Real Networks just announced their download music service, which may provide stiff competition for Apple’s iTunes. Real Networks will be offering their downloads for 79 cents as opposed to Apple’s 99. Real Networks new service will be based on listen.com’s Rhapsody service, which Real bought last month. Rhapsody, however, unlike Apple iTunes, requires a $9.95 monthly fee, plus and extra 79 cents per download. This includes 60+ commercial free radio stations. So, it will be interesting to see if Real Network utilizes a monthly fee as well.

Apple reported that they sold 1,000,000 downloaded songs in their first week of selling music to Mac users right in their iTunes software. That is one heck of a performance considering that Apple has 11.5 percent of the overall computer market and not all of those users download files, have an iPod and or have downloaded the new iTunes4 software. That marketshare is likely to grow as Apple is planning on offering iTunes for PCs to go along with the PC version of the iPod. Other sites like the re-born Napster will also offer a similar business model for downloading music on a pay per song basis which will increasingly allow consumers to buy music directly on their computer.

Apple computer today launched their own pay-per-download music system for Mac users via Apple’s incredibly slick iTunes music management software (available free at Apple.com). Apple users that love music use iTunes as their command center for managing their MP3 files, ripping CDs and now in version 4 of iTunes, buying music. Tracks cost the standard $0.99 per song and each tune has a 30 second demo for you to audition before you pop for the fee. Apple’s Music Store has been neatly and unobtrusively added into the “Source” column of the main window of iTunes in with other popular elements like your library of MP3s, your custom play lists and internet radio. Downloading and installing iTunes 4 took less than 5 minutes with a DSL connection. A few more minutes went into downloading and installing the latest version of QuickTime for improved multi-media functionality.

I have recently had a number of discussions with people of influence in the record and pro audio industries about the format war and how important copy protection is for the record labels. Everyone agrees the winner of the format war will come from strong support (far stronger than we see today) from the major labels and nearly everyone I speak with also agrees that the format that will ultimately win is the one with the best copy protection. Copy protection on traditional CDs was a functional nightmare and while labels can encode the hybrid layer of an SACD with CD copy protection, they are likely to run into the many of the same compatibility issues that was faced with copy protecting CDs including the fact they don’t play well in computers of all varieties, especially Macs. Ironically, pure non-hybrid SACDs are very hard (notice I didn’t say impossible) to digitally crack. DVD-Audio discs are ...

Major record label executives may have found their answer to online music services. However, this new technology is only for Macs. This yet to be titled online music service was developed by Apple Computer Inc. and will offer Mac and iPod users the ability to download music similar to AOL's Music Net. Apple caught label attention with their simple downloading software. Similar programs have complicated technology and pricing plans due to label security, making them much harder to use then free file sharing programs such as LimeWire and Kazaa. No licensing deals have been announced but four of the five major labels have reportedly committed their music to the new Apple Service that may be launched as early as next month.