Anyone use Rhapsody?

[Kaido]

I normally use iTunes, but a service with unlimited access to music sounds nice. I don't really use my library for anything special like burning CDs or in home movies or anything; just with an MP3 player and in my car with the line-in jack. I've heard good things about Rhapsody. Anyone use it? Good or bad service?

Also is it possible to hack an iPod for use with the service, using Anapod or something? Or is the service dependent on supported players only?

 

[KillerCharlie]

I have the unlimited "to go" version with my Sandisk Sansa e260.

I like it and think it's worth the $15/month. I could either buy one CD every month, or listen to any song I want to and put it on my mp3 player, so I think the service is definitely worth it. I listen to a lot of jazz and classical and Rhapsody is miles ahead of Yahoo and the other subscription services in those areas. There have been bugs and issues with the service and my mp3 player, but nothing that I haven't been able to fix by updating everything or using their online help. Most of the problems are worked out now. If you don't like the Rhapsody player, you can always play the files in any player that supports DRM.

As far as the ipod thing goes, I'm not familiar with Anapod, but I doubt it would work. The music is DRM protected and getting around it would be illegal and a pain in the butt. If you want to get Rhapsody to use with your mp3 player, then I would say don't do it. If you have another mp3 player, then I think Rhapsody would be a great choice.

 

[HomeAppraiser]

We tried the Rhapsody one month free trial with our new mp3 player and it sucked.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
I have the unlimited "to go" version with my Sandisk Sansa e260.

I like it and think it's worth the $15/month. I could either buy one CD every month, or listen to any song I want to and put it on my mp3 player, so I think the service is definitely worth it. I listen to a lot of jazz and classical and Rhapsody is miles ahead of Yahoo and the other subscription services in those areas. There have been bugs and issues with the service and my mp3 player, but nothing that I haven't been able to fix by updating everything or using their online help. Most of the problems are worked out now. If you don't like the Rhapsody player, you can always play the files in any player that supports DRM.

As far as the ipod thing goes, I'm not familiar with Anapod, but I doubt it would work. The music is DRM protected and getting around it would be illegal and a pain in the butt. If you want to get Rhapsody to use with your mp3 player, then I would say don't do it. If you have another mp3 player, then I think Rhapsody would be a great choice.

Glad to hear another good review! Tell me more about their MP3 player, they don't look half bad. As far as the iPod goes, I asked for one of those new clip-on Shuffles this year for working out etc., but even with a library of 2,000+ songs it kind of gets repetitive, you know? Having unlimited access for just playback sounds really nice to me...I've spent hundreds on iTunes and yet I could spend less than $200 a year with Rhapsody and listen to anything I want.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Originally posted by: HomeAppraiser
We tried the Rhapsody one month free trial with our new mp3 player and it sucked.

Great post - amazing detail!
Why did it suck?

 

[KillerCharlie]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
I have the unlimited "to go" version with my Sandisk Sansa e260.

I like it and think it's worth the $15/month. I could either buy one CD every month, or listen to any song I want to and put it on my mp3 player, so I think the service is definitely worth it. I listen to a lot of jazz and classical and Rhapsody is miles ahead of Yahoo and the other subscription services in those areas. There have been bugs and issues with the service and my mp3 player, but nothing that I haven't been able to fix by updating everything or using their online help. Most of the problems are worked out now. If you don't like the Rhapsody player, you can always play the files in any player that supports DRM.

As far as the ipod thing goes, I'm not familiar with Anapod, but I doubt it would work. The music is DRM protected and getting around it would be illegal and a pain in the butt. If you want to get Rhapsody to use with your mp3 player, then I would say don't do it. If you have another mp3 player, then I think Rhapsody would be a great choice.

Glad to hear another good review! Tell me more about their MP3 player, they don't look half bad. As far as the iPod goes, I asked for one of those new clip-on Shuffles this year for working out etc., but even with a library of 2,000+ songs it kind of gets repetitive, you know? Having unlimited access for just playback sounds really nice to me...I've spent hundreds on iTunes and yet I could spend less than $200 a year with Rhapsody and listen to anything I want.

The Sansa (my version isn't the "Rhapsody" version) is a so-so player. It's loaded with features--FM radio and video playback are nice. The video is pretty clear, but the screen's tiny. As far as the interface and overall use of the player, it's no ipod. It's not that it's hard to use, it's just not as good as an ipod. The button layout could be a bit better. Battery life is great (MUCH greater than a nano, but it's thicker and weighs more). I think the Sansa e200 series build quality might have improved since I bought mine though. Some people report lots of problems with their. I haven't really had any major issues with mine.

