RealNetworks will offer web-based Rhapsody

Written by James Delahunty @ 05 Dec 2005 10:23 User comments (1)

RealNetworks is planning to offer a web-based version of its Rhapsody music service. It will be subscription based and will only allow users to stream music content through the web; downloading it still requires Rhapsody software. However, it does open up the music store to Linux and Mac users and it's a service that will work anywhere regardless of location. Users will be allowed to stream 25 songs for free, but for a subscription fee it will become unlimited.

All you need is a web browser for the service, no extra software from Real. A beta version of the service will be available on Monday, the company said. Real also doesn't mind that the vast majority of visitors will just stream music for free and not get a subscription. The company will sell ad space on the service's webpages to make up for any lost revenue for the free streaming.

In addition to this, Real said it would also offer a service to webmasters to let them stream music to people on their websites. At first, webmasters will have to link in to the Rhapsody site but Real expects to be able to offer better options sometime in H1 2006. Microsoft will also help promote the new service through Windows Media Player and across its MSN properties as part of the $761 million antitrust settlement announced in earlier this year.

Source:
Betanews

<iPod Shuffle named this year's 'must chav gadget' >Microsoft sued over Xbox 360 crashing

1 user comment

16.12.2005 12:14

freshguy

Send private message to this user

Member

RealNetworks is fortunate to have received the M$ settlement as it looked like they were fading fast. It seems that they jumped ahead in the early days with some pretty good technology at the time, but then, I think that they sort of rested on their laurels as it was pretty much only RealPlayer and their neme$i$ with the Windows Media Player to provide media playback capabilities for the masses. It also does not help them that they developed a nefarious reputation for allegedly being one of the first spyware distributors. To a lot of people Real Networks is about as well liked as an IRS audit or an annual prostate exam. There is a lot more competition and much improved technology around these days so I would probably cash in my RealNet stock, if I owned any. Streaming audio just isn't all that sexy anymore. The only reason that I may renew my Superpass subscription is for the 10 free songs per month I get as a member. I make good use of that and it doesn't hurt that they have the highest quality music downloads in AAC format at 192 kbps. Rhapsody is okay, but I don't use it nearly as much as I thought that I would. I find myself using J. River Media Center, Foobar2000, and my old friend Winamp for music most of the time. I go with PowerDVD for video as opposed to the RealPlayer. RealNetworks is one of those companies who live by the proprietary doctrine. (Also known as the Gospel according to Sony.) They brag about being able to play all of the other formats, while at the same time encrypting their format so that it can only be played back by RealPlayer. God I hate companies that do that. Although they were able to get away with that in the past, at least to me, it looks like that philosophy has now come back to bite them on their RealOne!

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 07 Dec 2005 @ 3:08

Comments have been disabled for this article.

	Netflix buys HBO and Warner Bros studios (05 Dec 2025 8:04) Netflix has won the bidding competition for media giant Warner Bros and will acquire HBO as well as the Warner Bros film studios.
	Massive Android 0-day vulnerability found - here's what you should do immediately (08 Nov 2025 5:35) A very serious security flaw has been found in the Android operating system, allowing malicious code to be executed on a phone or tablet.
	Review: Roborock Saros Z70 - robot vacuum with an arm (20 Oct 2025 6:13) In out in-depth review of Roborock Saros Z70 we put the robot vacuum through a 3 month test period, where we observed its work in normal home. The sci-fi -like arm of Z70 was a little bit disappointing, due its limited functionality.
	End of an era: TiVo stops making DVRs (14 Oct 2025 4:12) TiVo, once synonumous with digital TV recording in the United States and in select other countries, has stopped making DVR devices as of October, 2025.
	Strava takes Garmin to court (02 Oct 2025 2:30) The world's perhaps best-known sports app developer Strava has filed a lawsuit against American sports watch manufacturer Garmin, accusing the company of patent infringement. 1 user comment

	What happens if you don't update Android? Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid updating to a new Android version. What happens if you decide to delay major updates to the OS?
	Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.
	Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix Do you have problems with you Wi-Fi? Slow connection or is it cutting off constantly? This guide aims to remedy these problems. 1 user comment
	GUIDE: Wi-Fi speeds are slow? Here are some tips Having problems with Wi-Fi speed and stability at home? Here are some tips to follow to alleviate the issues. 1 user comment
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments

RealNetworks will offer web-based Rhapsody

1 user comment

Latest news

Reviews

Guides

News archive

Subscribe

Sections:

Follow us:

	Review: Roborock Saros Z70 - robot vacuum with an arm In out in-depth review of Roborock Saros Z70 we put the robot vacuum through a 3 month test period, where we observed its work in normal home. The sci-fi -like arm of Z70 was a little bit disappointing, due its limited functionality.
	Roborock Saros 10 review - Great, but not perfect We tested Roborock Saros 10 robot vacuum for more than two months in order to see whether it is really worth its hefty price tag. The mopping, self-emptying Saros 10 was mostly great, even perfect. But its object avoidance was bit disappointing. 1 user comment
	Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.