X

Photos: Rhapsody 4

The latest version of Rhapsody features a sleeker interface, with improved navigation and modular features. It's a worthwhile upgrade.

CNET Reviews staff
32102350-2-440-SS1.jpg
1 of 7 CNET Networks
Version 4 still has all the great content that Rhapsody is known for. It's laid out the same way, though now you get dark text on a light background, and it's a bit easier to read than the opposite. You can browse music by genre, new releases, staff picks, exclusives, and so on, or you can use the search bar at the top to search by artist, album, track, keyword, or composer.
32102350-2-440-SS2.jpg
2 of 7 CNET Networks
Rhapsody Radio is now Rhapsody Channels. There are more than 100 programmed stations, in addition to artist-based stations. These can be saved to your library, and now you can transfer them to the SanDisk Sansa e200R. Then, each time you connect the player, the Channel will automatically update with new content. If you hear a song that you like, you can save it to the player to keep it there.
32102350-2-440-SS3.jpg
3 of 7 CNET Networks
The library is laid out the same way as in the previous version of Rhapsody. A secondary column on the left allows you to quickly scroll through Artists and expand those to view albums.
32102350-2-440-SS4.jpg
4 of 7 CNET Networks
Real added a pop-up track list window, which activates when you double-click a playlist or the Now Playing button. This window contains handy controls (share, transfer to device, create playlist, and so on).
32102350-2-440-SS5.jpg
5 of 7 CNET Networks
When you connect a compatible device to your computer, Rhapsody pulls an icon into the upper portion of the left column. When you click the icon, you can organize tracks on the device itself.
32102350-2-440-SS6.jpg
6 of 7 CNET Networks
You can drag and drop Channels directly to the Sansa e200R. You can also do this with all of the other content in Rhapsody. (The latter works with PlaysForSure devices as well.) And continuous transferring means you can add more songs to the transfer queue during syncing.
32102350-2-440-SS7.jpg
7 of 7 CNET Networks
Streams play at 128Kbps in WMA, while RAX (AAC wrapped in Helix) is used for downloads (160Kbps) and purchases (192Kbps). Thanks to Real's transcoding technology (Helix), tracks purchased in Rhapsody can be transferred to the iPod and PlaysForSure devices alike. PlaysForSure devices also support subscription tracks. On the downside, other than a selection of streaming music videos, there's no video (or photo) support--this is strictly a music jukebox.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos