Real reduces price, ups ante against Apple
Published August 18, 2004
Real Networks has decided, "in for a dime, in for a dollar." It has slashed the price of downloads from its online music store to 50 cents per tune. The effort is an attempt to attract Windows users from Apple's iTunes Music Store.
RealNetworks will slash its song and album prices in half Tuesday in an attempt to lure music fans to buy its music downloads, which play on a slew of portable music players, including Apple iPods.
At 50 cents a song and $5 an album, the prices are the lowest yet offered by a mainstream digital music service. The bargain prices will last for "multiple weeks," according to Dan Sheeran, a senior vice president at RealNetworks.
Real's promotion is the latest volley by the company to pressure Apple Computer into opening up its music format to interoperate with other players. Several weeks ago, Real unveiled its Harmony technology, which allows music bought from Real to be played on more than 100 different portable players, including Apple's iPod.
Ironically, I anticipated this change for all online music stores in comments at another blog. But, I did not expect it to happen so soon or as part of a price war. If this is a war. We will not know until we see whether Apple, or other competitors, respond in kind. The more likely result is that Apple will attempt to expedite its lawsuit against Real, claiming opening the iPod's software violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
What's the art?
The iPod menu.
Reasonably related
Mac-a-ro-nies previously considered Real's 'trespassing' on Apple's turf.
Note: This entry is part of a column Mac-a-ro-nies.
- Real reduces price, ups ante against Apple
- Published: August 18, 2004
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- Section: Culture
- Writer: Mac Diva
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Comments on this articleComments
All Real has to do to make their tunes work with iPod is strip out the DRM entirely. Problem solved.
This squabbling over incompatible DRM is just bullshit. What about me the person who is shelling out money for vaporware, it turns out, I don't even own.
Screw both of them.
I am not getting any downloads from Real because I use a Mac. But, I checked my PayPal account today and I am am getting bills from Real. They've tried to charge amounts from $1.00 to $9.95 on a dozen occassions for a two-week period. (Since I signed up and downloaded the player.) I actually don't owe them a cent. Proceed with caution.
If you want a crappy experience, but without the DRM, why don't you sign up at emusic.com. They don't offer ala carte, but you get unrestricted MP3 files and they have a great catalogue. You pay a flat fee for a certain amount of tracks (which is where it is stupid).
Except for their business model, they are doing things right.
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MacNewsWorld has an article that does a good job of explaining the legal and practical issues involved in the Real-Apple controversy. I am still leaning toward Real's side from a legal perspective. DRM is meant to protect producers of music, not resellers in my opinion. If it can be changed without depriving producers of protection, I am not convinced the DMCA has been violated. Real's weaknesses are with practicality and taste. If Apple 'fixes' the iPod so it doesn't work with Real's online music store, all of Real's efforts will have been wasted.