Rhapsody Music Subscription Review
When it comes to purchasing music online, there are plenty of options. iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon are the big dogs. You have the choice to purchase singles or the entire album. Depending on what service you go with, prices may vary from one to the next. Rhapsody has the right idea, and the price is fairly decent. Those using iTunes are hoping they will follow, soon.
Rhapsody is a subscription-based service that allows you to pay a monthly fee. In return, you have full access to the catalog of music available. This review will give you an idea of how they operate, the options available, along with pros and cons.
Starting Out – If you have never signed up for the service before, you are given a 2 week pass, to see if it's to your liking or not. If you like it, then you have two plans to choose from. Unlimited, and Unlimited On the Go. Here's a breakdown of what each has to offer.
Rhapsody To Go – $14.99 – Web Access Anywhere – Stream Music with Friends – Rhapsody Radio – Personalize Playlists – Unlimited Plays – Take Music To Go
Rhapsody Unlimited – $12.99 – Web Access Anywhere – Stream Music with Friends – Rhapsody Radio – Personalize Playlists – Unlimited Plays
With the basic plan, you are allowed to play the music on your computer only, and allow you to listen to any song available in the catalog. If the song's not available, it will let you know. If you go with the higher priced option, you can play the music on your mp3 player, along with other mobile devices. The iPhone has an application available for users, not sure what other phones have the application as well. This is a great idea, if you don't own an iPod or some other type of mp3 player.
I work out at the gym several days a week, and like to change things up on my playlist. Being I'm picky about music, I like to sample before buying. There's nothing worse than buying an album and having 2 out of 12 songs being all I listen to. So this is ideal for those like myself. You can't go wrong with an unlimited subscription at this price, either plan. It allows you to listen and make a playlist of your favorites. This way, when the time comes, you can make the purchases you want, no matter if it's an entire album or just certain tracks.
Something to remember, when signing up for Rhapsody, you must have a Credit or Debit card available, you will not be billed, until the end of your trial has arrived. This is just a holding/validating procedure they do, and nothing to be worried about. If you are not satisfied with the service, you need to make sure you cancel the subscription before the trial ends, if not… then you will be charged. At the time of this review, I'm using the Unlimited service, if I like it enough, I'll be upgrading to the On the Go service, and use it with my iPhone and iPod.
You must allow pop ups to be enables through Rhapsody, as it uses a pop up window for the player. This is not a problem for me, but may bother others who don't like them at all. So be sure you are aware of this, when signing up. If you feel like this is too expensive, you can always use something like Pandora, Last FM, and Slacker radio. All three have apps available for the iPhone as well. I use these for checking out artists/bands similar to the ones I'm already a fan of. Those will be discussed in a later article/review.
The interface of the site is easy to use, nothing difficult, you just type what you are looking for in the search bar, and then it shows you the availability. It's pretty simple, non-cluttered and takes little time to understand. This is something I suggest checking out, if you are someone like myself. In closing, this takes purchasing music to whole new level. You have the ability to purchase songs that you like, as well. Estimated prices for singles are $1.29, and albums are an estimated $9.99 each. Check the site for details, as prices may vary.
The Pros: Works on both, Mac and PC On the Go available for mobile devices and mp3 players Two plans to choose from, both very affordable Player is a Pop Up, in case the main browser is accidentally closed Great unlimited features
The Cons: Credit Card/Debit Card is needed for the trial Unlimited works only with the computers authorized Prices per song/album vary in price. Check around, first! Pop Up Box, but for some this is not an issue at all
To get your free 14-day trial, visit Rhapsody.com and let us know what you think of it!
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