Rhapsody to Hit Android by End of the Year

Shortly after releasing the Rhapsody app to iTunes, RealNetworks has announced via the company blog (and a teaser photo) that a Rhapsody app will be available on the Android Market “before the end of the year.”

For those who do not know,Rhapsody is an on-demand music streaming service which allows instant access to their six-million plus library of songs. Assuming the Android version will offer the same features as the iTunes app, we should expect the app to have a clean user interface, unique artist biographies, and the ability to add tracks to a queue from both the web and the device.

Rhapsody requires a $15 (USD) monthly subscription for unlimited plays and offers a seven-day free trial.

With European on-demand streaming service Spotify anticipating an early 2010 launch in the United States, we may soon find ourselves in the middle of a revolutionized digital music marketplace as the current leaders and new players compete for an edge.