Rhapsody, which began as a music service for Real Networks (if you know your ancient history, before there was YouTube, you used Real Player, begrudgingly, to view online video content from your PC, and you can still use Real Player today. There’s even a Windows 8 app!).
Now today, Rhapsody, which has spun off from Real Networks but is still based in Seattle, is debuting Rhapsody on Xbox Live. Xbox Live Gold members get full free access to Rhapsody, including its library of over 16 million songs.
A Rhapsody.com blog post describes the new Xbox service:
Rhapsody designed the experience specifically for Xbox, with stunning graphics and integration of voice commands and gestures with Kinect for Xbox 360. Like Rhapsody’s apps for Smart TVs, the Xbox 360 app will make it easy to quickly find and play your favorite music, with radio, new releases, popular albums and member playlists featured prominently. Listeners have access to the entire Rhapsody catalog, as well as featured editorial stations that are hand-crafted by Rhapsody’s expert staff.
Rhapsody on Xbox LIVE is available today, and is free for current Rhapsody members and Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers.
Even without Xbox Live Gold, you can still make use of Rhapsody by signing up, either to a Rhapsody Premier plan, for $ 9.99 /mo, or Rhapsody Premier Plus, for $ 14.99 /mo, with the first 3 months at half price, which includes unlimited music streaming, downloading of music to mobile devices, unlimited home audio listening, and no ads. Or of course, you can sign up for Xbox Live Gold, starting at $ 5 /mo, and get Rhapsody as part of the deal.