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Web Based Rhapsody Targets Linux

Posted by Hemos on from the moving-outside-of-the-box dept.

Asklepius M.D. writes "According to Marketwatch, RealNetworks is releasing a web based version of Rhapsody called.....Rhapsody.com that will function on other-than-IE browsers including Firefox and Safari. The article quotes Jupimedia analyst Joe Wilcox as saying "...it brings the first real subscription music service to Mac and Linux-based products.""

10 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Subscription by everphilski · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is a subscription service, iTunes is not.
    -everphilski-

  2. Speaking of Linux Support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Using konqueror, it says:

    "Incompatible Browser
      We're sorry. We currently only support the following browsers: Internet Explorer 6 and higher, Firefox 1.0.1 and higher, Safari 1.3 and higher and Netscape 8 and higher.

      Firefox 1.0 users, click here to upgrade"

    Ok, let's try using Firefox 1.5:

    "To play music, you'll need to do a quick install
    Just follow these two easy steps.

          1.

                Install Rhapsody Music Engine

                Click the button below and follow our direction on the next screen.
          2.

                Register Free

                Get a free Rhapsody Account.
                No Credit Card required.

    We're sorry but the combination of your operating system and Firefox 1.5 is not currently supported."

  3. Re:Good news by EtherAlchemist · · Score: 4, Informative


    Will Linux users use Real's product?

    If you use Xandros the RealPlayer comes as the default media player. This is not a bad deal either, because the Linux player is not crammed full of ads- it does what a media player should: play media. I give the Xandros guys a lot of credit, too, because ever since they started bundling the RealPlayer with their distro, they've been the ones to actually make the install work. Prior to that, Real had (still does I think) it listed as an alpha.

    I would think more Linux folks would be attracted to Real, actually, because they have the open source version of the player and server, Helix and last I checked neither Apple nor MS have made their player OSS.

    --
    R(k)
  4. Re:From Real? by pregister · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've used Rhapsody for a year or two now. It's a decent service. Ignore their "programming". Listen to what you want to listen to. As far as it being in a browser, their windows based program pretty much implements a browser in the app itself...which is kinda slow and kludgy...i think trying one that is actually stand alone browser-based might improve things.

    NOTE: I don't buy music through rhapsody. I use it to sample new releases, catch up on things I might have missed before, track down the odd song from my youth, and listen to stuff that is available on usenet before I download it. ;)

    For the $9/month (or around there, i haven't checked in a while) its the easiest way to listen to music that i don't already own (the only exception is the old days of audiogalaxy. Best. Site. Ever.) ...helps me decide what music i wanna track down to stick on my ipod.

    -p

  5. Not Quite First by 10sball · · Score: 2, Informative

    "...it brings the first real subscription music service to Mac"

    If you ignore EMusic.. which has had an OS X download client for some time now

    --
    [place .sig here]
  6. Re:Drm on linux by EtherAlchemist · · Score: 2, Informative


    Not sure the DRM applies here- the music is streamed into a player, not downloaded for playback later.

    --
    R(k)
  7. Re:Still using DRM'd WMV files though, right? by MSG · · Score: 2, Informative

    Since it's a subscription service, yes. It is intended to be more or less streaming only. The player will cache content so that you don't have to stream it *every* time, but encryption is required to make it a subscription service rather than a free download site.

    On the other hand, if you use the Windows app and purchase content, you'll download CD-quality tracks that you can burn, and have all the rights you'd have to any audio CD.

  8. About Time! by cresswell · · Score: 2, Informative

    I used Rhapsody on Windows, (when I still ran Windows) and I liked it a lot. But no linux, no rhapsody. I'll be following this closely.

    Barbara

    --
    Debian unstable Registered Linux user #226117
    My blog:Real Health
  9. Re:Another horrible execution plan by Real by iceanfire · · Score: 2, Informative

    what are you talking about? I went to real.com (it loaded up just fine on firefox". Clicked on the listen for free button. Downloaded the plugin for firefox. Signed up. And it started playing music. Seems like an okay execution. No problems for me (except ofcourse the 25 play limit / mo).

  10. I Have Found a Workaround in Firefox 1.5/Mozilla by Trip+Ericson · · Score: 2, Informative

    1. Download the plugin here, and SAVE TO YOUR HARD DRIVE: http://forms.real.com/real/player/download.html?f= unix/rhapx/RhapsodyPlayerEngine_Inst_Linux.xpi

    2. Open it with Ark or something and copy nprhapengine.so to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/

    3. Restart Firefox.

    4. Spoof Firefox 1.5's UA with User Agent Switcher extension to be Firefox 1.0.7 instead:

    Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.0.7

    5. Use Rhapsody.

    I have used this method to make it work in Mozilla 1.7.2, I don't see why it wouldn't work in Firefox.