Wow… turns out people do read this! Or at least, turns out that a decent number of people use search engines to find out information about FreeRhapsody. So I figured I’d post more information about it.
Disclaimer: I had a 2.5 year tour of duty at RealNetworks. Not sure if that makes me positively biased or negatively biased though…. Oh, and I now work for Microsoft, which competes with RealNetworks in the music and player space. But I work in the Search group. Besides, both Real and Microsoft are getting totally schooled by Apple anyway, as nobody can seem to make anything as cool as the black iPod. But I digress.
Anyway, looks like Real is doing an outsourced promotion for Rhapsody. The way it works is that they give some number to someone who is willing to promote Rhapsody, and for every person Real signs up, the promoter gets a bounty - cash money! That’s why you see things like www.103.freerhapsody.com or www.51.freerhapsody.com. 103 and 51 are just different IDs for different promotion agents. (random trivia: Historically, people did this with 800 numbers and PO boxes… what you do is rent out a ton of ‘em, and when you tell people where to call or what PO box to use, and you can then track which ad or which promoter works best by volume to the individual boxes or calls to each 800 number. IDs on URLs is just the same song, different verse.).
To me, it seems that Real’s only focus now is on Rhapsody. RealPlayer is kinda irrelevant, although they require it for Rhapsody as (a) they’re unwilling to give up RealPlayer, as it was their founding product, and (b) they want to have a permanent presence on the desktop to send updates / ads / additional software (Microsoft does this through Windows Update, and Google and Yahoo do this through their toolbars. Joy.) I’m convinced it’s (a) versus any strategic reason… the company was founded on providing a media player, and that’s what they’re going to stick to. Nevermind that at the end of the day, what people want is content — the format doesn’t matter, and usually gets in the way (”You must download this plugin to view this content. Blah.”). That and the player is just bloated to hell (still, even after some movements to make it leaner and more user-friendly).
Now, the way Real makes money is on subscriptions… that’s what they’ve been hawking for about 5 years now. And they’re very good at getting people to pay for a subscription… some would argue they trick people into it. And they do intentionally make it difficult for people to cancel. For getting a subscription, they do two things:
- Bait-and-Switch. OK, Rob & co. would protest my use of that, but it’s what it is. They offer something for free, and then when the customer takes them up on the offer, the customer is presented with big buttons to download the pay or subscription version. For example, on Real’s homepage (www.real.com) there’s a link to “Free Download” (not Free Player, but you assume it is). You then get a page asking to download the pay version, or you can hunt for the link for the free version. To me, that’s Bait-and-Switch. The Real folks would call it aggressive marketing, and that people can read and know what’s happening when they put in their credit card numbers. But that’s just not true. It’s also driving down the number of people installing RealPlayer (more later).
- Free Trial. This is what the porn companies do. Yeah, that’s right… works for porn, works for Real. Real offers a “Free Trial” which is usually 14 days. However, unless you cancel before the end of those 14 days, Real will automatically enroll you in the subscription program and start billing your credit card. And you’re too lazy, or (most likely) you forget to call until that first or second CC bill has come in. Then, you’re usually good for a few months.
Real also uses a call-to-cancel trick, although from some of the help dialogs it looks like they may have automated it now so you don’t have to call. The deal is that to cancel, you have to call an 800 number, where somebody will try and “save” you by telling you more of what the offer gives you, telling you what you’ll be missing if you cancel, and finally offering other products. For most people, they just want out, so as soon as they’re no longer on hold they get the subscription cancelled.
Oh, that’s a 800 number, right? Wonder what happens to people outside the US…. turns out they usually can’t call, so that brings in its own set of issues.
Now, in theory, Real’s offering a 25 tracks a month free thing with Rhapsody, no credit card required. You download Rhapsody, and you can play 25 different songs, or the same song 25 different times, each month. This is essentially a better version of the Free Trial and is designed to follow the heroine model — the first 25 are free to get you hooked, and then you start to pay monthly. Except it isn’t really heroine… it’s more like a Big Mac. I mean, it isn’t bad for free, but a lot of people can do without a Big Mac. Granted, some do love a Big Mac (and Real only wishes they had McDonald’s numbers). I actually didn’t see a big button / ad for this on the Real page, just the Rhapsody page… so I wonder how much Real is really pushing it.
