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Real sells 1M songs in promo week, inks college deals
updated 07:40 am EDT, Tue August 24, 2004
Real counters iTunes
Real Networks has sold , part of a one-year test program and likely be expanded to other campuses next year, offers a free Rhapsody subscription (normallly $10/month) to "30,000 Berkeley undergraduates through Oct. 31 and after that at a deep discount, Real said. In Minnesota, more than 50,000 students at four state university campuses can buy the service at reduced monthly rates or at even deeper discounts for three- or 12-month subscriptions, Real said."
Can't deny success!
08/24, 07:58am reply
One million songs for a supposedly garbage service that no one uses is pretty good. In a few months, they'll easily be surpassing iTMS.
I hope Rob enjoys all the songs he bought...
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Oooh.
08/24, 08:32am reply
So, by dropping their prices to half of what Apple charges (and losing more money on each song than Apple makes) they managed to sell almost half as many songs in a week as Apple does. Amazing.
njfuzzy
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2001
Re: Can't deny success!
08/24, 08:32am reply
Selling $500k of product that is worth $1 million. That sounds like a $500k loss to me. Successes like that can put you in the Poor House.
MacScientist
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2000
re:Can't deny success!
08/24, 08:39am reply
'I hope Rob enjoys all the songs he bought...'
LOL
Is that what Apple sells in a week ? 2 million songs?
1800-whatever
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
will Real give refunds?
08/24, 08:49am reply
Will the upcoming update to the iPod deharmonize these recent purchases. (help me out here). If so, Rob should give refunds.
iKant
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2004
What's the big deal
08/24, 08:59am reply
Apple Has sold about 9 times the amount already. 1 million? Apple did that a while ago. PLease.
typoon
Addicted to MacNN
Joined: Oct 1999
re: refunds
08/24, 09:00am reply
If you bought songs from Real last week, I suggest you burn them to a CD ASAP.
boomer0127
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
rreal success
08/24, 09:25am reply
The real test will be to see how many songs get downloaded this week, since this was obviously a ploy to get people to try out their service. They are trying to get people to "switch." How many will, not much probably, it's just people flocking to a sale.
jedi1yoda1
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2001
Not eating iTMS sales...
08/24, 10:54am reply
I'm pretty sure if you were to look at the statistics for all the other Windows Media Player compatible music services, you're going to see a huge dip in their sales - as all their regular customers jumped over to Real's site to take advantage of the savings.
Pretty lame way to get "numbers" though. I mean imagine if Apple dropped the price to .49 for say just one week. How many millions of songs would they sell?
mjtomlin
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
Hubris
08/24, 12:46pm reply
I detect a remarkable undercurrent of hubris from both Apple and its followers. History in all capacities has taught us how well such a mindset bodes for future success.
PookJP
Mac Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2001