If you don't care about these features (I don't use them that much) and care more about audio quality, then I'd look at other DRM compatible players like the Samsung z5 or something. My advice is to shop around and read lots of internet reviews.

As far as the service, that choice is easy: free trial! All the services have a free trial (usually 3 months) - Rhapsody, Yahoo, and Napster. I tried them all and picked Rhapsody for the selection. If I recall correctly, they include the "to go" service in their free trial.

 

[ViviTheMage]

my gf and her parents looove it!

she hasnt tried putting it on an MP3 player or anything yet. My guess is it works, they have like 4 ipods in the house.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

I use Amazon.com/any B&M store selling CDs. I don't like the idea of "stop paying for your music, stop owning it" and would much rather pay the $8.99-$11.99 (I can't recall the last time I payed $15 for a CD, save for rare import singles/promos) to own a hard copy of my music.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
I have the unlimited "to go" version with my Sandisk Sansa e260.

I like it and think it's worth the $15/month. I could either buy one CD every month, or listen to any song I want to and put it on my mp3 player, so I think the service is definitely worth it. I listen to a lot of jazz and classical and Rhapsody is miles ahead of Yahoo and the other subscription services in those areas. There have been bugs and issues with the service and my mp3 player, but nothing that I haven't been able to fix by updating everything or using their online help. Most of the problems are worked out now. If you don't like the Rhapsody player, you can always play the files in any player that supports DRM.

As far as the ipod thing goes, I'm not familiar with Anapod, but I doubt it would work. The music is DRM protected and getting around it would be illegal and a pain in the butt. If you want to get Rhapsody to use with your mp3 player, then I would say don't do it. If you have another mp3 player, then I think Rhapsody would be a great choice.

Glad to hear another good review! Tell me more about their MP3 player, they don't look half bad. As far as the iPod goes, I asked for one of those new clip-on Shuffles this year for working out etc., but even with a library of 2,000+ songs it kind of gets repetitive, you know? Having unlimited access for just playback sounds really nice to me...I've spent hundreds on iTunes and yet I could spend less than $200 a year with Rhapsody and listen to anything I want.

The Sansa (my version isn't the "Rhapsody" version) is a so-so player. It's loaded with features--FM radio and video playback are nice. The video is pretty clear, but the screen's tiny. As far as the interface and overall use of the player, it's no ipod. It's not that it's hard to use, it's just not as good as an ipod. The button layout could be a bit better. Battery life is great (MUCH greater than a nano, but it's thicker and weighs more). I think the Sansa e200 series build quality might have improved since I bought mine though. Some people report lots of problems with their. I haven't really had any major issues with mine.

If you don't care about these features (I don't use them that much) and care more about audio quality, then I'd look at other DRM compatible players like the Samsung z5 or something. My advice is to shop around and read lots of internet reviews.

As far as the service, that choice is easy: free trial! All the services have a free trial (usually 3 months) - Rhapsody, Yahoo, and Napster. I tried them all and picked Rhapsody for the selection. If I recall correctly, they include the "to go" service in their free trial.

Awesome! $15 seems fair to me - that's like the cost of 1 CD per month. I think after I add this my total media bill will be about $53 a month - $16 for Netflix, $13 for Gameznflicks, $9 for TiVo, and $15 for Rhapsody. Unlimited access to all the movies, games, and music I want, plus easy TV recording. Media heaven baby!

Edit: At first that $53 sounded like a lot, but I spent a couple minutes reviewing my finances and between purchasing individual songs and albums, renting movies at Blockbuster, buying games for Xbox or Playstation, and not having to stay up late or be at home to record shows like Lost or House, it seems like a pretty decent deal. Anyone else in favor of Google releasing Google Media to cover games, movies, music, and TV shows for one low monthly price?

 

[KillerCharlie]

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
I use Amazon.com/any B&M store selling CDs. I don't like the idea of "stop paying for your music, stop owning it" and would much rather pay the $8.99-$11.99 (I can't recall the last time I payed $15 for a CD, save for rare import singles/promos) to own a hard copy of my music.

Buying 2 CDs a month would be extremely painful for several years, especially since my jazz collection isn't very big. It's like renting movies instead of buying them.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

$15 a month is definitely worth it. Think about it. ANY SONG YOU WANT. Your friend starts humming a song or you hear something on the radio you want to listen to at home? Hop on Rhapsody. You're paying for convenience.

