(CelebrityAccess News Service) – Users of Rhapsody played more than one
million songs per day on average in November, culminating in more than 33 million songs played during the month, a jump of more than 17% from October. This figure excludes the songs played by consumers participating in the "You Can Have it All" promotion that RealNetworks and Comcast announced on November 10. Rhapsody usage has increased nearly 200% over the past six months.
The Rhapsody Top 10 artists for the month include many acts currently at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, including November's number 1 artist Sarah McLachlan. In November, subscribers flipped over McLachlan's Afterglow, garnering the Canadian chanteuse enough plays to make her the most popular artist for the month of November. McLachlan is set to release an album featuring remixed versions of some of her most popular songs, and Rhapsody is treating listeners to a sneak peek with a two-week exclusive remix of "Silence," through December 15. McLachlan bumped Outkast from October's top spot, down to No. 2, but the duo's singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move" continue to ride near the top of Rhapsody's Most Popular Singles chart as well as the Billboard Hot 100. Britney Spears' new album, In the Zone, helped her speed to the No. 3 spot on the Rhapsody Top 10 in November.
"Rhapsody users played an average of more than a million songs per day and never worried about how much they were spending per song," said Sean Ryan, vice president of music services, RealNetworks. "The all-you-can-listen Rhapsody model has music fans enjoying and exploring more music every day."
The complete Rhapsody Top 10 Artist Chart in November 2003 is a blend of artists releasing new material and those making classic material available through Rhapsody for the first time:
1. Sarah McLachlan
2. Outkast
3. Britney Spears
4. Coldplay
5. Eminem
6. Pearl Jam
7. R.E.M.
8. blink-182
9. The Eagles
10. Pink Floyd
–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
