Rhapsody ditches (some) DRM, selling MP3s with Verizon and Yahoo

Rhapsody, the digital love-child of Real Networks and MTV, is best known for its DRM'd subscription music service. As such, the globe's population of sheep-white-earbudded, sidewalk zombies have been completely off limits to its charms. Until today. While its DRM'd subscription deals remain in place, Rhapsody is now offering unprotected MP3 downloads via its Rhapsody MP3 store and via partners including Verizon's VCAST over-the-air service and Yahoo. We're talking 5 million DRM-free tracks (generally priced at $0.99 per song, $9.99 per album) from Indies and the four majors. Uniquely, all tracks can be previewed in full before downloading. Rhapsody VP, Neil Smith said, "We're no longer competing with the iPod, we're embracing it." Perhaps, but Rhapsody's planned $50 million marketing assault on iTunes with the help of MTV's TV networks doesn't exactly make them best of friends. We're not DRM-free across the industry yet (in fact, far from it), but things are certainly moving in that direction.

Update: Signup now with the Rhapsody MP3 store and get a $10 credit which can be applied to your first album.

[Via Reuters]

[Einhanderkiller @ Jun 30th 2008 1:36AM]

lol, Rhapsody

[Andrew @ Jun 30th 2008 1:48AM]

When will the rest of the music labels follow EMIs lead and let iTunes go DRM free - this is ridiculous

Rhapsody - what a joke

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 30th 2008 7:18AM]

When Apple offer terms they find acceptable.

[fanman @ Jun 30th 2008 11:02AM]

Like variable pricing, end to individual song purchasing and generally screwing over the customer?

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 30th 2008 11:35AM]

And being able to play music you purchased on any device you own.

[lawyer bird @ Jun 30th 2008 1:50AM]

Phone Home, Weezy. Phone Home

[neofolklore @ Jun 30th 2008 8:22AM]

Yeah Weezy, what the fuck. Number one hiphop artists HAVE to talk about ganbanging, drugs and their shit for nothing girlfriend BUT THIS GUY RAPS ABOUT HOW "We are not the same, I am a Martian" , how a girl can "ride his spaceship" AND he has so many chips they call him "Hewlett Packard"

Seriously weezy, we get it, you are a martian cyborg brainwashing us and your sells are proving that it works.

[neofolklore @ Jun 30th 2008 8:22AM]

Wayne.

[Richie @ Jun 30th 2008 3:41AM]

I see they got Lil Wayne on there lol. Well, he did sell a million copies in the first week and has the highest selling album of 08. Hip Hop is still going strong. I haven't seen rock bands sell 1 million copies in a week, in the US.

[OneLove @ Jun 30th 2008 11:18AM]

I downloaded a million copies too!

[Jason @ Jun 30th 2008 3:57PM]

As much of a rock fanatic I am, radio rock sucks right now. There's still plenty of quality stuff out there, but the masses sure aren't getting it. Thank the record companies.

[yode @ Jun 30th 2008 3:57AM]

Carter III was a letdown. Overhyped with no substance.

[Homeboy @ Jun 30th 2008 5:57AM]

Nah man. Carter III is a fantastic album although many of his mixtapes are just as good like the Drought 3 and Suffix to name a few. Sadly some of the greats songs he has released the latest 6 months or so didn't make it on to the album like "Me and my Drank" and "California Girl". Nonetheless Carter II is just as good as Carter II. If you think the songs lack substance listen to misunderstood, he talks real stuff on that track.

[yode @ Jun 30th 2008 11:03AM]

"Nonetheless Carter II is just as good as Carter II" Typo? Anyway yea i know there are some good songs like misunderstood and i liked Mr Carter and some others but the album as a whole did not feel like a true lil wayne album. I find that it does not compare to Carter II at all. Carter II was able to mix his roots with the mainstream without going 'pop' but I think Carter III got too much into the 'pop' genre.

[Aaron @ Jun 30th 2008 8:01AM]

C'mon Engadget. Just because someone has an iPod does NOT make them a "sheep". There's a reason the iPod is the best selling music device on the market. Here's a hint: It ain't the hardware.

[El Taco @ Jun 30th 2008 1:51PM]

ya, it's because iPods are cool, and if you own an MP3 player (even though the iPod is an MP3 player, but almost everyone who owns one doesn't seem to think so), that means you don't have anough money for an ipod, and that makes you lame. iPods aren't the best MP3 player, nor are they even in the top 20 (in my opinion). They're overpriced and lack a bunch of features. You can get 16GB MP3 players for the same price of a 4GB nano.