A big question you might have is whether or not you should get it. I gotta admit, Rhapsody is pretty nice. I love the artist radio feature, which creates a radio station based around a particular artist. So you can get “Miles Davis Radio” and artists like Miles Davis. Or “Weird Al Yankovic Radio” and artists like Weird Al. Or whatever you want… it’s pretty cool. Of course, it’s on a PC, so it’s mostly a work thing. My father-in-law gave my wife and I XM Radio and the boombox for a year-plus (he apparently cancelled the subscription, but it still works… ). I gotta say, the boombox is nice, and I’d love to have XM Radio in the car vs the local stations when nothing is on and MK won’t let me listen to KJR SportsTalk Radio - 950 on YOUR AM dial. XM is now $13 a month, vs $10 for Rhapsody… and you can now get portable iPod-like devices for XM (and I suspect Sirius too… same stuff, slightly different sports and talk jocks). Granted, they don’t have the mp3 player / sat radio combo, but I suspect that’ll be out by Christmas.
Me… frankly, I do think a subscription service is the way to go, mostly out of laziness on my part. I’m just too frickin’ lazy to catalog and manage a zillion mp3s, make playlists, and all that. Maybe I was in college when I had delusions of being on the radio, but when it comes down to it I want to spend time listening to music, not thinking about what I want to hear next. I also really don’t want to have to be on a PC… so I’d probably go with a sat radio solution if anything. I mostly listen in the car, and MK listens at home downstairs, away from the computer. But y’know what… AM and FM are actually pretty decent still, and it turns out both Comcast and DirectTV have audio stations with basic programming, so you can listen to some commercial free radio via your TV for entertaining big events. So the question is, do you have $10 - $15 a month to spend on music?
Here’s the answer to the final question… should you get Rhapsody? Well, if you like it, and you think you’ll be near a PC (or can move things from your PC to your non-Apple iPod clone), then sure. Yeah, Real can be amazingly annoying, and their sales tactics make used car and door-to-door vacuum salesmen proud, but that isn’t the issue. It’s whether or not you like the product and think it’s worth the money. Apple is much nicer and slicker. But you’re paying Apple prices. There’s Microsoft and Yahoo which have similar offers — I actually don’t know anything about them, so I can’t comment much, but my lack of knowledge indicates to me that neither has done a ton of promotion and neither is pushing something amazing cool that would turn people away from an iPod. So who knows. But you can probably safely check out the 25-track free version of Rhapsody if you go to www.rhapsody.com and make sure you always follow the “Free Rhapsody” links — watch out for those Free Download links!
PS - also full disclosure… MK is thinking about getting one of the iPod minis (the 6G ones). ‘cuz they’re COOL! I still think it’s a waste, as neither of us are into mucking with mp3s and iTunes just seems to be amazingly expensive for what you get, but hey… iPods are incredibly cool.
Me, I’m still jammin’ to 950 on my AM dial. I think it’s all a bit of a waste. 
I’ve had my iPod Michaela since Christmas morning. Since it was a gift, I didn’t experience the sticker shock at the cash register but I *can* tell you The Boy got the last 20GB iPod in Southwestern Ontario. And boy, was I grateful.
And if that was my state of mind on Christmas Day, I’m grateful to the nth degree now. Michaela has been a joy since Day One and iTunes is more helpful and charming than I ever thought it would be. I moved up from a crappy Mpio that held a total of 47 songs, had one of the worst accompanying software packages EVAH, used AAA batteries (and a ton of ‘em) and featured a crappy button setup.
Also, I would absolutely have gotten a black iPod; I just don’t want one associated with U2 or any specific band.
No kidding? So you don’t mind the $1 a song bit with iTunes? Seems that it would add up really quickly. But perhaps that’s just me.
I’m not cheap, but the reason I use bit torrent is because of the selection on iTunes and other services.
Of course the search features kinda suck - but man, that’s where its at - makes me want to come up with a .Net bit torrent app so we can use all sorts of free text queries distributed across n clients
I’d pay if they had what I wanted
Dude, I am SO remembering this post when I get my shiny new iPod and you want to play with it. No way, no how are you getting your grubby paws on that new toy … after all, it’s a waste!
Love you anyway …
punck rock
rock an rool
So WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS THAT THESE ADDS I SEE OFFERING FREE RHAPSODY
ONLE GIVE ME THE 14 DAY FREE TRIAL THAT REAL PLAYER OFFERS ANWAY.
I DON’T OWN AN IPOD ANYTHING , GETTING RHAPSODY WOULD BE A WASTE. RIGHT ?
i cant get it for some reason so do something or im not payen
WHEN DO I TRY THIS - SITE OUT, I CAN’T WAIT,,,,,,,,,,, THANKS…………..
SOUNDS OK SO FAR. I HOPE IT’S NOT EXPENSIVE. I AM ON A FIXED INCOME.
