An app for your phone that recognizes a song playing in the background isn’t exactly a new idea. But Rhapsody hopes that instant playback and an ad-free app will nonetheless help to get more people excited about its music subscription service.
Android device owners are singing a new tune this week with the addition of streaming music provider Rhapsody to the list of services available for download in the Android Market, and Android phone owners with Mac desktops can sync apps on them to their phones using DoubleTwist.
When it comes to mobile music subscription options, there’s already quite a few — Pandora, Slacker, and Thumbplay all come to mind. And now, Rhapsody joins the club on Google Android handsets with a new beta client available in the Android Marketplace.
Music subscription provider Rhapsody became an independent company, two months after RealNetworks revealed plans to cede majority control of the unit. Rhapsody, in which RealNetworks and Viacom now hold minority stakes, also slashed its monthly subscription price to compete with innovative rivals that have appeared recently.
If music subscription service Rhapsody hoped that adding a mobile component would turn around its fortunes, new numbers suggest otherwise. Rhapsody’s subscriber base dipped below 700,000 by year’s end, meaning that its mobile applications aren’t winning over new customers fast enough to replace cancellations.
Facing slow growth, eMusic and its owner JDS Capital Management are reportedly looking to sell to someone like Best Buy or Rhapsody (aka RealNetworks). But we think buying the company might be a good way for Spotify to get into the U.S.
Music blogging site MOG will soon introduce an all-you-can-stream music subscription service, placing it in direct competition with existing services Rhapsody and…