With all that's been written and said about the fact that Kid Rock is one of the few remaining digital holdouts, it's almost a shame that Rhapsody has got an exclusive on his digital catalog. RealNetworks announced today it launched Kid Rock's full collection at both the Rhapsody client and the Rhapsody MP3 store. One more interesting topic is gone. Rhapsody will have an exclusive for four months and will incorporate Kid Rock and his new single "Roll On" in a marketing campaign that will include partners Verizon Wireless and MTV.

"The real issue here is flexibility in terms of artists being able to do what they want," Ken Levitan, Kid Rock's manager, told the NY Times. Until now, Kid Rock has chosen the selling of CDs over offering to consumers a la carte downloads. Kid Rock's Atlantic Records catalog is available only as full album downloads, and all have a $9.99 price. It is his desire to sell only albums, not individual tracks, that has kept Kid Rock away from download stores. (His debut album released on Jive, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, has previously been available as single track downloads at many stores.)

The timing seems appropriate. His latest album, Rock N Roll Jesus, had a great summer thanks to the hit single "All Summer Long." Partnering with Rhapsody for this exclusive offers the kind of visibility that may maintain the album's momentum through the next single. If that goes well, Christmas is just around the corner.