Verizon Wireless V Cast Music

Back in 2006, Verizon was the second major wireless carrier to launch a music store; Sprint was the first, while now-defunct Amp'd Mobile was one of the lesser-known carriers to offer a similar service. Verizon customers with compatible phones can sign up for the V Cast Music plan for $14.99 a month, which allows them to purchase and download songs over the air for $1.99 directly to the phone. That same $1.99 price also comes with a higher-quality version that you can then download to your PC. If you prefer, you could purchase and download a 99-cent song to the PC, and then sideload it to your phone via a USB cable or a memory card. Downloads are in the WMA file format.

Fast-forward two years later, and even though the basic purchase and download plan remains the same, Verizon has decided to rebrand V Cast Music by entering into a partnership with Rhapsody, the country's No. 1 music subscription service. This means that anyone who signs up for the new V Cast Music with Rhapsody plan automatically has a Rhapsody account associated with their phone.

However, the only real change to the V Cast Music experience takes place in the desktop PC side of things; the phone interface remains largely the same. As a refresher, the music store interface on the phone is basic yet intuitive. Browsing and downloading songs is easy, and you can purchase a song in a matter of clicks. The interface has a red-and-black theme and features a colorful sliver of featured artists at the very top. The top navigation row includes Home, Search, and Help, while the bottom half of the screen lists What's New, What's Hot, Features, Browse, Download, and Alerts. Once you select an album, you get a full-screen display, including album art and information with track names.