As I’m wont to do, I regularly cycle through all sorts of content subscription services. And earlier this month, I returned to the Rhapsody fold.
Unlike my Slacker and XM subs, Rhapsody provides more control; instead of listening to someone else’s playlists, I can create my own or even playback specific albums on demand. Indeed, that was a motivating factor as I wanted to check out Soundgarden’s latest (eh). Unfortunately, the unfavorable content licensing I referenced just yesterday has yet again bit me in the ass. From Rhapsody’s iPhone client, it appears there are exactly two Red Hot Chili Pepper tracks available… when I was looking for an entire album.
Of course, this isn’t necessarily all on Rhapsody given the various licensing participants and playback scenarios. However, as the consumer interface they’ll pay the price… after two weeks, I’ve canceled in frustration. As soon as the FiOS installer is done in my basement, I’m going to dig up and rip the two RHCP CDs I picked up in a different era. Despite licensing improvement and the easing of DRM, physical media isn’t obsolete after all.
I’ve started to buy used CDs when possible. The price is generally good, and there’s no DRM (obviously), so I can create MP3s to play on any device – in the home, mobile or in the car.
I just signed up with Rhapsody last week to test it out a bit, because downloading music is so expensive. Sure, I could download illegally, perhaps that is what some around these interwebs still do, but it’s just too unethical for me and, so I need a more economical choice thus signing up for rhapsody. I did sign up for Slacker based on all your praise, but I’ve been very disappointed with the iphone app, which is where I listen to most of my music at work. I have an iphone 4 and I keep it updated with all the updates, so I have the latest version of the app btw. The slacker app will constantly give me network errors, even though I have pristine 3G coverage, and it will ask if i’m still listening and pause my music stream about once an hour I think. i signed up for the pro version, too, and still i’m constantly plagued with interruptions, which is why i payed the cash to cut out the interruptions — those pesky commercials! (note: at first i didn’t mind the commercials, but when you hear the same one 30 times in an 8 hour period, it was so annoying i just paid the fee, plus i wanted the skipping function) no other streaming app gives me network errors like slacker and when i skip 4 tracks in a row, it likes to network error out on me, too, with network errors. so, i cancelled my service, but my membership is on going for 6 more months. anyway, so far, rhapsody has been really good with the exception that my membership limits me to 2 listening devices only: iphone and computer. i want it for my ipad, but then I have to shell out an extra $5 just to get that third device, which I’m not doing. i haven’t experienced the missing tracks from albums yet to have any comment, but i’ve read similar stories like yours. one thing i can’t stand about rhapsody is the music interface for finding music. perhaps i’m just so used to the experience finding music on itunes that i simply have too high of expectations browsing for music elsewhere… what i mean by that statement is i want more suggestions of new music to find and i’m just not satisfied with that experience at rhapsody.com. i am using the mac web app since the pc app is not available on the mac. what i end up doing is using itunes to learn suggestions and then listen to it over at rhapsody! i’m the opposite of what mr jobs as to say about downloading music: i prefer to own my movies in blu-ray form and rent my music. my music taste changes so much, which is why i like renting music but my movie tastes never change thus i like to physically own my movie media.
evan, hm your iPhone Slacker experiences are certainly less than ideal. The only time I’ve ever encountered network issues is sometimes when caching music down. My buddy who uses a Droid full time has been disappointed with Android player stability, but it’s been mostly fine/solid for me.
Mog and Rdio are similar to Rhapsody and maybe worth exploring if you haven’t already.
just signed up for Mog. i think i’m going to like this much more than rhapsody! i might just cancel rhapsody as well! :) happy new year!!
so, i just cancelled rhapsody. i’m sold on mog. thanks for the suggestion! i can now use it on my mac, phone and ipad at no additional charge, the web interface is much easier to find and add music, the web player (for mac) has better options that make more sense, and i enjoy the music suggestion features it offers. good stuff!
I am sorry to read about the frustrations you are experiencing as Rhapsody subscribers. Content licensing is a complicated part of the digital music business universally, and one that we dedicate sizable resources to manage and ensure that Rhapsody subscribers get access to more tracks than they can get using any other premium on-demand music service, including exclusive access to anticipated releases in advance of wide-market release. In fact, Rhapsody’s catalog is typically identified by reviewers as a defining strength of the service and superior to other offerings. We do hope you come back !
@Evan, thanks for your detailed feedback. Music discovery is a feature we are focused on integrating more deeply into the Rhapsody experience. We are currently testing a new release that greatly enhances music discovery and presents a more integrated Mac experience. Contact me directly at jsteele AT rhapsody.com if you’d like to participate in our public Beta. I’d love to hear what you think. Meanwhile, I would encourage users to explore Rhapsody.com for reviews and recommendations by our staff of esteemed music editors to guide your music discovery. This is another unique Rhapsody and one that I have found to be particularly valuable.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences. While we hate to see you go and it is disheartening to hear complaints about our product, it’s forums like this that help us build a superior product and address our customers’ concerns.
Happy New Year !
Jaimee Steele
Senior Director, Public Relations
Rhapsody
Jaimme,
In terms of music discovery I listen to a lot if XM channel 45, the Spectrum. Do you have a comparable Rhapsody channel? A resource such as if you like XM/Sirius channel X try rhapsody channel Y would be awesome.
Perhaps it already exists.
Thanks.
Marte
PS. I can confirm your catalog is vastly superior to Napster, the only other all you can eat available on Sonos.
Hi Jaimme – It’s great that you read and participate with us customers via these channels. I’m looking forward to the beta!
Evan
I’ve been a Rhapsody subscriber for 6 years now and still love it. Yes, there are a few bands that have legal issues, but they are few and far between. The most notable are probably RHCP, Led Zep, AC/DC, The Eagles, and Beatles. Beyond that, though, I’ve rarely run into problems.
For instance, WBER, a radio station in Rochester, posted their 90 nominees for the 2010 listener countdown. I made these into an 86 song playlist. I am happy with not getting about 4% of the content I desire.
I really think that Rhapsody needs to leverage Facebook more. They should encourage people to post/exchange playlists and vote songs up/down, with more social networking involved. I feel like I am on an island, to be honest. I’d love to share my playlists to facebook, but can’t do it from any apps, only rhapsody.com.
Also, I am not happy with Rhapsody’s channels. The programming is not as interesting as what I get over Slacker and Pandora’s static channels. The playlist central is not very interesting, either. I ought to be able to subscribe to an “alternative/indy Top 30” playlist that is refreshed every day. There should also be some critics walls – much like a movie store had. (if you like RCHP, Silversun Pickups, and Coldplay, you’d like Eric’s Picks, for example).
Rhapsody can do SO much more, but still remains the best alternative to music ownership. I have a closet full of CDs I never listen to and I love new music. So Rhapsody is a dream service for me.
Great feedback, guys! We are constantly reprogramming our 200+ radio stations, plus artist radio stations, so keep tuning in. You’ll also start seeing more recommendations based on your music usage, which should also enhance your listening experience.
@democall, I have sent your post to our product team. We agree that social media such as Facebook is important, and you will see more as we roll out new versions of the product the first part of the year. I agree that they potential of the product is mind-boggling–for us, it’s a matter of prioritizing on the features/functionality that have the greatest impact–which is always a challenge. It’s great to hear that you are among those converted who have had a “Rhapsody moment.” Keep tuning in an I am sure you will be impressed by what we’ve got in the queue.
@Marte: Have you tuned into The Lite Alternative? Ocean Blue Avenue may also be an option. Let us know what you think and please keep the feedback coming!
Jaimee Steele
Senior Director, Public Relations
Rhapsody