[2] With its initial focus on contemporary innovative performance, theatre and dance as well as contemporary classical and experimental music, other media such as sound art, film, video and digital media art were also covered.
[2] In 1996 the RealTime website was created, initially publishing reviews of the Adelaide Festival of Arts under the direction of Barrie Kosky.
However with little opportunity to sell advertising, the magazine was no longer financially viable after 2017, so the decision was made to cease publication with the last issue of that year.
[2] [3] With support from the Australia Council, effort was concentrated into publishing a full archive of every issue, and the UNSW Library started work on creating fully searchable digital copies of the 130 editions of the print magazine from 1994 to 2015, for publication on the National Library of Australia's Trove website.
[4] RealTime received commissions from arts festivals all over the world, and in addition was called upon to publish other works:[2]