NEW YORK: Best Buy Co. Inc., a U.S. consumer electronics chain, said that it has begun selling subscriptions to RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody digital music service, as music labels and retailers rush to cash in on the growing allure of Internet downloading.

Gary Arnold, Best Buy's senior vice president of entertainment, said the retailer's partnership with RealNetworks would demonstrate to customers "all the great possibilities that digital music holds".

Best Buy said in a statement customers can now sign up for a 14-day free Rhapsody trial within a Best Buy store, as well as through the company's Web site, www.bestbuy.com.

Rhapsody rivals include Apple Computer's iTunes service.

Music retailers, hurt by slumping sales of CDs and rampant Internet music piracy, are seeking more ways to capitalize on the growing popularity of selling music over the Internet.

But even with the mushrooming of several Internet music subscription services, weaning more people from swapping music without paying has remained one big challenge.

Launched in 2001, Rhapsody offers consumers unlimited access to the broadest library of major and independent label music -- from more than 20,000 albums by more than 9,000 artists -- for listening on demand and transfer to CD.

Besides burning full albums or custom mix CDs -- for as little as 79 cents per song -- Rhapsody subscribers can build their own Internet radio stations, listen to professionally pre-programmed stations, and browse music information and editorial recommendations.

© Reuters