Wilson+Report+Proposal

Wilson M

To: Proximity Music team From: Matthew Wilson Date: April 10, 2010 Subject: Report Proposal Rhapsody has been a player in the music scene for the past decade. However, in recent years they have fallen dramatically from where they once stood. With sites such as Limewire, and “Itunes,” the ability for Rhapsody to gain any ground is dreadful. I propose to write a report detailing what it would mean for a business to advertise on Rhapsody’s website.

The inability to understand Gen-Y’s preference in buying or downloading music has prevented businesses from using music sites to advertise to their full potential. - The continued growth of illegal downloading has hindered subscription music sites such as Rhapsody - The domination of Apple’s “Itunes” has prevented any other pay for music sites from gaining any momentum - The future is uncertain for Rhapsody after their split from their parent companies of RealNetworks and Viacom. Since the creation of the internet, there has been a phenomenol growth in the music scene and there are now many different sites that appeal to Gen-Y. Rhapsody started off as a dominant competitor in the early 2000’s but has since been over taken by “Itunes” and sites like Limewire. Proximity clients who are seeking to advertise on Rhapsody’s website need this proposal to comprehend Rhapsody’s past, present, and future roles as a music site. The proposed report “Rhapsody Advertising” will include the following topics - The Rise of Rhapsody music - How Rhapsody deals with mobile devices - The effect of Rhapsody’s restructuring on their business plan - What the future holds for subscription based music services
 * Need**
 * Topics**

In addition to these topics, the proposed report will include attachments that show Rhapsody’s growth as a company and the trends of music buyers.
 * Sources**

The following are articles detailing the topics that will be covered in the proposed report.

Bonanos, Paul. (February 11, 2010). Newly Independent Rhapsody’s Subsriber Base Still Shrinking. Retrieved February 28, 2010 from []

Paul discusses Rhapsody’s launch of mobile applications, most notably their “Iphone” app. He notes that even with the addition of mobile applications, Rhapsody’s subscriber base is still falling. Also mentioned are Rhapsody’s rival companies such as Napster and how they are overtaking subscription sites. The restructuring of Rhapsody is another part of this article.

Bruno, Antony. (February 11, 2010). RealNetworks, Sprint Forge Mobile Music Deal. Retrieved February 28, 2010 from []

This article describes how Real Networks unloaded Rhapsody and went into business with Sprint. Real Networks hooked up with Sprint to “streamline” the music service on Sprints mobile network.

Hansell, Saul. (June 30, 2008). Rhapsody Runs Hard Just To Stay in Place. Retrieved February 28, 2010 from [|http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/rhapsody-runs-hard-just-to-stay-in-place]

This article points out the dwindling number of Rhapsody’s customers due to a few factors such as the economy and the failing subscription model. It also goes into Rhapsody’s partnership with Verizon and how they are attempting to have music accessibility o your phone. Also mentioned is how Rhapsody is trying to get into the social networking game to expand their customer base.

Healey, Jon. (June 29, 2008). ilike Rhapsody- Why Don’t More People? Retrieved February 28, 2010 from []

Quinn, Michelle. (June 30, 2008). New Music Store to Take on Itunes. Retrieved April 10, 2010 from []

This article gives an overview of Rhapsody’s competition with Itunes. It describes the copyright restrictions for each company and how this affects their businesses. The article also gives an idea of the attempts Rhapsody has made in the past to bring in new customers. A brief history of Rhapsody and the past endeavors is also part of this article.

Pham, Alex. (February 9, 2010). RealNetworks Spins off Rhapsody Music Service as Solo Act. Retrieved February 28, 2010 from []

A brief description of RealNetworks plan to turn Rhapsody into its own company is provided. It also describes Rhapsody in terms of its customer numbers and who they are competing with.