Music March Madness! MTV Networks Viewers Score 60 Days of Free Music on Rhapsody

SEATTLE, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today MTV Networks and Rhapsody announced that the month of March will be all about music across MTV Networks media properties, with a massive programming and promotional campaign that gives consumers 60 days of free music via the award-winning Rhapsody service.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101006/RHAPSODYLOGO)

"The aim of this promotion is for the Rhapsody experience to follow MTV Networks viewers across all media," said Jon Irwin, president, Rhapsody. "This joint initiative combines the power of both brands to create something that brings value to not only Rhapsody and MTV Networks, but to the viewers, as well.  This campaign would not have been possible without the strong relationships we have developed over the years with the network and our label partners."

The "60-Day Free-for-All" promotion will give consumers the opportunity to listen to all the music they want free for an unprecedented 60 days. Rhapsody and MTV Networks have joined creative forces to communicate MTV Networks' varied brands through the power of music. This deeply integrated, three-screen campaign embeds Rhapsody and the Rhapsody experience into MTV Networks programming and social media and will run on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, Spike, COMEDY CENTRAL, CMT and Vh1.  In addition, Rhapsody tie-ins will appear in premier shows such as COMEDY CENTRAL'S Tosh.O, MTV's Jersey Shore and Spike's UFC series; through playlists from Jersey Shore, UFC fighters and celebrity VJ's. Rhapsody will also be extending into digital and mobile channels, including the hugely popular Tosh.0 mobile app.

"60 days of free music is an incredible deal," said Van Toffler, president, MTV Networks Music & Logo Group. "We love it when we can partner with a choice service like Rhapsody to offer such a great consumer proposition to our viewers and music lovers everywhere."

A trial period of this duration is unprecedented. Typically, a trial period is seven to 14 days, but MTV Networks viewers will get the extraordinary ability to experience how Rhapsody can uniquely provide a soundtrack to life's many moments by immersing new subscribers into an extended musical journey.  Rhapsody is the quintessential destination for music lovers, who can discover, collect and share music through playlists, radio stations and original editorial content by Rhapsody's renowned music writers.

This is a monumental time for Rhapsody.  With more than 750,000 subscribers, 100,000 of which were added since the company spun out of Real Networks in April, Rhapsody has gained significant momentum.  Not only have music lovers embraced the subscription model, but the Rhapsody iPhone app is consistently among the top 10 music apps in the iTunes store, and its mobile apps on Android and BlackBerry have won awards and accolades from reviewers, including CNET, PC Magazine and Laptop Magazine.  In addition, the Rhapsody app will be among the marquee apps to ship on Verizon Wireless LTE devices later this year.

"The time for on-demand digital music is now," said Irwin. "We live in an on-demand world where media is always available, when and how we want it.  Consumers are growing tired of a la carte downloads and crave access to virtually any song at any moment, from any device, on their terms. Both MTV and Rhapsody are pioneers in revolutionizing the way music is delivered and are therefore the perfect partners to bring the masses what they want: subscription music."

To view images from the campaign, please visit: http://xtranet.click3x.com/jobs/Rhapsody/documents/022811_Rhapsody_Spot_For_PR.zip or http://xtranet.click3x.com/jobs/Rhapsody/documents/022811_Rhapsody_Stills_For_PR.zip

About Rhapsody

The Rhapsody® digital music service (www.rhapsody.com) gives subscribers unlimited on-demand access to more than 11 million songs, whether they're listening on a PC, laptop, Internet connected home stereo or TV, MP3 player or mobile phone. Rhapsody allows subscribers to access their music through more touch-points than any other digital music service, including mobile phones from Verizon Wireless, through Rhapsody applications on the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, RIM BlackBerry and Android mobile platforms as well as through devices from Vizio, SanDisk, HP, Sonos and Philips. Rhapsody, and the Rhapsody logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rhapsody International Inc. Follow @Rhapsody on Twitter and keep up with the latest on the Rhapsody Facebook page.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products.  The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Shockwave, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, and GameTrailers.  

SOURCE Rhapsody International