CNET Prizefight: Napster vs. Rhapsody

• The Contenders
• Interface
• Library
• Extras
• Audio quality
• Value
• The winner is...

Napster vs. Rhapsody

By Jasmine France

JUDGES: Donald Bell, Jasmine France, Brian Tong

Napster

Rhapsody

Napster has come a long way since its inception as a file-sharing service 10 years ago, and there is little doubt that without it, Rhapsody wouldn't exist--at least not in the form we enjoy today. Now, thanks largely to the fact that most competing services gave up on the game and passed their subscribers over to the two remaining companies (AOL Music to Napster; Yahoo Music Unlimited and MTV Urge to Rhapsody), these music subscription companies are rulers of the roost when it comes to paid streaming. Despite their individual brand recognition and market foothold, the model still has yet to conquer the mainstream. However, that may change with new pricing schemes, such as the $5 per month deal recently offered by Napster.

However, before you jump in to the subscription pool, it's a good idea to consider all the factors. After all, you want something that's easy to use and sounds good, right? To help you out, three CNET editors judged the services in five bone-shaking rounds. Read on to find out who comes out on top in this war of the subscription music service.

About the judges

Donald Bell is a CNET Senior Editor, a Zune user, and the guy who gave the iPod Touch an Editors' Choice Award--which makes him an ideal punching bag for opinionated CNET readers.

Jasmine France is a Senior Associate Editor for digital audio at CNET. Of the seemingly endless array of products that pass through her hands, only the strong survive.

Brian Tong is an Editor and Host of Prizefight on CNET TV. He's currently shifting himself from iTunes to the Amazon Music Store.