Rhapsody has been around for awhile, being popular as a music streaming application, but recently it has gone under a number of changes, and is now definitely a competitor to both iTunes and Napster. Featuring over a million track library, Rhapsody also offers several other unique features, which no other music application has. Look out iTunes, and Napster, as the revamped Rhapsody, is here and here to stay!

Rhapsody offers four different plans for downloading music, Rhapsody 25, Rhapsody Radio, Rhapsody Unlimited, and Rhapsody to Go. With Rhapsody 25, you can buy songs for 99 cents each, and most albums for $10. You can burn these tracks to CD’s, or transfer them to an MP3 player, as you have complete control over them. Also, every month, you can stream 25 songs, which you can listen to the full song, all for free. You also get access to 25 radio stations, all for free. The next plan up is Rhapsody Radio, which costs $3.33 a month, and allows you access to over 100 commercial free premium radio stations, and unlimited custom radio stations, which can easily be created. You can skip the songs you don’t like on the radio, and with one click, can purchase the song, so you can burn it to a CD, or transfer it to an MP3 player. Next is Rhapsody Unlimited which runs at $8.33 per month, and comes with a 14 day free trial. You have unlimited access to the full library of songs at Rhapsody, which is over a million songs, and you get unlimited radio, both custom and preprogrammed. You will get personalized music recommendations, and also receive a 10% discount for song purchases, meaning you can own the song for only 90 cents each, instead of the $1, that you would have to pay with Rhapsody 25. The last plan is Rhapsody to Go, which costs only $15 a month, and also comes with a 14 day free trial. Rhapsody to Go offers you the same access as Rhapsody Unlimited, but it allows you to transfer any of the one million songs to your MP3 player. It is compatible with most MP3 players, including the Dell DJ, all Creative, iRiver, and SanDisk MP3 players. However, it does not work with the Apple iPod. Last, Rhapsody offers unique reviews of CD’s by its editorial staff. Most music applications use third party reviews, but Rhapsody writes them themselves, providing a fresh view on the music, and their recommendations.

Rhapsody is also a great music application, in addition to the music download part of the program. It supports MP3, WMA, and AAC formats, as well as the ability to import any type of CD. You can manage your music quickly and easily, with an easy to use library, and an integrated search feature, so you can find the song you are looking for, all within a few seconds. Rhapsody is capable of burning CD’s, and transferring your library to a supported MP3 player, to which there are over 100 MP3 players, including the Apple iPod. Rhapsody features support for playing music on your home stereo, which is truly a great feature, as that is where music was meant to be played.

Rhapsody is a great music application, and is definitely a major competitor to Napster and iTunes. Rhapsody offers competitive pricing, and also many unique features, that no one else offers. If you don’t have an iPod, and are looking for a music application, I would highly recommend Rhapsody.