56 votes

Another one bites the dust! RARBG abruptly shuts down

49 comments

  1. Immortal
    Link

    Hello guys,
    We would like to inform you that we have decided to shut down our site.
    The past 2 years have been very difficult for us - some of the people in our team died due to covid complications,
    others still suffer the side effects of it - not being able to work at all.
    Some are also fighting the war in Europe - ON BOTH SIDES.
    Also, the power price increase in data centers in Europe hit us pretty hard.
    Inflation makes our daily expenses impossible to bare.
    Therefore we can no longer run this site without massive expenses that we can no longer cover out of pocket.
    After an unanimous vote we've decided that we can no longer do it.
    We are sorry :(
    Bye

    22 votes
  2. [3]
    JXM
    Link
    cough Usenet cough

    cough Usenet cough

    10 votes
    1. tomf
      Link Parent
      I was hesitant to mention our little slice of heaven. I can't imagine life without it.

      I was hesitant to mention our little slice of heaven. I can't imagine life without it.

    2. nickk
      Link Parent
      Getting everything set up (mainly getting a Usenet server provider and access to indexers) was somewhat of a challenge at first, but it has been fantastic.

      Getting everything set up (mainly getting a Usenet server provider and access to indexers) was somewhat of a challenge at first, but it has been fantastic.

  3. lou
    (edited )
    Link
    I started using rarbg two months ago so I'm feeling a little unlucky. It was much better than PirateBay for games and movies. The current state of the database will remain in quite a few mirrors....

    I started using rarbg two months ago so I'm feeling a little unlucky. It was much better than PirateBay for games and movies. The current state of the database will remain in quite a few mirrors. Some suggested 13377x as a suitable alternative.

    9 votes
  4. [29]
    kwyjibo
    Link
    Gosh, this is too bad. It had great UI and content. I have access to plenty of private trackers, including the most coveted ones, but RARBG was still the one I used the most by far because it was...

    Gosh, this is too bad. It had great UI and content. I have access to plenty of private trackers, including the most coveted ones, but RARBG was still the one I used the most by far because it was so damn convenient. It will be missed.

    I was not even aware of what the public tracker scene looked like but browsing around looking for alternatives today, I can say it's looking a bit dire. I reckon something else will try to take RARBG's place to fill the void.

    7 votes
    1. [28]
      u-2at
      Link Parent
      Out of curiosity, how well off are you on the music private tracker side of things? I've managed to stay afloat with usenet, but the music scene has really suffered for me. I was with waffles,...

      Out of curiosity, how well off are you on the music private tracker side of things? I've managed to stay afloat with usenet, but the music scene has really suffered for me. I was with waffles, then what and finally notwhat and they all died one by one. I find it pretty hard to get good releases now.

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        Bossman
        Link Parent
        I've been using Soulseek to download music. It's strictly peer to peer and you're downloading from other people. I've found it to be very reliable. And it's not under scrutiny like the torrent...

        I've been using Soulseek to download music. It's strictly peer to peer and you're downloading from other people. I've found it to be very reliable. And it's not under scrutiny like the torrent trackers are.

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          u-2at
          Link Parent
          That looks pretty interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks!

          That looks pretty interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks!

          3 votes
          1. Bossman
            Link Parent
            It's the only way I've been getting my music lately. Occasionally I won't be able to find something, but that's been rare. It has allowed me to build out my FLAC collection pretty quickly.

            It's the only way I've been getting my music lately. Occasionally I won't be able to find something, but that's been rare. It has allowed me to build out my FLAC collection pretty quickly.

            3 votes
      2. [16]
        kwyjibo
        Link Parent
        I had a what.cd account too, but I just didn't care enough about joining its alternatives after its shutdown. I don't have a niche taste in music, nor a lot of interest in it, so I thought Spotify...

        I had a what.cd account too, but I just didn't care enough about joining its alternatives after its shutdown. I don't have a niche taste in music, nor a lot of interest in it, so I thought Spotify was more than enough to fulfill my music needs.

        I am into films though, and unfortunately services like the Criterion Collection are not available to me, so I do use private film trackers regularly (KG being the one I use the most). I've been a member with most of them long enough that I don't care about my ratio anymore, but they're still a hassle to deal with. I wish the legal ways were available to me but I can't even find some mainstream films legally, so they're a necessity.

        If good releases are important to you, you should try getting into RED. It's pretty tough and you literally have to be interviewed for it, but it is possible if you want it. It's also a good gateway into other, more exclusive trackers like PTP.

