Is Google Buying Rhapsody?

I can't call it anything more than a persistent rumor, but I've heard it now from more than one decent source: Google is (or at least thinking about) buying Rhapsody.  To bolster his case, one source added that Google had put out strong feelers to a number of key digital music executives for its announced Google Music initiatives and now they've stopped calling. I've heard that from others, too. Of course, it could mean that Google's found different executives to hire; or it could be that Rhapsody does come already staffed with some pretty smart executives.

The purchase does make sense. As a recently spun off independent company,  Rhapsody is ripe for takeover. They have some nice technology and a bit of a base, though they've failed to gain real traction. Google has a huge customer base, lots of cash and has publicly declared that it wants to get into the music business in a big way as fast as it can.

Again, this is just a rumor. But it was one that was just too juicy not to share.