RealAudio is a way to distribute large multimedia files over the internet without eternal downloads. When audio is digitized at CD quality (44.1 khz), 178kb of data is consumed for every second of playback. At that rate, full length songs can range into many megabytes of data, resulting in downloads that could take hours to complete. What RealAudio does is deliver the file to your computer in small data packets instead of all at once. What this "streaming" method does is allow the listener begin to hear the file while data is still being delivered from the server, and without downloading and storing the file on your harddrive. All you need is a "player", which is a software plug-in that can be downloaded and installed on your computer. Realnetworks have released a new version, the G2 Player, which itself comes in two varieties, a $29.99 version, and a free version. The free one has the bare essentials to use this very widespread method of multimedia distribution, but the premium version has numerous bells and whistles to enhance your experience. Installation is very easy, simply log-on to the RealAudio site, and follow the download instructions. First-time downloaders, fear not, nothing strange will happen to your computer, you will just recieve an invitation to a whole new face of the Internet. To begin the exploration, click here.