        4 votes
        1. [4]
          streblo
          Link Parent
          Is PTP that exclusive? I don't torrent much anymore but I still have a PTP account from like 15 years ago lol. I had donated to them in the past so I think I'm safe from the occasional purges....

          Is PTP that exclusive? I don't torrent much anymore but I still have a PTP account from like 15 years ago lol. I had donated to them in the past so I think I'm safe from the occasional purges. It's nice when I want to watch a film I can't find anywhere, although tbh I wouldn't lose too much sleep if I lost access.

          4 votes
          1. [3]
            kwyjibo
            Link Parent
            Yep, I think it's the most exclusive private tracker to get into. I don't have access to it myself.

            Yep, I think it's the most exclusive private tracker to get into. I don't have access to it myself.

            3 votes
            1. [2]
              streblo
              Link Parent
              Toss me an email in a dm, I have an invite sitting there doing nothing. Although not sure if new sign ups are closed, I know they have been in the past for periods of time.

              Toss me an email in a dm, I have an invite sitting there doing nothing. Although not sure if new sign ups are closed, I know they have been in the past for periods of time.

              5 votes
              1. kwyjibo
                Link Parent
                I just sent you a DM. It's very generous of you, even if it doesn't work. Thanks!

                I just sent you a DM. It's very generous of you, even if it doesn't work. Thanks!

                3 votes
        2. [7]
          u-2at
          Link Parent
          Oh man... Criterion is something I haven't actually seen in a long time, but brought back memories. I have a rev.tt account and used to see that there back in the day. I actually used to have...

          Oh man... Criterion is something I haven't actually seen in a long time, but brought back memories. I have a rev.tt account and used to see that there back in the day. I actually used to have access to a decent rage of legal movies/tv, but once everything forked out into its own individual service, it became harder to follow, a waste of money half the time and just draining to follow. Then after traveling abroad, there's TV shows that weren't available locally, so after that, I just went full automated high seas. Path of least resistance.

          I've spent days in Red's invite IRC over time, but just never get the interview. Orpheus as well. I did get into ananamouse though. Although not music, it might lead down the path to Red someday.

          3 votes
          1. [6]
            kwyjibo
            Link Parent
            Oh man, I forgot about rev.tt. I don't think I've ever used it much but I definitely had an account there once. I agree that if you have access to all the streaming services, there's great...

            Oh man, I forgot about rev.tt. I don't think I've ever used it much but I definitely had an account there once.

            I agree that if you have access to all the streaming services, there's great saturation. I have access to Netflix, Disney+, MUBI, a couple of local services, and about 500 films on iTunes but I still have to rely heavily on KG because most of the content on these services are awful. Actually, it dawned on me the other day that I don't have to pay for some of these services, so I canceled Disney+ and Netflix. They used to have premium mediocre to premium shows and films but they've basically turned into regular network channels with better tech.

            Anonamouse is pretty good, that's my go to for books. I didn't know you could get into RED from there. Huh. I don't care for RED but I do care about PTP and I believe the only way for anyone to get into PTP is from RED. (Although maybe it's different these days, I've not kept up with the tracker scene lately.)

            4 votes
            1. [5]
              u-2at
              Link Parent
              I actually had a Disney+ sub for a while, but I have never fallen so far away from a streaming service so fast. Like, I felt a slow decline in Netflix quality over time, personally, but I feel...

              I actually had a Disney+ sub for a while, but I have never fallen so far away from a streaming service so fast. Like, I felt a slow decline in Netflix quality over time, personally, but I feel like Disney+ did a speed run on that. I toyed with cancelling my Netflix account for a bit before I did it. Disney+ didn't give me that struggle. Weird either way, it's not like I have to have someone come out and set up the service or anything.

              Anonamouse is pretty good, that's my go to for books. I didn't know you could get into RED from there.

              I'm not banking on it, but you know... Diversify. If I branch out enough, an opportunity might arise. Man, I see you got into PTP down below, so that's cool! The private tracker world works in mysterious ways.

              4 votes
              1. [4]
                kwyjibo
                Link Parent
                You're exactly right about Disney+. I was mostly excited about their Hulu line up of shows (Atlanta, The Bear, etc.) but they're either released too late or not released at all on the platform....

                You're exactly right about Disney+. I was mostly excited about their Hulu line up of shows (Atlanta, The Bear, etc.) but they're either released too late or not released at all on the platform. I'm sure this isn't the case if you're from the US but I'm not, so waiting for them to release these shows were unnecessary for someone like me who can get them as soon as they're aired, and doesn't have to wait for the subtitles in my native language.

