Rhapsody Streaming App Approved For IPhones

RYAN NAKASHIMA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — RealNetworks Inc.'s subscription music service Rhapsody has been approved for use on iPhones and iPod Touches, the first time Apple Inc. has allowed an on-demand music streaming program on its devices in the United States.

The initial download will be free but new subscribers will have to pay $14.99 a month if they want to try it for longer than seven days.

The service will allow users to queue up any of some 8 million songs, and create custom playlists that will stream to the device as long as the user is receiving a cellular signal or is in a Wi-Fi hot spot.

The application is an improvement on Rhapsody To Go, which allows subscribers to load songs onto their Windows Media Player-enabled phones and digital music players when connected to a computer for later playback.

Seattle-based RealNetworks is planning to allow subscribers to load songs over the air for later playback in a new version by the end of the year.

Current Rhapsody To Go subscribers will be able to use the new app right away without an extra charge.