a chance to head stymie WMP?

[octane]

Here's a snippet from MacRumors:

CNet reports that RealNetworks will be launching a new download service with songs encoded in the MPEG4 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format.

However, the new service will pair RealNetworks' Helix Digital Rights Mangement (DRM) format with the open standard (AAC). As a result, these song files will be incompatible with Apple's iTunes and iPod (along with everything else). As the article explains, "For a song to play on a digital device, the gadget must both be able to play the underlying music format and to decode any proprietary content locks that protect against unauthorized copying."

Apple presently uses AAC + FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) for their iTunes Music Store songs.

For me, this presents Apple with a golden opportunity to cozy up to the no. 2 media format supplier / producer / developer. In turn, they could combine [subject to the two of them sorting out the technical differences] push the AAC format further while at the same time, cutting across Microsoft's own Windows Media Player format efforts.

In addition, The Register have run an article on Philips and Sony working on a open DRM solution. Question is: do Microsoft want to play nice?

I'd say this was a chance to -- as Microsoft put it the Apple Quicktime team -- "kill the baby" that Windows Media Player still is...

 

[octane]

Here's an update:

CNet reveals more details from RealNetworks upcoming Music Store and Jukebox software. While previous hints had suggested that Real's new service would be entirely incompatible with Apple's iPod as well as other systems, it appears Real is taking a different approach:

Real is betting that the flexibility of its music-playing software will distinguish it from rival stores and software packages. To this end, the company said it has created a jukebox that will play all the media formats used by its own and other song stores--including secure downloads from the iTunes store.
However, it appears Real accomplishes this compatibility by launching Apple's Quicktime/iTunes applications in the background to enable authorization.

Real's Jukebox is also said to provide transfer capabilities with the Apple iPod.

The new initiative could help Real draw potential customers from other jukebox/music services... however, incompatibilities will remain. As previously noted, Real's music store will offer AAC/Helix encoded songs which are not compatible with present audio players (such as the iPod).