IN YOUR TV. CABLE COMMERCIAL, SAYS………….WE GET IT FREE AND THEN, LATER,
THEY WILL CHARGE US $9.95 A MONTH…….., UNLESS I HAVE YOUR COMMERCIAL MIXED - UP
WITH 2 OTHER SITES,,,,,, IV’E BEEN LOOKIN ………….
P.S. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT’S GOIN ON , OR, HELP ME,,,,,,,,,, PLEASE,,,,,,,THANKS ALOT
blondeangel54@machlink.com ……….I REALY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
I Really Appreciate Your Help
what the heck!! why cant i get to rhapsody.com
ugh!! this sux
this website is horrable
like music
don’t send them any more
Thanks much for the insight.
Nothing is for free!!
i would like to see the website
where is rhapsody
i’d like to find rhapsody to see how free it is.
this is so stupid. i dont even know what to do.
I would have been on the “just scammed” list if I had not read this article. If I didn’t believe it, it is still something to think about. Thanks.
start me up
they’re such a liar, its not free forever as what they say on commercials, hell w/ them . if thats what they say that its free it should be free,
i cant stand rhapsody
i thought it wuz frree
start me up
hey well they just want you to check the stupid website and nothing aint free on the internet and the website that was on the commercials was 51.freerhapsody.com and that was wrong and what the hell is going on here first they give some people the wrong website and next thing you know they have a nother website that says it is wrong. so please stop playing aroung with us and we should just do something about it since it anit real probably….. well later love ya!!!!
i say fuck rhapsody
i’m so glad that i looked at this website before i (tryed)to access rhapsody.com,i saw the rhapsody for free,and i thought that it would be free to download music anytime for free.
thanks a lot guys
is it free or not somebody tell me dont under stand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+huh! whats going oin with this freee music thing? please let me know how to do it
I saw the ad last night on Comedy Central (Dennis Leary’s Mary F**k’in Xmas Show) & was
curious about the url (in that case) re both the promise of “free” &
reason for the 23….I haven’t tried it yet, but as a Mac-user who hasnn’t gotten an i-Pod yet;
I’ve been largely delighted with (free) RealPlayer, marvel at Mozilla, give it up for Google, and
I’m still waiting to encounter one “killer app” of equivalent merit out of Microsoft.
when i go try dis shitso music
U GOTTA READ BTWEEN THE LINES YOOOOO!!!!!! AIR AIN’T EVEN FREE ANYMORE!!!!!!
i say that they should just fuck themselves
i want free music
how the fuck do i get to this free music shit and is it really free or r they trying to fuck me like every one else
what the hell!!!! why do they lie about rhapsody? if they say free, it should be….bunch of bullshit!!!!!
where is the free music,when you have to leave your credit card #there? they know that you will forget to cancel in14 days. ps. sounds like false advertismnent.
Good info on Rhapsody. I’m glad I checked this blog before I went to the real website
fuk those liars there is no such things screw u
I think these people are trying to fuk us because i haven’t seen or heard any free music either so people please don’t give out your credit or debit card numbers before you look further into this shit.AGAIN PEOPLE PLEASE BE VERY VERY VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS SHIT I REALLY THINK IT’S A SCAM
It seems you use false advertisement to get you to go to a site that doesn’t exist to read about some guy that used to work at realnetworks and microsoft. Take it to the laborboard not waste my time going to non existing site. I get $100.00 per hr now you owe me 50.00 bucks for wasteing 1/2 hr of my time make payable to gerryjet2004@yahoo.com.
Thanks for the heads up. I am glad that I checked out this blog. Keep on bloggin’. Way to go MK, don’t give him a chance with your new ipod. Thanks again!
they say on tv that it is free,if you have to pay it is not free.sorry.i think it is a scam
i logged on to download some oldies; they said “no credit card needed”. yeah right!! what a crock of shit, thanks for wasting MY TIME.
leave rhapsody alone their just wanting to make a living !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ITS A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rhapsody is a huge scam. I blame a competitive industry for the low-brow marketing tactics at work here, but they aren’t the real problem. The real problem is human ignorance. Anyone who can’t figure out for themselves that Rhapsody is a trap, and actually needed to read this blog, is exactly the type of person these marketing strategies are targeted towards.
I appreciate the fact that you wrote out this warning for anyone who comes across your blog, but the fact that anyone needed to be told anything, in order to realize that there were marketing schemes at work, is almost saddening.
On a side note, there are plenty of other (legal) ways to get music outside of the big industry programs; iTunes and Rhapsody are both extremely overpriced. There are mp3 dealer sites on the internet, and their prices are much more reasonable; you just need to know how to find them.
