Local company Real Networks has
teamed up with MTV to form a new digital mp3 company. (think
iTunes)
My thoughts on this are as follows:
I love Real Networks. Rhapsody is a great service as long as you don't try to sync it with a
Sansa Mp3 Player(Major Headache). Their biggest mistake was not creating an interface like
iTunes that would work with any MP3 Player allowing the user to easily create
playlists and organize their music on their desktop. They could have incorporated some more social networking aspects to their business as well. Actually they should have just bought a company like Last.FM
Then there is MTV, a dieing machine. MTV does not play music, and people don't turn to MTV to learn about what's new in music. They have become a great channel for teen soap operas but that's pretty much it.
MTV has tried on several occasions to enter the MP3 world but failed miserably. Anyone remember URGE (Microsoft and MTV). The Press Release for the new MTV and Real partnership reminds me
alot of the 2005 press release for URGE that read
"
RealNetworks, MTV form new digital music company"
Both companies need some new talent to bring in some new ideas and a better marketing team. Rhapsody ran those horrible infomercials about their all you can eat service and MTV is so full of themselves they can't see past the 1990's.
So in my opinion in 4 years MTV and Real will have parted ways, MTV will still be known for rich spoiled 16 year
olds (My Sweet 16) and Rhapsody will still be running infomercials.