[Ron Mexico @ Jun 30th 2008 8:03AM]

You know, I love the ease of the iTunes store. There are times that I get to the end of the month and my jaw drops at how much I spend there. Clicking a song/video "purchase" button is addicting.

However, I enjoy DRM free music. So when I'm in the mood for a convoluted process I do try to remember to DL from Amazon.

If Amazon could create their own iTiunes (even a blatant rip-off please) I would never DL from iTunes again.

And before anyone replies ripping me for actually paying for my music, yes I'm well aware of torrents and use them occasionally when I'm unsure of an artist but for the most part I have no problem paying for my music. 5 billion downloads from iTunes tells me I'm not alone.

[Aaronage @ Jun 30th 2008 8:31AM]

Exactly :D

iTunes is so easy to use, you browse the shop, click the little puchase button and its on your iPod in seconds :) People bitch about how apple locks its users in with DRM, how other players aren't compatible etc. but the fact the iTunes store has the biggest collection, fast reliable downloads, and complete idiot proofness makes it the best :)

I tried to get my parents using play.com's DRM free downloads (they wanted the songs to be compatible on thier mobiles) but the extra steps needed confused the hell out of my non techie parents, they just wanted to go back to iTunes xD

[Aaronage @ Jun 30th 2008 8:33AM]

(sorry if this is a double-post it didn't appear when i clicked send and refreshed a few times)

Exactly :D

iTunes is so easy to use, you browse the shop, click the little puchase button and its on your iPod in seconds :) People bitch about how apple locks its users in with DRM, how other players aren't compatible etc. but the fact the iTunes store has the biggest collection, fast reliable downloads, and complete idiot proofness makes it the best :)

I tried to get my parents using play.com's DRM free downloads (they wanted the songs to be compatible on thier mobiles) but the extra steps needed confused the hell out of my non techie parents, they just wanted to go back to iTunes xD

[striggity @ Jun 30th 2008 8:32AM]

wtf...Carter III isn't his third solo album. haha. Rhapsody lost.

[Galley @ Jun 30th 2008 8:41AM]

Sweet! I selected "The Ventures - Driving Guitars", a compilation with 29 tracks on it as my FREE album. They are downloading in a zip file.

[Dana @ Jun 30th 2008 8:56AM]

The inexpensive Sansa Rhapsody player and the $15/mo unlimited subscription is still the best deal out there. I discover SO much good music and don't have to listen to stuff for the 1000th time.

[Apreche @ Jun 30th 2008 10:12AM]

If the subscription service removed the DRM, I would sign up today.

[Joshua Walters @ Jun 30th 2008 5:49PM]

Thats a little much to ask, dont you think?

I mean, how could they remove the DRM? Wouldnt you just download ALL the music you wanted the first month, then stop.

Im glad they dropped the DRM for the payed for songs. That will really help them.

[MD @ Jun 30th 2008 10:59AM]

I'm fine with Imeem.com :)

[Valgas @ Jun 30th 2008 11:29AM]

What's rhapsody? Amazon's got me spoiled.

[Kyle @ Jun 30th 2008 11:54AM]

How does the credit work? I signed up, but nothing says I have the credit. At the checkout screen, it says it's going to charge my credit card. Do I hit checkout, or am I doing something wrong?

[01 @ Jun 30th 2008 1:00PM]

you typed the address in wrong, it should be:
www.phobos.apple.com
OR
http://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b/ref=sa_menu_dmusic2?ie=UTF8&node=163856011&pf_rd_p=328655101&pf_rd_s=left-nav-1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=507846&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0W6ACM9B3Y39JX03K4DN

[01 @ Jun 30th 2008 12:53PM]

Love child of Real Networks and MTV? Talk about a kid that fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down...

[01 @ Jun 30th 2008 1:00PM]

sorry, that should have been a reply to Kyle

[Web Laureate @ Jun 30th 2008 2:13PM]

Hopefully this will finally be the end of DRM in music. Until then, I going to get my free album and write about it in all its epic glory, http://webpoet.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/odyssey-of-rhapsody/

[paul @ Jun 30th 2008 5:41PM]

The Rhapsody store sucks. If you just want to browse through stuff, they make it very difficult to do that. You can't even get a list of artists to scroll through.