Remember Kazaa and old Napster? After hearing a song you would still have to logon and start downloading. That would take a while. Rhapsody is immediate. Click and go. When I throw parties at my apartment I bring out my speakers and hook my laptop up. Anyone who's interested can start picking songs off my playlist or type in stuff they want to listen to.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
$15 a month is definitely worth it. Think about it. ANY SONG YOU WANT. Your friend starts humming a song or you hear something on the radio you want to listen to at home? Hop on Rhapsody. You're paying for convenience.

Remember Kazaa and old Napster? After hearing a song you would still have to logon and start downloading. That would take a while. Rhapsody is immediate. Click and go. When I throw parties at my apartment I bring out my speakers and hook my laptop up. Anyone who's interested can start picking songs off my playlist or type in stuff they want to listen to.

I am waiting for Google to invent an integrated earpiece/eyepiece so I can do a 15-second instant replay and have it google the algorithm of the song, find it, and automatically download it to the wireless LAN in my car while I'm driving. Someday...someday soon I have been reading too many of those net force books lol. In all seriousness Rhapsody looks like an awesome service...I've considered XM and Sirius, but being able to have a good variety of the music I pick every day seems a lot nicer than just having it done radio-style. Each has it's merits though, so I will give the demo a try. Thanks for the input everybody!

 

[Kaido]

A couple more questions -

Can I have more than one MP3 player connected to my account?

Can I use my account on more than one computer? (desktop & laptop)

 

[lchyi]

I love Rhapsody! I'm literally next to a computer about 8 hours a day so it's like having an unlimited library of music at my side anyway. You can have only one account active at a time. When the other user signs on, it'll kick the current one off. As for the MP3 thing, I haven't tried it yet but I'm really thinking about getting a Sansa soon.

I like variety so Rhapsody is a good choice, I could care less right now about owning hard copies of albums in which I will only listen to about 2-3 songs on. For me, great complete albums are few and far between. If I hear one on Rhapsody though and I like it throughout, I'll just buy it. No use buying a bunch of CDs to try and letting the majority of them collect dust...

 

[Kaido]

Got my Sansa today and also signed up for Rhapsody the other day. Mixed feelings on Rhapsody. The GUI is so-so, I actually like the online version much better than the downloadable program. I was disappointed with my first inquiry, Evanescence. Nada. I forget who I tried after that, but it was a buy-only album. Not getting great points so far But so far I pretty much like it. There is a huge variety of songs available, it's like my own personal radio station. Plus $15 is a lot nicer on my wallet than iTunes is

Edit: Haven't played with the Sansa yet, waiting on the invisbleSHIELD to arrive first My wife's Nano got 2 scratches just from taking it out of the package lol, I've learned my lesson! Also, how the HECK do you open the Sansa package? It's impossible!!!

 

[cheapherk]

I have the $9.95 a month plan. I love it. It's nice to have a catalog of thousands of songs to play whenever and however many times I want via my computer. I tried the "To Go" subscription once. Evidently, you have to sync your mp3 player with Rhapsody occasionally. I was on my way for a vacation. It wouldn't let me play anything because of the stupid DRM. Wouldn't have been a problem had I sync'd before my trip.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: cheapherk
I have the $9.95 a month plan. I love it. It's nice to have a catalog of thousands of songs to play whenever and however many times I want via my computer. I tried the "To Go" subscription once. Evidently, you have to sync your mp3 player with Rhapsody occasionally. I was on my way for a vacation. It wouldn't let me play anything because of the stupid DRM. Wouldn't have been a problem had I sync'd before my trip.

Yeah I noticed that, strange but a small price to pay for the convenience. So...once you listen to a song, is it actually downloaded to your PC? I have a laptop and I'm not always around a wifi connection, so does that mean I can't listen to music if I'm not connected online?

 

[cheapherk]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: cheapherk
I have the $9.95 a month plan. I love it. It's nice to have a catalog of thousands of songs to play whenever and however many times I want via my computer. I tried the "To Go" subscription once. Evidently, you have to sync your mp3 player with Rhapsody occasionally. I was on my way for a vacation. It wouldn't let me play anything because of the stupid DRM. Wouldn't have been a problem had I sync'd before my trip.

Yeah I noticed that, strange but a small price to pay for the convenience. So...once you listen to a song, is it actually downloaded to your PC? I have a laptop and I'm not always around a wifi connection, so does that mean I can't listen to music if I'm not connected online?

When you add songs to your Rhapsody library, there is an option to download to your HDD for "offline" listening. I don't use that option to conserve hard disk space.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
I use Amazon.com/any B&M store selling CDs. I don't like the idea of "stop paying for your music, stop owning it" and would much rather pay the $8.99-$11.99 (I can't recall the last time I payed $15 for a CD, save for rare import singles/promos) to own a hard copy of my music.

