RealNetworks breaks iTunes' hold on iPod

IPod owners, among others, will soon be able to try out an alternative to iTunes following the launch of Harmony, a digital rights management (DRM) translation system from RealNetworks.

Currently, iPod owners can only buy music online from Apple's own iTunes Music Store.

RealNetworks claimed that its system would be compatible with more than 70 devices, including all four generations of iPod.

"Generally speaking, Harmony supports any device that uses the Apple FairPlay DRM, the Windows Media Audio DRM, or the RealNetworks Helix DRM, giving RealPlayer Music Store support for more secure devices than any other music store on the internet," the company said.

Using Harmony technology, RealPlayer music store supports all four generations of the iPod and iPod Mini, 14 products from Creative, 14 from Rio, seven from RCA, nine from palmOne, 18 from iRiver, and products from Dell, Gateway and Samsung.

RealNetworks said that Harmony will be incorporated into other music products later this year, including its Rhapsody subscription service.

"Compatibility is key to bringing digital music to the masses," said Rob Glaser, founder and chief executive of RealNetworks, in a statement.

"Before Harmony, consumers buying digital music got locked into a specific kind of portable player. Harmony changes all that. Thanks to Harmony, consumers don't have to worry about technology when buying music.

"Now anyone can buy music, move it to their favourite portable device, and it will work just like the way DVDs and CDs work."

A beta test version of RealPlayer 10.5, the first consumer product to use Harmony, will be available from 27 July at www.real.com/harmony.