RM Converter

RM

RealMedia

RM (RealMedia) is a proprietary multimedia container format created by RealNetworks in the late 1990s for streaming audio and video over the internet. The format contains digitally encoded media streams like RealVideo and RealAudio compressed with proprietary codecs. RealMedia files use file extensions like .rm, .ram, and .rpm. RM enabled early streaming media content before widespread broadband access. The RealAudio component aimed to replicate FM-radio quality at low bitrates. However, closed licensing around RealMedia hampered adoption outside RealNetworks' framework. As open formats like MP3 emerged, RealMedia's dominance declined, especially as streaming speeds increased. RealNetworks later favored MP3 and AAC audio. While a pioneering format, RM's proprietary nature limited its long-term standing. It did showcase early innovations in accessible internet multimedia.