Rhapsody Surpasses 3 Million Subscribers

Although its stability belies its weak media attention, Rhapsody is similar to its peers in that it consistently loses money. According to the 2014 annual report of RealNetworks, a 43-percent owner in Rhapsody, the subscription service lost approximately $10.4 million last year and posted similarly large losses in the preceding two years. 

Losses aren't the end of the world. CFO Ethan Rudin previously told Billboard the company tries to run "as tight an operation as possible" but that 2014 and 2015 were "investment years." To bring the subscription model to new consumers, Rhapsody has partnered with mobile operators -- especially in Latin America, where Colombia are Brazil are Rhapsody's fastest-growing markets. "Our goal is just to distribute music to more people and have them pay for it," said Rudin.