Rhapsody has been around on smartphones for a while now with apps that let users stream and download tunes from their Rhapsody accounts. Verizon and Rhapsody have announced that Android smartphone users on the new LTE network with Verizon will get better quality music and more from Rhapsody.
The Android LTE app will provide listeners with higher quality music in AAC format at 192 kbps. The LTE network is fast enough to allow the user to download ten songs in about 30 seconds. The app also has access to video content as well.
The Rhapsody TV access provided by the LTE Android app allows the user to watch the Rhapsody Originals concerts with interviews and more from the most popular artists around. Verizon says that its LTE network already covers a third of the country and over the next three years, its entire 3G coverage area will be upgraded to LTE.
I have used subscription music services before like Rhapsody and really liked them. I tend to like music for a while and then get tired of it and move on to something else so being able to get all the turns I want is better for me than buying single tracks that I will only listen to for a month or so. A couple new reports have surfaced that outline a bit about Google and its aspirations for a music service.
According to the first report from Business Insider Google was “close” to laying out some cash to buy subscription music service that is already on the market. According to the report, the two servicers that were eyed were Spotify and Rhapsody. The report claims the deals fell through after “internal fighting” between three of the groups inside Google that were involved in the buying process. Google buying up Rhapsody would have been cool I think.
The second report talks about Google’s plans to put music on the cloud. This cloud-based service is apparently what will come first, assuming the reports can be believed at all. Google is still eyeing a subscription service for later, but the cloud locker will come first. There are few details but the cloud locker would allow a user to upload their own tracks to listen to from anywhere. Negotiations with music studios have not started, but the report claims that Google is ready to throw millions at music labels to get them to agree.
Rhapsody member on Android? Your life just got a little sweeter. Following up on August’s iPhone update and in the footsteps of other downloadable streaming services like Slacker Radio, Rhapsody’s Android app now offers playlists that don’t turn into pauselists when you go offline. Subscribers paying the $10 per month can now make a list of whatever tracks they want (including full albums of content available on the service) and download those to the phone, where they can be played back even if there isn’t even a whiff of network connectivity in the air. Naturally we’re guessing the DRM is strong with these tracks and they’ll surely only be playable through the Rhapsody app itself, but if you have a long flight ahead and need a bunch of fresh tunes to come along you could certainly do worse.
I really like the streaming music service Rhapsody. I like that I can get all the tunes I want for one price rather than buying tracks I might not listen to that often. Fans of Rhapsody that use a Blackberry smartphone will be glad to hear that the service is now available on RIM devices.
Rhapsody has now launched its Blackberry app for on-demand music and the addition of the Blackberry App means that Rhapsody is now available on all major smartphones including the iPhone, Android, and RIM devices. The new app lets users get music on demand from anywhere there is a network connection.
The app provides access to the user’s playlist, access to radio stations, and find new music with playlists compiled by Rhapsody editors. The app requires version 5.0 of the Blackberry OS or higher to work and the app can be controlled by Bluetooth headsets.
We heard back in mid-March that Rhapsody for iPhone was getting an offline mode for downloading music and playing at times of no reception (like most subway rides). Good news, folks, today is the day the app get this coveted update. Lest we forget, too, with this summer’s OS 4 release finally enables background music, Real’s aural offering just got even more enticing. Press release after the break, or hit up the iTunes link to download now — don’t forget, though, that a monthly subscription plan is still required for playback.
Following a limited beta, Rhapsody is using the occasion of its newfound independence from RealNetworks to launch the public version of its Android-based client. Technically, this is still a beta that we’re dealing with here, so the big difference is that anyone that wants to download and use it is more than welcome to — it’s not the on-the-downlow affair we were dealing with before. Folks new to the all-you-can-eat subscription service are welcome to check out a trial for 7 days, after which point you’ll be paying the same $10 a month for access from one device or $15 for access from up to three that everyone else pays — arguably not bad for a 9 million song library, assuming you’ve got a taste for anything other than live Fugazi bootlegs.
While we all wait patiently for Apple to concoct its own subscription-based, unlimited music streaming service (hello, Lala acquisition!), MOG is jumping on the opportunity right away. Er, almost right away. Down in Austin this week, the company announced that an iPhone and Android app would be out “in early Q2″ in order to bring unlimited music streaming to both operating systems for $10 per month. We’re told that a catalog of seven million songs will be available, but there’s no way to know if 6.99 million are of the “no one cares” variety. At any rate, your monthly fee will also allow unlimited streaming from the desktop, but alas, you’ll be left with nothing but hollow memories should you ever stop ponying up. In related news, Rhapsody has announced (video after the break) that offline playback support is coming to the iPhone, with the updated app expected to be passed along for Apple’s confirmation “shortly.” Granted, the Rhapsody to Go subscription is $5 per month more than MOG’s option, but with all this competition popping up, we wouldn’t be shocked to see that slide lower in due time.
It’s not being flaunted on Rhapsody’s mobile apps page yet, but the music service has quietly started pushing out a beta version of its Android-compatible app that does pretty much exactly what you expect: gives you streaming access to your Rhapsody account from the comfort of your Android handset the same way its existing iPhone version does. Since this isn’t an Android Market app — at least, not yet — you’ll need to enable installation from unknown sources on your phone before hitting the link to grab the APK, but otherwise, it should be smooth sailing. As with any other Rhapsody client, there’s a 7-day trial available if you don’t have an account, so it’s worth a shot — particularly if you haven’t had a chance to score any Ke$ha tracks yet.
I have used subscription music services before like Rhapsody and really liked them. I tend to like music for a while and then get tired of it and move on to something else so being able to get all the turns I want is better for me than buying single tracks that I will only listen to for a month or so. A couple new reports have surfaced that outline a bit about Google and its aspirations for a music service. 
I really like the streaming music service 
