RealNetworks Launches Price War With Apple, Touts iPod Compatibility

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/RealNetworks+slashes+song+prices/2100-1027_3-5312143.html?tag=nefd.top' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/RealNetworks+slashes+song+prices/2100-1027_3-5312143.html?tag=nefd.top</a><br /><br /></div><i>"RealNetworks will kick off a high-profile digital music marketing campaign Tuesday, highlighting the new iPod-compatible technology that has swung the company into conflict with Apple Computer. For a limited time, RealNetworks will offer song downloads from its music store for 49 cents, along with half-price albums. A nationwide print, radio and Web marketing campaign will promote the offer, along with a Web site touting "freedom of choice" for online music consumers."</i><br /><br />I'll give Real credit for having chutzpah. They are aggressively targeting Apple's music store and have taken a sledgehammer to the iPod's copy protection technology. But will these efforts pay off, or will Apple have the last laugh? <br /><br />Personally, I think this will backfire on Real. As an iPod user, I would not feel comfortable purchasing any track from Real's music store, knowing that I may only be able to play the song for a limited time...until Apple takes measures to lock such sounds out. <br /><br />What do you think?

[Felix Torres]

Never mind Apple.

$5 albums.
D/L.
Burn.
Re-rip.
Quality? Mediocre.

Price might make up for it, though.

I guess Apple didn't sue fast enough, so they raised the ante...
This could get interesting...

[Kent Pribbernow]

This could get interesting...

It already is interesting. The question is how long will Real's experiment last before Apple shuts the door in their face?

[Felix Torres]

This could get interesting...

It already is interesting. The question is how long will Real's experiment last before Apple shuts the door in their face?

Well, I'm a bit jaded, so it takes more than shrimps firing shots at guppies to catch my eye. ;-)

As you say, the question is when will Apple fire back at the shrimp messing with their business model.
*that* is when I think it gets interesting, cause then you have a real fight.
So far Apple has shown unusual (for them) restraint.

Maybe they think Real will fade away if they ignore them...

Until Apple reacts, the real issue here is half-price music.
A price war in D/Ls on the eve of a price war in players?

Could get bloody by January...

[Mojo Jojo]

This is turning into a pissing match that I don't want to be a part of.

First...
'The freedom of choice' slogan seem like a hollow title when Real doesn't even offer this choice to Apple users.

http://www.real.com/mac/default.html

Second...
There web campaign seems to be rustling the weeds and a lot of hostility targeted at Real is coming out. Their online petition is getting hammered with few people actually writting support. Go read the comments for the 'Don't Break My iPod' petition at their website http://www.freedomofmusicchoice.org . For the lazy, using their navigation brings you too:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?r4apple&1

It doesn't make much sense anyways. I mean, how is Apple breaking their own product? iTunes and my iPod are still working just fine.

As for the low price? Sure low price, but too much hassle to burn and re-rip and then type in all the track info again for compressed-compressed audio. I'll just skip the afternoon soda and call it even. :)

[Felix Torres]

This is turning into a pissing match that I don't want to be a part of.

There web campaign seems to be rustling the weeds and a lot of hostility targeted at Real is coming out.

Fights like these are best watched from the sidelines.
Preferably at a distance.
(Notice that MS has had absolutely *nothing* to say about either Helix or Harmony?)

As for hostility towards Real? Really?
I am, shocked! Shocked, I tell ya that *anybody* could posibly feel any animus towards Real! :lol:

I just wanna see the other shoe drop.
C'mon Apple!
Do something already! :twisted:

[Mojo Jojo]

I'll play armchair quarterback here and say Apple will let this grow for a bit.

*Let Real spend some more cash it doesn't have...
*Shout to the news media and inadvertenly keep the iPod and Apple in the media...
*Then poof change a byte or two in the iPod OS and call it a day.

Anyways. If your looking for a good read for a couple of minutes or so there is a website that wrote up a nice response to everything going on right now.

http://daringfireball.net/2004/08/2004_wont_be_like_1984

Deals with comparisions of the Macintosh license strategy versus the iPod strategy as well as dipping into the Real issue.

[sub_tex]

As an iPod user, I would not feel comfortable purchasing any track from Real's music store, knowing that I may only be able to play the song for a limited time...

This is exactly why I won't buy any music online right now. It's not worth saving $3 to be locked into one device and have lower quality rips of the music.

At least with a CD I can rip it to any format I wish and always have the original there to re-encode it as something else. And those files will play on ANY device I purchase.

[dean_shan]

Mojo that was a great article. Thanks for the link.

[mrkablooey]

Definitely not going to mess with that nonsense.

I hate Real software, why would I want the rest of their crap?

[Felix Torres]

Check this:

http://news.com.com/Commentary%3A+RealNetworks+lobs+another+grenade/2030-1069_3-5313016.html?tag=nl

Can't say I buy all his points, but I tend to agree with the one about MSN MUSIC.

He certainly raises questions about how the less tech-savvy world will perceive the REAL gambit.

Lobbing a grenade is about right; I'm just not sure how far they threw it.
I suspect it might have landed right at their own feet...