                The private tracker world works in mysterious ways.

                Indeed it does! It was very kind of @streblo to offer. If I get an invitation myself, I can pay it forward to you!

                3 votes
                1. streblo
                  Link Parent
                  Glad it went to a good home!

                  Glad it went to a good home!

                  3 votes
                2. [2]
                  u-2at
                  Link Parent
                  I am in the US so I do seem to get priority, but I have so many friends overseas that are in your exact same spot that I just share my spoils with them because I know what it feels like, even if...

                  I am in the US so I do seem to get priority, but I have so many friends overseas that are in your exact same spot that I just share my spoils with them because I know what it feels like, even if it was just temporary. It was hotly advertised in Australia that Game of Thrones was "next day" at the time. Still didn't help for spoilers popping up everywhere online.

                  If I get an invitation myself, I can pay it forward to you!

                  Ha, all good. I'd never say no, but definitely push it onto someone you know first. Just cool to see that stuff happen.

                  2 votes
                  1. kwyjibo
                    Link Parent
                    I know the feeling well! I know it's not necessarily a show that can be ruined by spoilers, but I had a self-imposed media blackout after Succession's series finale that aired just a couple of...

                    It was hotly advertised in Australia that Game of Thrones was "next day" at the time. Still didn't help for spoilers popping up everywhere online.

                    I know the feeling well! I know it's not necessarily a show that can be ruined by spoilers, but I had a self-imposed media blackout after Succession's series finale that aired just a couple of days ago. I go through the same thing all over again when there's a pivotal episode, but it's hard to know when an episode is pivotal beforehand so if I care about a series, I close my eyes, plug my ears, and watch it as fast as possible.

                    Ha, all good. I'd never say no, but definitely push it onto someone you know first. Just cool to see that stuff happen.

                    I don't know anyone who's even remotely knowledgeable about torrenting, let alone private trackers, so when I get an invitation, it's yours!

                    2 votes
        3. [4]
          vivarium
          Link Parent
          Hey cool, other private tracker users! I was also on what.cd, and parlayed a Power User status into other private trackers through its invite forums. But, the only ones I really got into before...

          Hey cool, other private tracker users!

          I was also on what.cd, and parlayed a Power User status into other private trackers through its invite forums. But, the only ones I really got into before what.cd shuttered were MoreThanTV and AnimeBytes, and MTT had recent data loss issues so they've been slowly rebuilding as of late. ((I never did properly document my what Power User status, either, so it's hard to use that as evidence when trying to interview for other sites.))

          What about KG makes it the one you use the most? Is it the rareness/obscurity of their catalog? (MTT has mostly been fine for my needs, but I'm curious what I'm missing out on, hehe.)

          3 votes
          1. [3]
            kwyjibo
            Link Parent
            Yep, I like arthouse films and they have films you can't find anywhere else, aside from PTP. It also has a great community. It's not just about downloading the latest Hong Sang-soo film, it's...

            Yep, I like arthouse films and they have films you can't find anywhere else, aside from PTP. It also has a great community. It's not just about downloading the latest Hong Sang-soo film, it's about giving back to the medium as well. I've translated a couple of films into English there myself and it's a great feeling that you keep some of the films alive by introducing them to people who had not access to it before, knowing that they will appreciate it.

            5 votes
            1. [2]
              vivarium
              Link Parent
              Wow, that's wonderful! And with the way you speak of your translation contributions, I imagine you must take a lot of care to capture the magic of the original script in the movies you translate....

              I've translated a couple of films into English there myself and it's a great feeling that you keep some of the films alive by introducing them to people who had not access to it before, knowing that they will appreciate it.

              Wow, that's wonderful! And with the way you speak of your translation contributions, I imagine you must take a lot of care to capture the magic of the original script in the movies you translate.

              How do you choose which movies to translate? Like, do you watch a movie in its original language, finish the movie feeling moved/affected, notice there's not an English translation, and go from there? o:

              2 votes
              1. kwyjibo
                Link Parent
                It's definitely a labor of love. In my previous life I worked as a translator, including a brief stint at Netflix, so I have some experience in the field as well, but it's not a necessary...

                It's definitely a labor of love. In my previous life I worked as a translator, including a brief stint at Netflix, so I have some experience in the field as well, but it's not a necessary prerequisite to translate a film.

                It certainly takes an effort to translate one, trying to stay as faithful to its script as possible, but there are myriad of other considerations that go with it as well. (Highly recommend this article on the subject, especially if you're a Seinfeld fan.) The most important and obvious one is having a complete command of the target language, being aware of its nuances, and making it sound natural.

