I’m sure most people would think I’m writing about Amazon Prime music, but no. Real Networks has been around for years. I used their player before iTunes, before Pandora, I’m pretty sure before Windows XP. They’ve been in this space a long time, but have not have regained the popular attention they had in the 1990s.
And, as Spotify announces huge, game changing pivots in the music/video space, Real brings back their founder and announces they’re moving into photo-sharing. As they’re bleeding cash, it’s hard not to see this as the final flails of a dying company. I deeply hope I’m wrong. Their immanent death has been predicted for years, and wrong. And I root for my home teams!
