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REALNETWORKS’ RHAPSODY USAGE UP 14% IN FEBRUARY
Customers Play More Than 48 Million Songs On-Demand, Choosing from Service’s 45,000-Album Library
Norah Jones, Outkast, and Britney Spears Top Rhapsody Charts in February
SEATTLE - March 10, 2004 — RealNetworks®, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), the leading creator of digital media services and software, today announced that consumer usage of its award-winning Rhapsody Internet jukebox service jumped more than 14% in February, with customers streaming more than 48 million songs on-demand, a rate of more than 1.6 million songs per day. This is the ninth consecutive month of double-digit growth in consumer usage of Rhapsody.
"Today’s news is further evidence that Rhapsody is delivering the music value that consumers are seeking with online music services," said Sean Ryan, vice president of music services, RealNetworks. "Rhapsody puts subscribers in the DJ booth, offering more than 45,000 albums of music for less than they’d pay for an album."
The Rhapsody Top 10 artists for February include many acts currently at the top of the Billboard 200™ album chart, including singer Norah Jones, whose new album Feels Like Home was released last month by Blue Note Records, as well as artists making classic material available through Rhapsody for the first time. In February, the Top 10 most popular artists in Rhapsody were:
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1. Norah Jones |
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2. Outkast |
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3. Britney Spears |
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4. blink-182 |
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5. Coldplay |
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6. Maroon 5 |
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7. Incubus |
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8. Eminem |
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9. Queen |
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10. Sarah McLachlan |
Rhapsody is the #1 Internet jukebox service, offering unlimited access to a vast library of major and independent label music for less than $10 a month. Rhapsody’s library currently offers nearly 600,000 songs for on-demand streaming, with more than 500,000 songs available for purchase at the industry-leading price of 79¢ for any track. In addition to burning full albums or custom mix CDs, Rhapsody subscribers can build their own custom Internet radio stations, listen to professionally programmed stations, and browse extensive music information and editorial recommendations. In 2003, Rhapsody received multiple awards and honors including PC Magazine’s Editors’ Choice Award and a PC World Best Buy Award. Rhapsody and RealNetworks’ RadioPass™ service together had more than 350,000 subscribers as of the end of December 2003.
For More Information, Press Only:
Matt Graves, RealNetworks, 415-934-2159, mgraves@real.com
ABOUT REALNETWORKS
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including the award-winning Rhapsody Internet jukebox service and RealPlayer 10, the first product to integrate finding, organizing, buying, playing and managing digital audio and video in a single product. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks’ consumer software at http://www.real.com. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks’ products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks’ systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com.
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