Real Tries To Push Rhapsody Test Drives
from the try-try-again dept
Real Networks has begun testing a web-based version of its Rhapsody subscription music service. Unlike the existing version, an application that runs only on Windows, the web version can be accessed by any kind of machine -- but it also doesn't support the downloading of songs to portable music players. There are plenty of existing web services that let users listen to streamed music for free, so why is Real bothering? Because it can sell ads, says CEO Rob Glaser, even if users only listen to the 25 free songs per month Rhapsody offers. Along with the new version of the service, Real will also let people link directly to particular songs and albums within it, so if a blogger is writing about a song, they could link to it within Rhapsody so readers could easily listen to it. Real CEO Rob Glaser says if people follow the links and don't ever subscribe, that's fine -- "because the Internet advertising market is doing pretty well". Sure, Real will be able to sell some ads, but the real point here is the upsell, trying to get more people to try Rhapsody, then upgrade to a paying plan. It's been pretty questionable just how successful music subscription services have been, so obviously Real wants to tempt people to see what Rhapsody's all about in hopes they'll like what they see. The question that remains, though, is whether people just don't yet understand the concept of music subscription services, or if they just don't like it.
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Real sucks by JQ on Dec 5th, 2005 @ 9:56am
I hate Real, they seem to think the way to beat WMP is to become like it and worse than it. This won't make their buggy and intrusive product anymore appealing to me.
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Yeah but, by PERV on Dec 5th, 2005 @ 9:57am
but you cant see a third of the porn online without it!
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Been there, done that ... by MissingFrame on Dec 5th, 2005 @ 10:10am
This is the same reason I have one or two remotes for every piece in my stereo rack, lack of unified standards. All these "choices" are just driving toward one easy solution, steal music and play it the way you want.
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No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward on Dec 5th, 2005 @ 10:19am
Real Alternative 1.45
Real Alternative will allow you to play RealMedia files without having to install RealPlayer/RealOne Player.
And for those of you would would like an alternative to installing AppleQucktime, QuickTime Alternative 1.66
See what others are saying about these alternative software...
http://www.google.com/search?q=QuickTime+Alternative
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Financials by Jeremiah on Dec 5th, 2005 @ 10:51am
From Real's press releases:
Third Quarter Highlights
- Revenue of $82.2 million, an increase of 20% from the prior year
- Net income of $11.2 million
- Increased total paid subscribers to more than 2.2 million
...and....
"n the third quarter, Music revenue grew 39 percent to $25.0 million, up from $18.0 million in the third quarter of 2004. Games revenue grew 62 percent to $14.7 million, up from $9.1 million in the third quarter of 2004. Media Properties revenue, which includes advertising, increased 59 percent to $8.4 million, up from $5.3 million during the same quarter last year (Note: emphasis mine). Video, consumer software and other revenue was $23.6 million, flat in comparison to the same period a year ago."
Music - $25
S/W - $23.6
Games - $14.7
Ads - $8.4
Per their own financials, they're making the *least* amount of money from ads (which surprised me), and the most money from "Music", which I presume to be derived from download fees. I wish I had time to dig out what they pay BMI/ASCAP for blanket distro licenses.....
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