Enhanced service integrates with optimised players

RealNetworks has taken the wraps off Rhapsody 4.0, an enhanced version of its digital music service designed for specially optimised MP3 players.

The company also announced the first line of Rhapsody DNA-based MP3 players from SanDisk.

The Sansa e200R Rhapsody players, available in capacities ranging from 2GB to 8GB, come equipped with over 30 hours of pre-loaded music.

New features of the Rhapsody software include Channels, which provide hours of music based on a particular genre or artist or the user's own music tastes.

The music refreshes each time the player is synched to the PC, and consumers can skip through tracks and save any track they like to their libraries.

Dynamic Playlists automatically track the top artists, albums and songs in subscribers' favourite genres as well as follow what's on heavy rotation with Rhapsody's in-house team of music experts.

Rhapsody Premieres gives subscribers access to new albums a week before they're available in stores.

Rhapsody will debut new music every Tuesday from artists spanning Rod Stewart and M. Ward to classic artists like Gladys Knight and Natalie Cole.

Downloads purchased from Rhapsody can be transferred to virtually any portable music player, including Apple's iPod line.

Rhapsody offers two tiers of service: Rhapsody To Go at $14.99 per month; and Rhapsody Unlimited at $9.99 per month.