(CelebrityAccess News Service) — RealNetworks streamed more than 16 million on-demand songs to RHAPSODY subscribers in August, an average rate of more than 500,000 songs per day. In the past five months, the service has more than doubled the number of songs streamed to customers each month.
"RHAPSODY's rapid rate of growth, driven by the successful launch of Best Buy RHAPSODY, our exclusive promotion offering music from The Rolling Stones in digital format, and the continuing success of RealOne RHAPSODY, demonstrates that the consumer market is finally ready for music services that deliver a better-than-free experience," said Sean Ryan, vice president of music services, RealNetworks. "August's numbers prove what we've been saying for months: legal music services have unquestionably caught the ears of music fans."
RealNetworks also announced that PC World honored RHAPSODY with a PC World Best Buy Award in its September 2003 issue, which includes a review of leading legal online music services. In 2003, RHAPSODY has also been honored with a PC World 2003 World Class Award for "Best Streaming Audio Service" and a PC Magazine Editors' Choice Award, that magazine's highest editorial honor.–by Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