I myself got a 30GB Black iPod for Christmas, and I have to commend Apple for making such a great product. iTunes has replaced WinAmp as my favorite media player, and the seamless integration between the iPod and iTunes is a big bonus. I don’t like iTune’s song download system, but they don’t require you to use it in any case, so you’re free to use mp3’s from anywhere on the ‘net, or even ones ripped from your own CD collection.
As a side-side note, I recommend getting RealPlayer if you’re going to rip CDs to add to your music collection. It’s the only easily available media player that can rip to the mp3 format.
In closing, there’s no real need to curse on the internet; semi-proper grammar and spelling are essential if you want someone to take you seriously; make sure Caps Lock is OFF when you’re typing something; don’t be foolish enough to think that any service on the Internet has no strings attached.
And a question for Gerry: what kind of job can possibly pay you $100 an hour, yet leave you with enough time to browse the internet and post half-baked responses to useful blog posts? I already know the answer, of course. There are none. Of course, even if there were, you’re expecting payment for time spent neglecting your work. Don’t spam the comment boxes with your nonsense.
Let me offer some insight as to how Real makes money. Years ago, RealPlayer embeded spyware into its app to relay information about its users. This would slow machines (like mine) down to a crawl until the app was totally removed. The current player isn’t as bad, but I would never again use a product once they have violated my trust like that.
Real’s business model includes selling user information. If they can combine user info, with location, browsing habits, age, etc, that’s a lot of valuable info! That’s why it takes TWO downloads to use their service, one for Rhapsody, and another for the player itself.
BTW, I was just at the Rhapsody website from a TV ad, here is a working link as of January 8.
http://www.real.com/dmm/rhapsody/
think god i came on 2 dis be4 i really want on that thing call rhablahl wat evere its called they didn’t even spell rap right. only if i new that guy that waz on the tv cuz i fuck his ass up. that web sit can kiss my mother fucken black ass.
girls and boys this web site is bullshit for my -self i dont like it and i will tell you not.. to try it thank you.im so sorry lord.
Hey Erik,
Thanks for the Blog. Here is a portion of it that I have a couple of questions on, if I may:
“Now, in theory, Real’s offering a 25 tracks a month free thing with Rhapsody, no credit card required. You download Rhapsody, and you can play 25 different songs, or the same song 25 different times, each month. This is essentially a better version of the Free Trial and is designed to follow the heroine model — the first 25 are free to get you hooked, and then you start to pay monthly.”
First of all you say, “in theory”, so: (1.) are they TRULY giving you 25 free songs per month, in hopes that (like the heroin) you will get hooked; or are they giving you NOTHING free at all? (Because as for me, 25 a month would be plenty for my purposes.)
(2.) If the 25 songs per month ARE truly free, can i copy them to a CD on my PC’s burner?
You said, “Wow…people actually DO read this!” Actually, I went to Google looking specifically FOR some feedback on Rhapsody (gotta luv that guy [561-in your reader comments] that said “they didn’t even spell rap right”…you can bet HE doesn’t own a Scrabble game!…rotf).
My brother heard it on the radio and wrote down the URL freerhapsody45.com, and the that night I saw an ad on TV for it using a different URL (freerhapsody23.com), so when I saw the 2 different ID’s I went to Freerhapsody.com to check it out, and see what I could find. I’m leary about anything these days that says “free”, and didn’t find much info on the website, and definitely wasn’t about to hit “the button” without knowing for sure what the real deal is. I have no intention of subscribing to anything, and I didn’t want to download anything and then have to uninstall it, because I’m aware that you never get rid of the “residue” left behind.
I sure would appreciate a reply, and again I appreciate the Blog…I learned a few things from you and (a few of) your responders. I have to agree with BlankZero; we can do without the fould language. And as for his/her comment to Gerry; he’s probably a drug dealer, in which case…he must be working the wrong corner. Thanks for your time Erik! -Kelli
I believe that’s still the offer, but not sure at the present time. Usually, you see business models that get your credit card and will charge it after you’ve gone over some limit; either a time-based thing or a fixed number. I believe that’s what Rhapsody is doing now.
You can always copy to CD using a $3 audio cable that takes audio out into audio in… there’s some loss, but it’s nothing compared to the audio quality lost due to crappy speakers / headphones. I believe there are some ways to copy, but I’m not sure what Rhapsody gives you for free. Certainly, you can pay the ~ $0.69 I think for burn rights.
Enjoy!
i think i need some heroine
man u people have no idea of what this company is trying to get by!!! they just want to make some damn money!! It’s publicity and you can’t do anything about it! freeloaders…