RealNetworks gears up for online music market

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RealNetworks gears up for online music market

RealNetworks Inc., the developer of Real Player, will enter the Korean pay online music market this year, Lawrence Jacobson, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo Friday. The company will also expand its business here to the mobile phone service and online game markets. Mr. Jacobson said that RealNetworks would expand its business here through a partnership with Korean companies without establishing a local corporation. Its entry is expected to bring enormous competition in the Korean online music market. RealNetworks started providing a pay service for the European Championship soccer matches through a local Web site last month as the first step in entering Korea. Mr. Jacobson said that vice presidents in charge of music, games and mobile phone service recently visited Korea and completed a market feasibility study. He said that the company is especially interested in providing its digital media program to telecommunications companies, such as SK Telecom and KTF. RealNetworks is providing about 30 visual and game services to Vodafone, a U.K.-based mobile operator. Mr. Jacobson said RealNetworks has not been emphasizing Asia for the last few years because it was concentrating on content development in English-speaking countries. He said RealNetworks would provide Korean music and visuals to the world through its Web sites. The company is now discussing providing its Internet music service with Korean labeling companies. Mr. Jacobson said that the company’s charges would be much lower than in the United States. It is considering charging 3,000 won ($2.60) per month and 500 won to 700 won per downloaded song. Most Korean companies charge 3,000 won a month for their online music streaming service, which allows customers to listen to music on the Internet without downloading a song. In the United States, RealNetworks charges customers $10 per month to listen to 600,000 songs on its Web site, and it costs 75 cents to download a song. It is competing with iTunes of Apple Computer Inc., and 13 million people are using its service there. RealNetworks developed its Internet music streaming service in 1994. by Hong Joo-yun
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