                There wasn't any rhyme or reason to why I picked the films I did. The films themselves seemed like fun, had actors important to my culture, and I had time, so I did it. I don't think I'd have the courage to translate every film though, especially the ones where the script has some depth. I'm not too confident about my ability to make dense dialogue sound natural in English.

                1 vote
      3. [4]
        gco
        Link Parent
        I was also on what at some point until it died. I tried to make do with streaming services but it was not good enough. If you're still keen on private trackers, I recommend Orpheus for music. Not...

        I was also on what at some point until it died. I tried to make do with streaming services but it was not good enough. If you're still keen on private trackers, I recommend Orpheus for music. Not as hard to join as RED, with a very good amount of torrents.

        3 votes
        1. [3]
          u-2at
          Link Parent
          That will probably be my next goal. Someone DM'd me and invited me to Red and I never got the email, so they sent me the link where I registered and I just couldn't get the email. So I went to the...

          That will probably be my next goal. Someone DM'd me and invited me to Red and I never got the email, so they sent me the link where I registered and I just couldn't get the email. So I went to the IRC to sort it out and holy shit did they interrogate me. After an hour of that, they denied me, lol. I have good standing on other private trackers, but that never came up. I feel bad I wasted that guy's invite, but man... That was a bit over the top. Hopefully Orpheus is a bit more mellow.

          1 vote
          1. [2]
            gco
            Link Parent
            Definitely recommend it. I went through a similar experience (After weeks of idling in the IRC channel since there's no good coverage for my timezone). The whole thing was much smoother on OPS, I...

            Definitely recommend it. I went through a similar experience (After weeks of idling in the IRC channel since there's no good coverage for my timezone). The whole thing was much smoother on OPS, I even got a question wrong in the interview and the guy was kind enough to not fail me for it.

            If you do join, make sure to check out the forums, there's lots of members giving away freeleech tokens there.

            1. u-2at
              Link Parent
              Here's a good insult to injury as well. Shortly after my last post, the emails from Red came through. I'll hop in Orpheus IRC this week and give it a shot.

              Here's a good insult to injury as well. Shortly after my last post, the emails from Red came through. I'll hop in Orpheus IRC this week and give it a shot.

      4. [3]
        Flapmeat
        Link Parent
        You guys remember oinks pink palace? I believe it was the predecessor waffles but I may be wrong. My memory is a little foggy. Oink was my introduction to private trackers. It was such a fun...

        music

        You guys remember oinks pink palace? I believe it was the predecessor waffles but I may be wrong. My memory is a little foggy.

        Oink was my introduction to private trackers. It was such a fun concept at the time. The whole making sure you share more than you download, was rad way to look at it and it really made me feel like pirate. I feel like the internet was cooler back then. I don't know maybe I'm old!

        3 votes
        1. [2]
          kfwyre
          Link Parent
          I was on oink! I was an experienced public tracker torrent seeder up to that point, always going out of my way to get to at least 1.00, but usually several times that to make up for people who...

          I was on oink!

          I was an experienced public tracker torrent seeder up to that point, always going out of my way to get to at least 1.00, but usually several times that to make up for people who didn’t seed.

          So, when I got in, I downloaded a bunch of stuff thinking “yeah, I’ll seed these and get my ratio back in no time!”What I didn’t realize was that, because of the strict ratio requirements, people were WAY more selective with what they downloaded. It took me a long time to dig myself out of that hole. I actually remember going to music stores and digging through their used CD collections, looking for niche stuff that wasn’t on oink so I could add it and get my ratio back up!

          1. Flapmeat
            Link Parent
            Fully! I remember having to have to learn how to upload just so I could stay above board!

            Fully! I remember having to have to learn how to upload just so I could stay above board!

            1 vote
      5. nickk
        Link Parent
        I would recommend getting a Tidal subscription and use Tidal-Media-Downloader. Built up a sizeable flac library using that method. Much easier and faster than finding downloads online.

        I would recommend getting a Tidal subscription and use Tidal-Media-Downloader. Built up a sizeable flac library using that method. Much easier and faster than finding downloads online.

  5. [10]
    nacho
    Link
    I haven't been keeping up with torrents for years. Does this mean the last "big" or comprehensive public tracker site has ended? Are private trackers now the only big thing? This news is getting...

    I haven't been keeping up with torrents for years.

    Does this mean the last "big" or comprehensive public tracker site has ended? Are private trackers now the only big thing?

    This news is getting so strong reactions to me that it's surprising for someone who hasn't paid attention.

