What is a RM file?
RealMedia streaming format (legacy)
RM files are multimedia files made specifically for the audio/video playback and streaming program called RealPlayer. Mostly, files with the .rm file extension are used for streaming content over the Internet (video and internet radio). RM files were developed by RealNetworks as a multimedia container optimized for internet streaming. Most RM files are played with RealPlayer, but other media players such as VLC do have partial support for RM files.
Common uses for RM files
- Legacy streaming content
- Internet radio archives
- RealPlayer archives
- Legacy streaming sites
Who works with RM files?
Digital archivists, librarians, and media researchers working to preserve early web-era video and radio collections encounter RM files regularly. Journalists and broadcasters also run into them when retrieving interviews or news footage recorded during the late 1990s and 2000s.
RM vs MP4: which should you use?
RM is a proprietary RealNetworks container designed for streaming over dial-up and early broadband connections, and it requires RealPlayer or a player with partial support such as VLC. MP4 is an open ISO standard container that plays on virtually every modern device and supports current codecs like H.264 and AAC. Choose MP4 for any new recording or long-term storage; RM is relevant mainly when working with legacy archives that were originally published in that format.
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