following Tuesday’s verdict.

Aside from the obvious conclusion, it is remarkable that almost none of the people we spoke with wanted to go on the record and provide any statistics on the skyrocketing downloads. From what we can tell the LimeWire verdict has quite a few people worried, and none of the P2P-developers want to draw attention from the RIAA at this point.

MP3Rocket did tell TorrentFreak that they saw a “nice increase in downloads” following LimeWire’s shutdown, but at the same time they say their client will leave the Gnutella network before the end of the year. Worried about the effects of upcoming legislation and the LimeWire verdict, MP3Rocket will re-brand itself as a YouTube video to MP3 downloading client in the coming weeks.

The only P2P application that did come out with detailed figures is ironically the RIAA-backed BearShare client. Before turning ‘legal’, BearShare was a Gnutella-based application like LimeWire, but it was taken over after the developers lost their case against the RIAA and were ordered to pay the music labels $30 million.

Wednesday, the day after the LimeWire verdict was handed down, BearShare saw a 780% increase in US downloads, up from 8000 to 62,400 a day. The company did not mention whether the number of paid downloads had also increased, which is of course the big question for the RIAA.

The effects of the LimeWire verdict can already be felt by P2P developers in more ways than one. Although most don’t mind the bump in downloads, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty about the future and who the music industry will pick as their next target. Only time will tell.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

In a response to the decision LimeWire made its client unusable, leaving millions of users with no other option than to find an alternative. The good news is that there are several applications and services that are ready to act as a replacement. We will discuss a few of them below.

FrostWire

FrostWire is a popular free and Open Source P2P client supporting both Gnutella and BitTorrent downloads. The application was first released in 2004 by members of the LimeWire Open Source community. FrostWire is similar to LimeWire in use and layout, and is fully compatible with iTunes. There are versions available for various operating systems including Windows, Mac, Linux and even Android.

FrostWire has always emphasized the non-infringing use of their client. In 2008, the client introduced its FrostClick service through which it promotes independent artists, which has been very successful.

MP3Rocket

MP3Rocket is another LimeWire spinoff with a very similar look and functionality. It works on Windows and Mac and the application supports both Gnutella and BitTorrent downloads.

Unlike its name suggests, MP3Rocket is not limited to finding MP3s. It is capable of downloading any file format including video files and software. In addition to downloads, MP3Rocket also has hundreds of streamable radio and TV-channels.

BitTorrent

The two applications we discussed above both support BitTorrent downloads, but like LimeWire they were rarely used for this purpose. The main reason is most likely that many of its users don’t really know where to find .torrent files. For those who want to switch over, here is a list of some decent torrent sites.

LimeWire users who want to give BitTorrent a try might also want to consider using a dedicated torrent client such as uTorrent, Vuze or Transmission.

Music/Video Streaming

Music fans who don’t mind streaming tracks in their web browser actually have a few alternatives. Grooveshark is one of the most elaborate music services. It holds more content than the average download store, supports playlists and works on various mobile phones.

For video streaming there are perhaps even more alternatives. There are literally hundreds of sites one can choose from, although we have to warn of excessive popups on most sites. A Google search for “movie streaming” should be enough to get going.

Usenet / Newsgroups

Usenet is another good alternative to download all sorts of files, but depending on the service you sign up for it can be a bit harder to figure out than the other alternatives. Also, any good Usenet service requires a paid subscription, which is the trade-off for getting one of the fastest and most anonymous download services.

Direct Download Sites / Search Engines

There are numerous sites that search open web directories or allow saving of otherwise streaming music. BeeMP3, DilanDau, MRTZCMP3, MP3Hunting and various Mulve-style alternatives such as the PirateApp and Firefox plugin Vkontakte DL are just a few of those available.

More More More

The alternatives discussed above are really just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens, if not hundreds of alternatives to LimeWire that can be used for sharing and finding files. This includes some of the older LimeWire versions that are reportedly still working. Other notable P2P applications are Soulseek, Ares and eMule. And then there is Direct Connect, Advanced Direct Connect and so on.

It never ends.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.