RealPlayer

Internet media player

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July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

RealPlayer was an early media player developed by RealNetworks, Inc. It was closely associated with RealAudio, a compressed audio format created in 1995 that popularized streaming media. Streaming allows users to listen to audio or watch video as it is being downloaded, rather than waiting for the entire file to transfer. RealAudio and RealPlayer were significant in the 1990s for enabling internet radio and early online multimedia experiences. While RealNetworks maintained control over its proprietary formats (.rm and .ra), competitors developed players for established formats like .avi and .mpg. RealPlayer's market share eventually declined with the rise of other media players and streaming technologies.12

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streaming media
… Player, which was soon renamed RealPlayer once the application began streaming video as well as sound. By 2000 RealNetworks’ audio and video software had reached 215 million users—85 percent of the still-new market. However, the company soon lost its market share to other industry players, particularly Microsoft, the company behind…
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… Player, which was soon renamed RealPlayer once the application began streaming video as well as sound. By 2000 RealNetworks’ audio and video software had reached 215 million users—85 percent of the still-new market. However, the company soon lost its market share to other industry players, particularly Microsoft, the company behind…
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livestreaming
Historical developments
…the latter being broadcast with RealPlayer, a media player developed by RealNetworks, Inc. One of the first webcasts, made possible by technology developed by Excite@Home Network and broadcast from George Washington University, occurred in 1999; the event featured U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton.
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…the latter being broadcast with RealPlayer, a media player developed by RealNetworks, Inc. One of the first webcasts, made possible by technology developed by Excite@Home Network and broadcast from George Washington University, occurred in 1999; the event featured U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton.
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RealAudio
…was developed for use with RealPlayer, one of the Internet’s early media player successes.
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…was developed for use with RealPlayer, one of the Internet’s early media player successes.
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