NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. and Warner Bros. Records Inc. ( http://www.wbr.com/ ) today announced that WindowsMedia.com will offer fans, for a limited time only, a free download of a new song from recording artist Faith Hill (connect-time fees may apply). The song, “Never Gonna Be Your Lady,” will be available online exclusively in Windows Media Format beginning Tuesday, Sept. 12, a week before it hits stores.
“Never Gonna Be Your Lady” debuts at Faith Hill’s Web site ( http://www.faithhill.com/ ), the leading multimedia guide on the Internet. It was recorded during sessions for Hill’s multiplatinum album “Breathe,” and will hit stores on Sept. 19.
The download will include a custom Windows Media Player 7 skin, and fans will be able to stream audio and video of Hill’s latest chart-toping single, “The Way You Love Me.”
“It’s great to know that, when used properly, the Internet can give fans a little something extra to enjoy,” said Hill. “It’s reassuring to me that there is in fact great technology that provides not only great sound quality, but also a safe environment for artists to distribute their music via the Internet.”
“Using Windows Media lets Faith do something special for her millions of fans,” said Dave Fester, general manager of the Digital Media Division at Microsoft. “Not only do they get to hear the song before it hits the stores, but they get to experience music in a unique way with the custom skin.”
Faith Hill’s record-breaking release, “Breathe,” has sold 4 million copies. It has spawned two No. 1 hits, “Breathe” and “The Way You Love Me,” and has garnered her six Country Music Award nominations. With her husband, Tim McGraw, Hill recently concluded the first leg of her “Soul 2 Soul Tour 2000,” which has played to sold-out houses across the country and grossed more than $18 million. Hill began the second leg of the tour Sept. 1 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and is slated to have her own television special on CBS this fall. More Faith Hill tour dates will be announced in October.
About WindowsMedia.com
WindowsMedia.com ( http://windowsmedia.com/ ), part of the MSN® network of Internet services, is the fastest-growing major audio and video guide on the Internet. WindowsMedia.com provides access to localized audio and video content to users worldwide, including major music and video events and entertainment from more than 1,000 content providers. WindowsMedia.com features more than 60,000 downloadable songs, over 2,000 music videos, more than 2,000 Internet radio stations, daily live audio and video webcasts, and a powerful search engine for finding radio, video and broadband content.
About Windows Media
Windows Media is the leading digital media platform, providing unmatched audio and video quality to consumers, content providers, solution providers, software developers and corporations. Windows Media offers the industry’s only integrated rights-management solution and the most scalable and reliable streaming technology tested by independent labs. Windows Media Technologies includes Windows Media Player for consumers, Windows Media Services for servers, Windows Media Tools for content creation and the Windows Media Software Development Kit for software developers. Windows Media Player, available in 24 languages, is the fastest-growing media player. More information about Windows Media can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
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