Rhapsody Music Streaming iPhone App Gets Approved

64KBPS? Ew

TrojanMan88

Oh I am excited like a braindead schoolgirl at a Jonas Brothers concert. Maybe it's time to re-activate my Rhapsody account.

This is like a bizarre dream... I, I don't believe this is true... this is awesome! I love Rhapsody! I must need some sleep... I'll try to find this post again when I wake up.

As bad as you guys think the 64kbps will be, (I thought so too) it's really not that bad through the earbuds. I downloaded the app and listened to twenty-four Bob Dylan songs. I just found out I like Bob Dylan.

Good news, but at 64kbps? No thanks!

daPrinz

One-nothing to Spotify, then.

This is great. Apple is now allowing competition!

Austin Poff

Really REALLY disappointed. I've been a Rhapsody subscriber for years, and ever since I got the Iphone almost two years ago, I've been waiting for something like this. I'm willing to pay an extra 2 dollars a month for the To Go Subscription, but NOT for 64kbps bitrate. It sounds horrible! Even with headphones. I can stream from DI.FM at 96k on Edge without a hiccup. Why can't (won't) Rhapsody at least try to hit that bitrate? WHY? ATT&T? Apple?

BlairRasmussen

I used the app this morning and the audio quality is horrible!!!!

What a waste.

RedmondAmphion

It's nice to see Apple come to terms with it's competition. I would've guessed for Apple to approve/release a Google Voice app before an app for Rhapsody, but only 64kbps? Go figure.

Deuterium

I'm waiting for some assclowns to come in here telling us that we can't tell the difference between 64k and live and that everything our mothers told us was a lie

I checked it out on my way to work this morning. It sounded fine over my car speakers--not the best, but enjoyable still.

The best sounding music streaming app I've heard so far (and I've tried all but Spotify) is Slacker hands down. It sounds like a 320kbps MP3 being played on the device itself.

It sorta depends on the CODEC. AAC+ at 64kbps sounds pretty frackin' good, compared to the alternatives anyway. I'm guessing that isn't what they're using?

bahalana

@Deuterium: I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the 64kbps limit was imposed by Apple as a condition of getting it approved and in the App Store. If they can keep the quality low, they don't have to worry so much about "competition."

@BlairRasmussen:

I would complain to Rhapsody, Hell pandora sounds amazing compared to Rhapsody.

Bantam

@Pixelologist, Esq.:

Its not look at other services, Im sure this is all Rhapsody's Fault.

Bantam

What? two different ways to play music on an iPhone? Won't that confuse the users and require a ban from the App store??

I kiiid, I kiiiiid.. As tempted as I am to get a zunepass (so much that I still haven't gotten an iPod), I just can't get onboard anything associeated with Real. Is Rhapsody full of bloatware like Real used (still?) to be?

DreamWalker

Next up... Netflix!!!!

Rhapsody claims its catalogue includes 8 million tracks, but unfortunately they only stream at 64kbps quality

@Pixelologist, Esq.: I'm gonna guess it's on Rhapsody. Probably something like keeping their server load low or something like that.

Coulterboy

@Austin Poff: Well letting someone release a throat cutting app that streams in 64k seems like an easy way to let the competition embarrass themselves.

Eulatos

@BlairRasmussen: Its not att or apple's fault at all. Its rhapsody. Last fm streams at 128 and higher on the iphone.

Eulatos

Downloading Rhapsody requires you to agree to new terms. Wonder what they changed.

clR3vv

@Austin Poff:
If you look at it Apple has always enjoyed healthy competition in the markets they participate in.

They compete in big markets with many other players (Mobile Phone, PC, Digital Audio etc.).

So you can always choose to buy something other than Apple products.

aThingOrTwo

it's worth noting that the Rhapsody 2 Go subscription also includes access from a computer, either via a flash-enabled web browser or the Windows client, both of which offer 160kbps streaming.

Mykie Gunderson