Verizon Online DSL subscribers can stream the latest tunes to their desktop thanks to a newly signed distribution agreement between Verizon and Listen.com.

The Rhapsody subscription service is one of the more compelling music subscription services available over the Internet today, as it is the only service to provide consumers legal access to music from all five major record labels — BMG, EMI Recorded Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. Rhapsody enables users to stream songs from a library of more than 240,000 tracks. The service will run Verizon's DSL subscribers an additional $9.95 a month.

To entice customers to sign up for the Rhapsody subscription service, Verizon is offering a free month of Rhapsody to those who sign up by Oct. 31. The service will be offered to Verizon's 1.5 million DSL subscribers.

Listen.com has inked deals for the Rhapsody service with BroadJump, NetGear, DirecTV and Road Runner.

According to a U.S. Commerce Dept. report on broadband demand issued last month, "the factor most likely to accelerate broadband demand is the creation and deployment of easily understood, value-adding business and consumer applications."