Time Magazine takes a look at RealNetworks’ Rhapsody Music Service in their “Gadget of the Week” section.
“It’s not a gadget, but it may spell the fate of all gadgets, or at least the ones that play music. Real Networks [sic] has launched a complete overhaul of its Rhapsody online music service. A lot of Rhapsody’s new stuff has appeared in other services, and its newest innovations could be called tweaks rather than revolutionary gestures. Still, the whole offering, broken into three tiers, looks pretty tasty,” Wilson Rothman writes for Time Magazine.
Rothman then covers the Rhapsody services that, according to him, “may spell the fate of all gadgets” and then inexplicably concludes, “Do these full-meal-deal services have what it takes to knock Apple’s iTunes off of the mountain? Maybe not yet. But they’re getting closer. If you can find it in you to switch from an iPod Mini to a Creative Zen Micro—and can muster a little patience for the early software that’s not as easy to use as iTunes—you might find something you like.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: How in the hell can Rothman write that Rhapsody “may spell the fate of all gadgets or at least the ones that play music,” and then conclude the article by that saying if you dump your iPod for an also-ran Creative device and are willing put up software that’s not as good as iTunes “you might find something you like?” Does this make any sense? Why not keep the iPod and use the best software, iTunes, wouldn’t you find more to like?
Sheesh, can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!
RealNetworks’ Rhapsody will “spell the fate of all music playing gadgets” the same way the Edsel spelled the fate of all gasoline-powered vehicles.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
RealNetworks says ‘Harmony’ hack once again compatible with all Apple iPods – April 26, 2005
The Motley Fool: RealNetworks’ new Rhapsody ‘is still largely on the sidelines of the music war’ – April 26, 2005
RealNetworks launches new Rhapsody services, gives away 25 songs per month – April 26, 2005
Apple iTunes Music Store killer? Real expected to add subscriptions to Rhapsody music service – April 26, 2005
Real CEO Glaser calls Apple ‘deceptive’ with iTunes Music Store – March 07, 2005
Real CEO pitches to half empty room at tech symposium; Apple draws standing-room-only crowd – February 25, 2005
RealNetworks’ CEO Rob Glaser grabs 3 of top 10 spots on ‘Dumbest Moments in Business 2005’ list – January 31, 2005
RealNetworks ‘Harmony’ stops working on iPods but nobody notices for a month and a half – December 15, 2004
Bono-Glaser photo caption contest now open – October 25, 2004
Real’s CEO Glaser: ‘Harmony’ hack legal, Mac lovers are very sensitive to Apple criticism, and more – September 14, 2004
Analyst: Rob Glaser’s ill-advised war against Apple ‘is going to bite RealNetworks on the ass’ – August 30, 2004
RealNetwork’s CEO Glaser crashes Apple’s music party – July 30, 2004
Real CEO Glaser: Steve Jobs’ comments on Real ‘not succeeding’ are ‘ridiculously humorous’ – April 29, 2004
NY Times: Real CEO Glaser was close to having ‘iPod’ before Apple, but let it ‘slip through his fingers – April 24, 2004
Real’s CEO Glaser: Apple’s iPod/iTunes combo ‘threatens to turn off consumers’ – April 20, 2004
Jobs to Glaser: go pound sand – April 16, 2004
Real CEO Glaser begs Apple to make iPod play nice with other music services – March 24, 2004
Real CEO Glaser: ‘iTunes is only going to be used for playing songs you bought using the iTunes store – January 16, 2004
Edsel…Ford…Rhapsody. Funny.
MW: nuclear!
Apple should just open a subscription service, so we can put all this nonsense to bed.
So If I dump somthing I Love I might find something that I like?
Wow This really makes sense….
weird.. Time is usually hawking Apple stuff with the best of ’em.. this is just.. wack
Oh well.. at least now they don’t look like they’re being paid off… by Apple
No one cares about Real Networks..
