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To: bob who wrote (3502)	5/2/1999 9:50:00 PM
From: SteelerStu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 18366

RealNetworks releases music software Last Update: 7:34 PM ET May 2, 1999 NewsWatch SEATTLE (AP) -- RealNetworks Inc., a leading maker of Internet audio and video software, is expected to announce Monday a new product that it and its partners hope will help tame the free-for-all of Web music. RealJukebox will be the first complete digital music system for Internet personal computers, officials at the Seattle company said. Among other features, RealJukebox will allow users to load tracks from music CDs onto a computer hard drive and to find and download the huge number of tunes in MP3 and other formats now available over the Internet. "RealJukebox is the biggest breakthrough in music listening since the Walkman," said Rob Glaser, RealNetworks (RNWK: news, msgs) chairman and chief executive officer. The product, a "beta" or test version of which is available free from RealNetworks' Web site, is being released amidst a flurry of deals with IBM Corp., Thompson Multimedia and its RCA-brand electronic products, and Amazon.com Inc., Tower Records and 33 other Web merchants. Also on board are some 60 musical groups and artists. The MP3 format allows near-CD quality recordings to be transmitted over the Internet, but also has given rise to widespread piracy as people trade unauthorized copies of tunes for free. RealJukebox is designed to let music publishers, artists and Web companies get a piece of the action, by combining mass distribution with software for copyright protection. "RealNetworks is striking the right balance between responsibility and being cool," said Chuck D of rap group Public Enemy in a statement. "RealJukebox will drive the industry's transition to digital distribution faster than vinyl to CDs." Public Enemy is releasing a free song from a forthcoming album via RealNetworks' Internet site for MP3 music, RealGuide for RealJukebox. Others making music available through the site include Julian Lennon, Randy Newman, The Offspring, George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, and They Might Be Giants. Other software exists to download MP3 files, and to convert music CDs to computer files. RealNetworks says its program combines those functions, plus it can organize and retrieve music files by title, artist or category; handle a broad spectrum of music formats; and convert files for use on portable digital players like the Diamond Rio or Creative Nomad. It also allows a PC to be plugged into stereo systems as a CD or MP3 player. Working with the Internet partners and RealGuide, RealJukebox can search out and display information about artists and albums and give access to online music stores and record company promotions. RealJukebox and its underlying software also maintain the "serial copyright management system," a federally required implant into recorded products to prevent their unauthorized copying, and will support a system being developed to track and charge for downloaded music. As with its other products, RealNetworks will give away the basic consumer software at its Internet site (www.real.com), but will offer a premium version with additional features for a price. It charges media producers and distributors for their versions of the software, and also makes money off the numerous marketing deals. Digital music sales are now only a sliver of the $12 billion music industry, but are expected to grow dramatically. With fast, cheap PCs and "dirt-cheap hard drives," RealNetworks foresees a huge market, said Dave Richards, RealNetworks' head of consumer products. "There are very few speed bumps in the way." RealNetworks' "streaming media" technology already is used by more than 60 million people to play music, listen to radio and watch video over the Web. On April 13, RealNetworks said it would buy Xing Technology Corp. of San Luis Obispo, Calif., maker of the AudioCatalyst MP3 software. That product has been merged into RealJukebox. Two days later, another key deal for the new product fell into place when RealNetworks said it would integrate its technology with IBM's Electronic Music Management System, which is used in the preparation of digital music and other data to prevent unauthorized duplication. IBM's security measures already have been adopted by major labels such as EMI, Sony and Warner Music. The RealNetworks-IBM effort challenges a rival product by Microsoft Corp., which is pushing a different format for delivering music files over the Internet.