On-demand streaming that's free for existing Rhapsody subscribers.
There's no shortage of rhapsodising about the iPhone among geek circles, but now it's got Rhapsody too. At least, it soon will have.
RealNetworks has announced that it will submit a Rhapsody iPhone app to Apple for approval this week. The app will offer on-demand streaming music, and will be free for existing subscribers to Real's music service.
"Until now, nothing like this exists here in the states," says an excitable blog post announcing the news. "There is nothing quite as satisfying as needing to hear a certain song RIGHT NOW and being able to scratch that itch."
There are, of course, plenty of streaming music apps available for iPhone, many of which don't require an existing paid subscription.
They'll provide tough competition for the Rhapsody app, which Real says will allow a free trial period for people who aren't already signed up to the online version. This could be problematic with Apple, which doesn't encourage time-limited apps (for example trial games).
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Even so, for Rhapsody users with an iPhone, the app would seem to be a no-brainer. It will offer full access to Real's eight million song catalogue. What's more, an Android version is also in development.
With rival Spotify's iPhone app still awaiting approval, it will be interesting to see how Real's fares in the coming days.