Ditto. What would adding subscription services to iTunes do to all the other wannabe services? Add in a convenient conversion tool for WMA to AAC and, boom, you’re good to go with iTunes. Can real and nappy survive if they lost 30% of their current subscribers? iTunes being cross platform, could they survive if colleges and universitys adopted the iTunes subscriber services? It may account for only a small portion of the overall usage but it might be worthwhile just to get rid of real and nappy.
wtf is he talking about?
RePlay,
iTunes can already convert WMA to AAC (only non-DRMed, of course).
The thought of Apple crushing the competition and blowing them out of the water may be nice and all, but in truth, Apple needs these clowns around to keep the balance. A healthy competition is fun specially when you see these clowns struggling to steal market share from Apple. As long as Apple can keep them at a good distance, let them dance like monkeys and make a fool of themselves.
I’m glad someone is not asleep at the wheel. I’ve been seeing a lot of stupid commentary on Napster and Rhapsody claiming they will bury iTunes and the iPod.
The logic doesn’t add up, it’s more akin to 2+2=5
Sheesh, can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!
Time has caused me to scratch my head a few times lately, anyone catch that Ann Coulter article??? Yikes!!!!!!
This man is laughing all the way to the bank.
He got paid for this nonsense – and I don’t mean money he gets from Time.
Napster, Real and all the others are never going to be successful until they get a clue, stop doing what they’re currently doing, and start doing what they really need to do.
Stop trying to take some of Apple’s 70-80% marketshare of online music’s 7% marketshare of total music sales.
Start trying to expand the online music sales marketshare of total music sales.
How clueless are these people?
Only the music industry (the labels, not artists) is less in touch with reality. If the music industry had any idea, there wouldn’t be any third party music services such as iTunes, Real, Napster or whatever.
“If you can find it in you to switch from an iPod Mini to a Creative Zen Micro—and can muster a little patience for the early software that’s not as easy to use as iTunes…”
1. iPod v Zen: no thanks. Why would I switch to a moped when I’ve got a motorcycle
2. they aren’t going to make easy to use software – those folks never do. iTunes is wonderful, but really it didn’t take a genius to know the essential experience of the user interface should be simple, straightforward, and intuitive. If you don’t make your software like that in the first pass, why would you get a clue later?
leodavinci:
If only online music did account for 7%!
The total global music market last year was worth around $33 billion if memory serves, so – given that Apple was responsible for 175 million downloads and had around 80% of the market – legal online downloads probably only accounted for just 0.6% of the market.
This year may be a little different, with Apple likely to move in excess of 650 million tracks, but even then the download market will only be 3% of the global market.
MDN- “Sheesh, can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!”
Yes. Probably.
Other recent examples: Mike Barnicle. Jayson Blair.
Who the hell is Wilson Rothman. Sounds like a pseudonym.
“Time Magazine article about RealNetworks’ Rhapsody makes no sense”
It goes without saying that “Time Magazine … makes no sense.” End of story. I swear those guys write with an open dictionary looking for the longest polysyllables they can find. Cut to the chase and just tell us the news.
leodavinci,
I think Real and Napster are “trying to expand the online music sales marketshare of total music sales.” If they were trying to take from Apple’s marketshare they would have strictly a download service. They’ve already lost the purchased downloads market to Apple and they know it. That’s why they have the one thing that Apple doesn’t have that some people do want, a subscription service. Most people seem to want to purchase their songs, but not everyone, and right now Real and Napster are going after those people.
You can’t really fault them for promoting their subscription service. It shows that they are trying to expand the market into new areas. However, you can fault them for their poor software and their foolish alliance with underachieving hardware solutions (but that’s not really their fault either. They can’t help that the Zen is crap and that Apple won’t let them use the iPod.)
“[…] can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!”
Sounds to me like someone just made a quick $15,000. Ka-ching!
They’re just jumping on the glutton of ‘ipod killer’ related stories we’ve come to know and love. Who knows, maybe Time have just blown any chance of future cover stories with Apple.
It is just a healthy competition for iTunes.. never mind.
What an idiot. How does a subscription music service on your computer do away with the need for ‘gadgets’ like the iPod? Does the music on your computer just magically start playing in your head when you are walking down the street or somehow broadcasted from your computer to your car stereo as you travel?
