iTunes vs. Rhapsody vs. Napster: A Review of Legal Online Music Download Sites

With all of the legal mp3 download sites that have recently popped up online, a thorough review is necessary. Below is a review of three of the most popular music download sites-- iTunes, Rhapsody, and Napster.

Whether its Dance Music, Folk, Rock, or Blues, these sites have what the listener is looking for.

Review of iTunes: The Leader in Legal Mp3 Downloads, Offers Many Extras

iTunes is by far the most popular program for legal downloading (apple/itunes.com), with almost an 80% cut of the market (music-download-review.toptenreviews.com/itunes-review.html). This is most likely because of its massive advertising budget, its synergy with other Apple products, and the fact that it appears as a free program on many new computers.

ITunes offers the largest music library, with over 10 million songs available (apple/itunes.com). Itunes also offers movies, music videos, movies and TV shows, all of which can be played on the computer, iPod, iPhone, and most mp3 players. ITunes also comes with many extra features-- some more useful than others-- to help the listener enjoy his downloaded music to a fuller degree.

The main disadvantage is the price. ITunes is not cheap. At an average of .99 cents (American) per song, iTunes is simply too expensive for many people. Unlike Rhapsody and Napster, iTunes does not offer subscriptions. Many people are put off by the price and download illegally from Limewire or one of its derivatives, which are obviously cheaper options.

Advantages to iTunes

Disadvantages to iTunes

Review of Rhapsody: Offers 25 Free Music Streams a Month to Everybody

Rhapsody is a very popular download site that differs from iTunes in its fundamental plan for delivering music. A listener subscribes to Rhapsody, using one of its membership tiers (rhapsody.com/rhapsody_faqs). Once subscribed, the listener has access to Rhapsody’s entire music library, which is not as large as iTunes or Napster (about 6 million songs), but is still more than enough for most, if not all music fans.

Although with a Rhapsody subscription you do not download and own music, there is the option on buying mp3s as well, for 99 cents a download. These mp3s can then be burned onto a CD if desired or transferred to an mp3 player, even iPods.

Advantages to Rhapsody

Disadvantages to Rhapsody

Review of Napster: Cheap Basic Music Subscription, Free Ad-Supported Stream

Napster is another mp3 download site that incorporates some of the best ideas of iTunes and Rhapsody. Like Rhapsody, a subscription plan is available, but the Napster plans also come with credits for downloads with its subscriptions.

Since the online streaming is free, on the monthly plans the listener is effectively paying $1 per mp3 download.

Advantages to Napster

Disadvantages to Napster

Final Review of iTunes, Rhapsody, and Napster

After review, each of these download sites offer there own unique advantages. For those already inundated in Apple’s iPod empire, iTunes would be the best choice. Although it is expensive, it is the only one fully compatible with the iPod, iPhone, and every other Apple gadget soon to come.

Rhapsody is a solid plan-- the site that the author uses due to its superior sound quality-- drawn in by its 25 free streams a month, and a satisfied user since. The fact that it is only available in the USA is a large negative.

The best site for legal music downloads is Napster. Its variety of payment options and cheap lower tier price, along with its huge library, slightly distance it from Rhapsody. The streaming sound quality is better on Rhapsody, but price and library makes Napster the best value in download sites.

Aug 22, 2009 1:42 PM

Guest :

I am discontinuing my Rhapsody subscription that I have enjoyed for the last two years. I struggled through licensing problems with Rhapsody to Go and other related issues. I could never solve the problem of the program freezing: Rhapsody Not Responding. I read and reread the troubleshooting guides, changing my set up as it instructed and it only got worse.

It became a deal-breaker when my wife’s program began a constant “downloading” process that only slowed down her laptop and the program and actually was not downloading any material. When she attempted to listen to her library or streaming audio, it was too much for her machine and it got hung up with that perpetual, Rhapsody Not Responding. Consequently, she cannot use the service. I have done two “clean” uninstalls and reinstalls. Nothing changed.

Now, two weeks or so ago, my laptop began “downloading” in the same way hers did and the waiting time for the program to respond to key or mouse stroke has spiked to such a degree that we are leaving Rhapsody.
This review and another on CNET didn’t mention any such support issues, the one that has scuttled my relationship with this great service. I really like subscription music and will return to the inferior (my opinion) Napster to continue to enjoy great access to unlimited genres and new music.