Pros & Cons
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- Entire library now available for streaming on the Web.
- Sells DRM-free MP3s along with protected WMAs.
- Generates playlists based on songs you've rated.
- Comprehensive music video library.
- Works with TiVo.
- Lyrics available for many songs.
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- Basic subscription pricier than that of competing services.
- Pop-up player doesn't show album name.
- Music videos require Real Player.
- Music purchases require Rhapsody client.
- Client not available for Mac or Linux systems.
Rhapsody (Fall 2007) Specs
| OS Compatibility: | Windows Vista |
| OS Compatibility: | Windows XP |
| Type: | Personal |
In the once-crowded field of music-subscription services, only two major players remain:
Since I last looked at
Now for a welcome change: Rhapsody's entire library, like Napster's, now lives on the Web, where you can stream it using any browser on any PC. You do have to download a small plug-in (something Napster's player doesn't require), which could present a problem on some work PCs, but it's a quick and painless process: Just a few clicks and you're done.
The player itself, which appears in a separate window, offers about what you'd expect: track info, album art, playback controls, and the current playlist. But it doesn't display the album name—a curious oversight. Nor does it display the full roster of upcoming tracks in Rhapsody Channels (which are essentially artist- and genre-specific radio stations). Napster's player does, letting you jump easily to any track, not just those you've already heard. On the flip side, Rhapsody's player lets you rate songs and perform searches, two options notably lacking in Napster's player. When you search, the results appear in the main Rhapsody window, not in the player, which is a minor annoyance. Likewise, clicking the My Playlists link returns you to Rhapsody proper to choose a playlist—a rather irritating detour. The same goes for clicking the Share button, which distributes playlists via e-mail or HTML. Napster lets you select an existing playlist and share music right from the player window. Which player is better? It's kind of a toss-up; neither is perfect.
My real complaint with Rhapsody's player is that it doesn't allow you to add individual tracks directly to your library or playlists. If you hear something you like, you have to click the song name, which brings up the corresponding album page on the main site (and takes you away from whatever you might have been viewing at the time). From there, however, you've got a wealth of choices: You can add the song to your library, an existing playlist, a new playlist, or the player queue. These are the same options you get when browsing the Rhapsody site. Napster's doesn't let you add songs directly to playlists, and that's one of the service's shortcomings. But it does support adding from the player—again, a toss-up.—
How Rhapsody Beats Napster
Ultimately, the Rhapsody site itself lifts this service above the competition. This elegant, easy-to-navigate portal dishes up canned and personal playlists, the aforementioned Channels, music videos, and the My Rhapsody section—all of which used to be accessible only via the Rhapsody client (which still delivers all those items—see my previous Rhapsody review for details.) My Rhapsody presents a personalized version of the portal, offering recommended new releases, your playlists, your track history, and a cool feature called Instant Playlist—a custom playlist based on songs you've rated. Napster offers no personalization of this kind—a major disappointment in the Web 2.0 world.
Rhapsody trumps Napster also in the video department: The Music Videos page includes new releases, multiple spotlight artists, browsing by genre and artist, and keyword searches. The only hitch is that you can't watch videos unless you've installed RealPlayer. I guess that's understandable, given that Real owns Rhapsody, but I'd prefer to watch in the Rhapsody client instead of installing yet another program.
The client itself is largely unchanged since I last looked at it. You still need it for things like managing an MP3 library, burning and ripping CDs, buying and downloading songs and albums, and copying music to portable players—tasks it performs easily and effectively. Thankfully, Rhapsody added connectors to the Web service, so songs and playlists added to your local library also appear on the Web, and vice versa.
The option to search lyrics, another Rhapsody improvement, comes in handy if you know only a few words from a song but not its name. You may also notice a track lyrics link in the player: Click on it and Rhapsody will show you the full lyrics for that song. Both these lyric-related options appear only on the Web, not in the client. And lyrics aren't yet available for all songs, so you won't always see the link. Still, it's a welcome ability—one that you won't find on Napster.
Good news for TiVo owners: You can now tap Rhapsody from your couch, browsing and streaming the complete library using the TiVo remote. You get most of the same features afforded by the Web service (including playlists and Channels), all wrapped in a TiVo-style interface. Good news for iPod owners, too: You can use the Rhapsody client to manage your player, though DRM-protected subscription content and song purchases can't be copied to it. If you have a To Go subscription, you'll almost certainly want a Windows-compatible portable player. Rhapsody supports most models, just as Napster does.
Unlike Napster, Rhapsody has joined
Though still short of perfection, the latest Rhapsody clearly ranks as today's top music-subscription service, edging out Napster in both features (especially personalization features) and design. I frequently find myself looking up song lyrics, watching music videos I didn't know existed, and streaming music from whatever PC I'm currently using. If you can spare the price of a CD per month, you'll rhapsodize over Rhapsody.
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