Discount giant Walmart has signed a deal with Seattle-based streaming media
company RealNetworks Inc.to use its technology and
infrastructure in a promotion for the sale of music CDs at
Walmart.com.
The retailer said that online shoppers will be able to hear 30-second
RealAudio samples of every song on every CD in Walmart.com’s music inventory.
All told, more than 1 million sample music tracks will be available.
More than 375,000 of the music samples, including those from Walmart.com’s
100 best-selling CDs, are available in RealAudio 8, one of the key codec
technologies behind the RealPlayer. Financial arrangements between the
companies were not disclosed.
RealNetworks said its Real Broadcast
Network and Globix will provide the hosting solutions for all of the music
samples on Walmart.com.
“There’s no better way to sell CDs online than to offer samples in CD-quality
sound — and that’s exactly what the RealPlayer and RealAudio 8 can offer
consumers.,” said Len Jordan, senior vice president at RealNetworks.