Vitals

• Type: Subscription with option to burn
• Number of titles: 500,000
• Format: Real AAC
• Player: Dell No players support Rhapsody.
• Website: http://www.real.com/rhapsody
• Comments: Good integrated player and great quality for samples

Nearly everybody who's tried RealOne Rhapsody gives it props. Rhapsody offers similar tracks to other sources, but it won many of our genre- and artist-based searches. The smart interface features well-programmed artist samplers and more than 60 wonderful ad-free radio stations, perfect for people who don't necessarily want to work for their music. We discovered many new artists without having to do anything but listen.

Rhapsody gives you tons of customization. Although paying $9.95 per month can be daunting, the mix of radio programming and song selection is among the best in the industry. You can download the player without a subscription, but you can only preview radio stations for 30 seconds at 20 Kbps.

According to Real, there's no reason to download tracks, since they're always available for streaming. However, you can purchase tracks for 79 cents each to burn to CD. You can't transfer those tracks to a portable player unless you re-rip your tracks from your burned CD. You can also download 192-Kbps AAC tracks from the RealPlayer Music Store for 99 cents each, but the format isn't compatible with many players.

Gift certificates are also available.

Official word from TechTV Labs

This radio- and streaming-intensive subscription site has a vast library and a nice interface catering to those who enjoy well-programmed streaming radio. Although great for "accidentally" discovering music, it's not the ideal source for portable players.