14 DAY TRIAL // For how long have you been waiting to hear that a DRM-free music store was open? How about one that lets you preview an entire song for free? You can leave your answer in the comments later on. For now, read on to see how you too, as an Apple iPod owner, can grab DRM-free MP3s straight from Rhapsody.
Fortune is reporting that the company's move represents a significant shift in strategy, with Rhapsody having previously sold tracks only to subscribed members. As of this moment, however, Rhapsody's "Music Without Limits" says you can get Rhapsody-powered music through social media, such as iLike, Yahoo and MTV's network. This will undoubtedly make it easier for everyone to buy music from their favorite location.
"It's a play to steal the attention of a consumer market that now relies almost entirely on Apple's popular music service for music downloads," Fortune notes. The publication points out that iTunes, which is the number one music retailer according to an NPD Group study released earlier this spring, surpassed even Wal-Mart, "capturing 19% of music sales in the U.S." Rhapsody Vice President Neil Smith says a lot of people rely on iTunes solely because they're used to it, the same article reveals. Comparing Rhapsody's situation now with Tivo's, just a few years back, he reckons "it's a much-loved application for people who use it, but it's harder to understand for those who haven't."
One of the treats Rhapsody is counting on to attract some of Apple's iPod and iTunes users is the fact that it allows folks to sample an entire song for free. Generally, such practices allow a mere 30 seconds (or less) of preview time. Moreover, each time a user previews a track, the artist himself receives royalties, while the "buy" button close by will let users choose between iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody to make their purchase.
It is "the beginning of us becoming a social music consumption service," iLike cofounder Ali Partovi claims, according to the piece.
So, basically, Rhapsody lets you quickly download all your music at once and automatically imports your albums and songs into iTunes, Rhapsody or RealPlayer. Just as it is with similar services, your Rhapsody MP3 Music purchases can only be downloaded once. After you have successfully downloaded the file to your computer, at the time of purchase, the company recommends that you create a backup copy of your MP3s, as it is currently unable to replace any purchased files that you delete or lose due to a system or disk error. Also, music downloads are not returnable once they have been purchased.
Mac users can download all their tracks as a ZIP file, then simply unzip them anywhere they want on their computer.
Tracks are priced at $0.99 a song, with entire albums generally going for $9.99. The first 100,000 people who sign up for an account get $10 credits.