This format allows practically immediate playback without waiting for the entire audio file to get downloaded. A free player program is always readily available for download. Downloaded file can be deleted after that.
T wo playback modes are available.
S ongs can be easily saved for later local playback by a Real Player. System will prompt for a file location and name. It would be a good idea to bookmark this page and place it in the personal toolbar to get a quick access to local song playback. This won't work, however, with Real Audio song lists which require different formats for local and remote playback.