Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) on Monday unveiled a "Music Without Limits" initiative, which includes the launch of a new DRM-free Rhapsody MP3 store and 100,000 album giveaway, full-song streaming and MP3 sales partnerships with iLike, MTV (NYSE: VIA) and Yahoo (NASD: YHOO), and an unlimited mobile subscription service deal with Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ). The Rhapsody MP3 catalog will include more than 5 million songs from all four major labels, available both for purchase and as full-song samples (25 songs per person per month) -- a feature not available at Apple's iTunes Store.

Sunnyvale, Calif. - Yahoo (NASD: YHOO) announced on Monday that it will dump its Yahoo Music Unlimited digital music service, and replace it with Rhapsody, the competing on-demand streaming service offered by Rhapsody America, a joint venture between RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) and Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) MTV Networks. Yahoo and Rhapsody also intend to collaborate on other digital music services, such as music downloads.

Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) has launched a beta test of a new Facebook application that will bring full-song streams from its Rhapsody service to Facebook users, Billboard reported. While existing Rhapsody subscribers will be able to stream unlimited full songs on Facebook, non-subscribers will be limited to 25 songs per month -- in line with the company's free, ad-supported service.

New York - Consumer electronics maker Haier America on Tuesday introduced the Ibiza Rhapsody, a Wi-Fi-enabled portable media player that connects directly to RealNetworks' (NASD: RNWK) Rhapsody digital music service. In addition to Rhapsody, the Ibiza will also allow users to stream on-demand, user-generated videos from AOL Video. A 30GB model is available now for $329, while Haier said 8GB ($249) and 4GB ($229) models will be available for the holiday shopping season.

New York - RealNetworks' (NASD: RNWK) Rhapsody digital music service has announced a promotional partnership with fast food restaurant chain Wendy's, that will give away up to 100 million songs through unique codes on combo meals. The companies said the Wendy's/Rhapsody song download giveaway will be supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign including broadcast and online media.

New York - Rolling Stone magazine has posted a digital version of the entire last issue of its 40th Anniversary series online, complete with links inside the editorial content to RealNetworks' (NASD: RNWK) Rhapsody digital music service. The full-issue digital version is a first for the magazine, and will remain available for the next two weeks.

Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) this week reported revenue gains at its music and games subscription services, as well as record overall revenue of $145.1 million for its fiscal third quarter, an increase of 55% over the same period a year ago.

Minneapolis, Minn. - A recent survey of 980 U.S. teens conducted by Piper Jaffray found that 64% said they download music illegally, down from 72% a year ago, while 36% said they purchase music from online services, up from 28% last year.

Alviso, Calif. - TiVo announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with RealNetworks to make the company's Rhapsody digital music service available to TiVo owners who have connected their set-tops to a broadband home network. The service will allow TiVo users to search Rhapsody's 4 million-song catalog from their TV, as well as rate music using the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down buttons on their TiVo remotes. The Rhapsody on TiVo service will cost $12.99 for TiVo subscribers, and be available at no additional cost to existing Rhapsody subscribers with broadband-connected TiVo boxes.

New York - Universal Music Group announced on Friday that it plans to experiment with selling a portion of its catalog free of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions from a number of online retailers, including Amazon.com, RealNetworks' Rhapsody, Best Buy and Walmart -- with the notable exception of Apple's iTunes Store.

Los Angeles - Electronics and media retailer Best Buy has partnered with RealNetworks to create a branded version of its Rhapsody digital music service, to replace a similar co-branded service created with Napster, Variety reported.

Vancouver, Wash. - Consumer electronics maker Reigncom on Monday launched the iriver clix Rhapsody, a new digital music player optimized for use with RealNetworks' Rhapsody digital music service. The 4GB, $189 player automatically updates with personalized new music each time it is connected to Rhapsody, and allows users to both read reviews and rate songs and artists directly on the device.

Seattle - RealNetworks announced on Monday that it has struck a deal with LyricFind to offer searchable lyrics on Rhapsody Online, the Web-based version of the company's digital music service.

Seattle - RealNetworks said that it has signed an agreement with venerable independent record label Dischord Records, to make tracks from the label's artists available on its Rhapsody music subscription service. The deal marks the first subscription-based offering licensed by Dischord, whose artists include The Evens, Fugazi, Minor Threat and Q and Not U.

Seattle - RealNetworks, a provider of media delivery technology and subscription services, said it saw an 18% increase in digital music revenue in the first quarter of 2007, to $34.1 million, ending the period with a total of 2.67 million subscribers, up from 1.57 million a year ago.

San Francisco - Apple CEO Steve Jobs doesn't think the subscription-based music distribution model being pushed for addition to the iTunes Store by the major record labels will resonate with consumers, Reuters reported.

Los Angeles - Napster announced on Tuesday that it expects to report 830,000 paying subscribers at the end of its fiscal year on March 31, and revenue of $28 million for its fourth fiscal quarter.