CD Universe is an e-commerce site that sells adult toys, adult DVDs, lingerie, and sexual wellness items. The original CD Universe was an online store that sold music
CDs,
mp3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany under the lead of Karlheinz Brandenburg. It was designed to greatly reduce the amount ...
downloads, movies, and video games worldwide until June 2024. CD Universe also offered a wide selection of miscellaneous items such as stuffed animals, jigsaw puzzles, board games, etc.
History
CD Universe was created in 1996 by founder and CEO Charles Beilman in
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, centrally located between New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford, and Boston and New York City. The town is part ...
, United States. CD Universe listed over 940,000 physical products and over 6 million downloadable songs.
In 1999, CD Universe was sold by Charles Beilman to
eUniverse.
Charles Beilman bought CD Universe back from eUniverse in October, 2000 after eUniverse decided they wanted to focus on their entertainment business (they eventually owned
MySpace
Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
).
In 2009, CD Universe began selling digital music in the DRM-free mp3 format, through their relationship with Neurotic Media.
Beilman retired in January 2020.
CD Universe closed its doors in June 2024. By 15. June the website was bought, the logo slightly changed and is used to sell sexual content.
Charity work
In September 2014, CD Universe began an effort to raise money for the well known and fiscally responsible charity called
Room to Read
In a building or a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure. The entrance connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors. The space is t ...
.
CD Universe supported
Room to Read
In a building or a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure. The entrance connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors. The space is t ...
's goal of teaching every child to read and write, thus breaking the cycle of poverty.
CD Universe also supported
The American Red Cross. Visitors that donated using the link on their website had their donations matched by CD Universe.
Website security
CD Universe experienced a security breach in December 1999.
Although this security breach was a major setback for the company and its customers' trust, CD Universe was able to stay in business and proceeded with an investigation. The hacker, however, a Russian known only by the name of "Maxus", was never caught.
References
External links
* {{official website, https://cduniverse.com
Online music stores of the United States
Internet properties established in 1996