Time sure has been promoting a lot of iPod competitors lately…wonder what their beef is?
MW = STRENGTH
Everyone says Apple can just have a subscription service if they ever need one. I don’t think so.
DVD Jon proved that the DRM is not in the music file but in the iTunes software. There is no way Apple could protect those files when the subscription timed out without putting the DRM in the music file. That, at the very least, would mean creating a second, parallel service with a different DRM system and different music files. It would also mean doing it for Windows and Mac and redoing the software management on every iPod or creating a new class of iPod. All this for 5% of the market?
Not going to happen.
Your right, it doesn’t make any sense at all. Why should I give up the best player on the market the iPod which works with the best music store on the market, iTunes for something less and try and find something I like about it more?
What?
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I wish someone could answer this question…
WHY would I want to switch from using an iPod/iTunes?
WHY??????????
PLEASE – GIVE ME ONE GOOD FRIGGING REASON!!! ONE!!!!
mw = dead (as in this is such a dead issue)
>MDN wrote: Sheesh, can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!
Good God! You should speak. You have a word processor and and Internet connection. Much of what you write is ridiculously biased.
>MDN wrote: Sheesh, can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!
Good God! You should speak. You have a word processor and and Internet connection. Much of what you write is ridiculously biased.
>MDN wrote: Sheesh, can just anybody plunk down at a word processor and write for Time these days?!
Good God! You should speak. You have a word processor and and Internet connection. Much of what you write is ridiculously biased.
king_alvarez,
I have to disagree. I doubt that anybody has lost the download market to Apple for one simple reason. Download music sales are a small percentage of total music sales. Whether it’s the 7% I mentioned or the 0.6% mentioned by MCCFR. It’s the total music sales that are where the real growth potential is.
From all I’ve read from a variety of sources, I think the consumer demand for music subscriptions is very, very low, and I’m convinced the subscription services (along with the music industry) are trying their best to convert or divert existing (meaning primarily iTunes) music download consumers to subscription models, not expand online music sales.
Besides, music subscriptions can’t expand sales because they aren’t sales. They’re rentals.
Personally, I’ve neither read, nor heard any argument or advantage to the subscription models that isn’t overwhelming offset by a major disadvantage. When your subscription ends so does your access to your music.
For a music subscription model to work for me (and I suspect for most people), I would have to still have access to all the music I had already downloaded prior to my subscription ending.
Just like I can still read all the Smithsonian magazines I have acquired over the years. The pages didn’t suddenly go blank the day a subscription ended.
The only problem is that the subscription services (and the music industry) aren’t going to allow that kind music subscription model to exist.
Short of finding some way of making you pay every time you listen to a piece of music (something that is very, very unlikely to happen anytime soon), they are absolutely drooling over the notion of the constant revenue stream a subscription model represents.
Wilson is just engaging in the world’s oldest profession.
“If you can find it in you to switch from an iPod Mini to a Creative Zen Micro—and can muster a little patience for the early software that’s not as easy to use as iTunes—you might find something you like.”
WTF ??
This is like saying: “If you hold your nose, close your eyes, and swallow really fast, it tastes pretty good.”
I’m glad that Time supports workplace diversity by hiring the mentally bankrupt.
Al,
Agreed that the DRM is in the iTunes and iPod software, so when I purchase and download the song, iTunes writes the DRM into the song.
So for a subscription, an updated iTunes application would get your subscription info from the Store and record an encrypted date and a subscribed marker for each subscription song downloaded. The updated iPod software would pick up this info when it is synced to the iTunes application. I don’t see where there is a technological barrier.
Mac & PC Guy:
Thou art a complete dolt. Of course MDN is biased. Nowhere do you see a claim to the contrary. Nowhere is there anything that would lead you to believe this isn’t a Apple booster site. It’s “MAC Daily News,” fer chrissake!!!! Do you need any more obvious things explained?
Time, on the other hand, is supposed to be (and claims to be) an unbiased news source. Time is supposed to check its facts and avoid unbalanced, biased reporting.
MDN succeeds in its mission. Time frequently fails.
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