Buying 2 CDs a month would be extremely painful for several years, especially since my jazz collection isn't very big. It's like renting movies instead of buying them.

well, that's the thing, there are plenty of people who own HUGE library's of movies. It all depends on what you value. I personally am fine with listening to the same stuff It's hard for me to find new music though. Ok, I'm just sorta lazy.. heh.

for the record, I had a roommate who loved it. If it were say $5/mo, it'd be worth it for on demand radio.

 

[Kaido]

Cancelled my Rhapsody account today. I was disappointed at how many songs were "purchase-only", which isn't what the service advertises. I think I'll be trying Sirius next. Oh, and I discovered that there's no "Cancel" button for your subscription, you actually have to call them. The number isn't directly available; you have to fill out a form that asks why you are canceling, then they give you the number. The number is 1-866-563-6157 in case you want to cancel After being on automated hold for 10 minutes, I finally spoke with an Indian guy with a very thick accent. It took me another 5 or 10 minutes to convince him to cancel my account now and not when the service for my month's payment ended (he wanted me to do followup at the end of the month). I have nothing against Indian people, but putting them on American support lines is kind of frustrating for both them and us...he had to write down my reason for cancelling, which took about 3 minutes because he kept having me translate and spell things out. Very disappointed with the service. Good concept, not as good as an implementation as I had hoped for. There were a large majority of songs that I liked that were available, but when I clicked, say, Red Hot Chili Peppers and they came up as purchase-only, it gets a little annoying. Why am I paying $15 a month and then have to buy music? Doesn't make sense to me.

I may stick with the $10 a month plan, where you can only play it on your PC. It was really nice having instant access to a huge music library. However, I think I'm going to give Sirius satellite radio a shot first. I've also found I use my iPod Shuffle (the clip-on one) a lot more than my Sansa simply because it's more portable for working out, the car, etc. If anyone is interested in an 8gb Sansa, PM me lol.

 

[Dracos]

I too cancelled my account just as recently as last week. I loved the service but I had problems from time to time with my Sansa player all of sudden needing to have the subscription for my MP3s updated after only 2 days of renewing the license. Rhapsody was suppose to only have to renew the license on your MP3s that you download from their service every 30 days. As far as devices go on your account you can have 3 mp3 players and 3 authorized computers.

I switched over to Urge which also has a to go plan for the same price as Rhapsody, Urge also seemed to have a slightly larger selection of Music as I was able to find some songs on Urge that I couldn't find on Rhapsody.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Dracos
I too cancelled my account just as recently as last week. I loved the service but I had problems from time to time with my Sansa player all of sudden needing to have the subscription for my MP3s updated after only 2 days of renewing the license. Rhapsody was suppose to only have to renew the license on your MP3s that you download from their service every 30 days. As far as devices go on your account you can have 3 mp3 players and 3 authorized computers.

I switched over to Urge which also has a to go plan for the same price as Rhapsody, Urge also seemed to have a slightly larger selection of Music as I was able to find some songs on Urge that I couldn't find on Rhapsody.

YES!! That was my other problem - I would get the "you need to renew your subscription" screen pop up, then I'd plug it in...and nada. It wouldn't update the license even though it was syncing. Really annoying...I kept the Sansa in my car most of the time and after a few days I'd have to bring it in to sync. Bah

I'll have to check Urge out. Anyone use Napster's service too?

 

[Dracos]

Well just a quick note I have yet to reach the 30 day subscription on urge yet so I dont know how my Sansa will react. I'm hoping that this was just an issue with Rhapsody not updating the licenses and not a issue with the Sansa players themselves.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Dracos
Well just a quick note I have yet to reach the 30 day subscription on urge yet so I dont know how my Sansa will react. I'm hoping that this was just an issue with Rhapsody not updating the licenses and not a issue with the Sansa players themselves.

Yeah, ditto. The Sansa seems pretty solid though, I haven't had any other problems with it...I just reformatted it now without a hitch too. I love the manual scrollwheel

 

[Dracos]

Ahhh one more issue I had with Rhapsody beyond the subscription issue was that one time after updating my firmware on my Sansa that when it connected to Rhapsody, Rhapsody only saw half the music that was on the player. Very annoying, during that same time after the player synced with Rhapsody I found that Rhapsody had added duplicates of songs that were already on the player, I had to reformat the player to clean up all the issues I was seeing.