    5 votes
    1. [6]
      lou
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Absolutely not.

      Does this mean the last "big" or comprehensive public tracker site has ended? Are private trackers now the only big thing?

      Absolutely not.

      12 votes
      1. [6]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. lou
          Link Parent
          I understand. I'm not a heavy torrenter, I'm not going out of my way to find obscure stuff and the regular public trackers you can find in that list are more than enough for me. But I understand...

          I understand. I'm not a heavy torrenter, I'm not going out of my way to find obscure stuff and the regular public trackers you can find in that list are more than enough for me. But I understand that my use case is not universal.

          I mean I do look for stuff that some people might consider niche (such as 1940s film noir), but really aren't in the context of internet.

          4 votes
        2. [4]
          lou
          Link Parent
          This is showing as "not found" here :/

          A good place to find your way in is on /r/OpenTrackers

          This is showing as "not found" here :/

          1 vote
          1. [3]
            cfabbro
            Link Parent
            For me it shows:

            For me it shows:

            This community has been banned

            This community has been banned for violating the Reddit rules.
            Banned 7 months ago.

            2 votes
            1. [2]
              PandaBear
              Link Parent
              I think it’s ‘opensignups’ now Big news is TL is accepting refugees

              I think it’s ‘opensignups’ now

              Big news is TL is accepting refugees

              3 votes
              1. Bossman
                Link Parent
                Yeah. Their site has been hugged to death. Sign up form doesn't work currently. lol

                Big news is TL is accepting refugees

                Yeah. Their site has been hugged to death. Sign up form doesn't work currently. lol

                1 vote
    2. cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Nah, to both questions. RARBG was the best of the bunch, IMO. Its interface and community was fantastic, but there are still plenty of others out there (including The Pirate Bay, which is still...

      Nah, to both questions. RARBG was the best of the bunch, IMO. Its interface and community was fantastic, but there are still plenty of others out there (including The Pirate Bay, which is still chugging along). So I don’t foresee this being the end of public trackers, just another hiccup along the way. A painful hiccup for those of us that regularly used it and will now have to find somewhere else to go, but still a mere hiccup in the grand scheme of things.

      5 votes
    3. [2]
      Interesting
      Link Parent
      I recently set up a docker stack with Jellyfin, Sonarr, Radarr and Prowlarr, and there are at least a dozen torrent different sites that Prowlarr queries to get content. My next step is probably...

      I recently set up a docker stack with Jellyfin, Sonarr, Radarr and Prowlarr, and there are at least a dozen torrent different sites that Prowlarr queries to get content. My next step is probably UseNet though; I need a better way to get older content.

      5 votes
      1. redhotkurt
        Link Parent
        FWIW, I've had a lot of success when searching for older stuff. You can find older content on usenet, though it largely depends on several variables like your provider(s) retention policy, the...

        FWIW, I've had a lot of success when searching for older stuff. You can find older content on usenet, though it largely depends on several variables like your provider(s) retention policy, the show's popularity, amount of times an episode's been posted, whether or not the provider has been dmca'd for those posts, etc. I'm thinking specifically about tv, but this applies to movies as well.

        2 votes
  6. cloud_loud
    Link
    I loved RARBG, it was incredibly convenient to torrent full tv shows from them considering how they had those really small files

    I loved RARBG, it was incredibly convenient to torrent full tv shows from them considering how they had those really small files

    5 votes
  7. BrooklynMan
    Link
    this is really sad to hear-- not just because of the site itself, but because of the huge amount of releases the put out. sad news.

    this is really sad to hear-- not just because of the site itself, but because of the huge amount of releases the put out. sad news.

    2 votes
  8. [2]
    NoblePath
    Link
    Rargb.to is still operational, but I always wondered about it. (Note “clever” transposition)

    Rargb.to is still operational, but I always wondered about it. (Note “clever” transposition)

    1 vote
    1. mat
      Link Parent
      Huh, something is AFOOT. If you click down this list of proxies about half return the "sorry we're closed" message, and out of the remainders there are two different index pages. One with last...

      Huh, something is AFOOT. If you click down this list of proxies about half return the "sorry we're closed" message, and out of the remainders there are two different index pages. One with last updates on the 23rd of last month, and the others with last updates an hour or so ago.

      My guess is some of the proxies weren't actually proxies and just mirrored the main site every so often. But it also looks like there was someone running a rarbg clone that wasn't actually rarbg. A bit like what happened with EZTV although without the domain takeover (yet). Except the clone is still running, and presumably pulling from non-rarbg data sources - much like rarbg did with their non-group releases.

      4 votes