Rhapsody offers a variety of purchase plans: Rhapsody 25, Rhapsody Unlimited and Rhapsody To Go. Although Rhapsody 25 is free, it allows the user to listen to only 25 songs per month. This means that every month, you can listen to only about two hours of music, and advertising will be mixed in. Despite its title, Rhapsody Unlimited allows you to listen to as many songs as you like, without being able to download them. "Unlimited" takes on a different meaning when you realize you can't put these songs on an MP3 player. This service is $12.99 per month. For an extra $2, you get Rhapsody To Go, which allows you to transfer songs to certain MP3 players.
Any songs downloaded under the Rhapsody To Go plan can be transferred to an MP3 player with Microsoft's "PlaysForSure" certification. Although this includes many popular MP3 player brands, such as Creative, Philips, Samsung and iRiver, it does not include Apple. This means that Rhapsody files are not compatible with the iPod, the most popular MP3 player in the world.
As of September 2009, Rhapsody is available only in the United States. Rhapsody is missing out on a huge worldwide client base, and as such, the longevity of the service is in question. It's possible that the future may hold an internationally friendly Rhapsody service, but for now, customers outside the United States simply can't use Rhapsody.
The music-licensing agreements that Rhapsody holds with major labels are unstable. Frequently, tracks can become unavailable without warning. Your favorite album might be stream-able when you sign up but disappear a week later. In addition, licensing is on a track-by-track or album-by-album basis, so some tracks may not be available for download even from a single album.
Although the MP3 files you can download from Rhapsody are 128 or 256 kbps, discerning listeners will find the sound quality of Rhapsody downloads inferior to CD quality. This might be acceptable for many users, but audiophiles will take exception with Rhapsody's offerings.