Rhapsody is the First Digital Music Service to Support the Recording Academy's 'Give Fans the Credit' Initiative

As the music business gathered at the annual NARM and Digitalmusic.org's Music Biz 2013 Conference today, The Recording Academy - a membership organization internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards and for advancing creators' rights - and Rhapsody International, the original on-demand music service, announced today that Rhapsody will be the first digital music service to support The Academy's "Give Fans The Credit" initiative.

"Give Fans The Credit" advocates for the inclusion of credits for songwriters, nonfeatured performers such as session musicians and backing vocalists, producers and engineers in digital music, as they are listed in liner notes that come with physical media. Currently, the only credits consumers are able to see in most digital services are the song title, album, and featured artist.

"Rhapsody listeners are avid music fans who value the craft of musicianship and recording, and they want to know who was involved in bringing a song to life," said Jon Irwin, president, Rhapsody. "We have a responsibility to our listeners to back this initiative, and further, view the inclusion of more complete credits as a truly useful feature that will only deepen our listeners' connection to their favorite artists and songs."

"Since we launched the 'Give Fans The Credit' campaign, we've seen an outpouring of support from music makers and music lovers alike," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "Fans want more information about the tracks they like, and we applaud Rhapsody for taking a leadership role on this initiative. Putting credits in the hands of fans is the next step forward in guiding fans to music discovery, as they find new songs and artists based on songwriters, producers or band personnel. It is our hope that other digital music services will follow Rhapsody's lead."

As the original subscription music service, Rhapsody has led the industry in its focus on music curation, with more than 10 years of original editorial content, features and playlists designed to guide listeners through its massive catalog. The added information about key players behind the songs will provide an additional lens on music discovery for Rhapsody listeners.

While the full implementation of the credits will occur over the following months, Rhapsody has already begun to curate music collections based on producers, songwriters and sidemen within the Rhapsody service including GRAMMY winners Dave Grohl, Pharrell Williams and Timbaland.

"We are eager to integrate this feature into our products," said Irwin. "At Rhapsody we are always striving to connect fans and artists, and 'Give Fans The Credit' is one more way we can create a great music experience that helps us deliver on that promise."