REDMOND, Wash., and BERKELEY, Calif., June 25, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. and Tunes Network Inc. ( http://www.tunes.com/ ), which was recently acquired by JAMTV Corp., today announced that Tunes.com will provide music content for the Deluxe CD Player included with Microsoft® Plus! 98. Microsoft Plus! 98 extends the functionality of the Microsoft Windows® 98 operating system by adding utilities, themes and games to let customers further manage, customize and enjoy their PCs. Plus! 98 began shipping today, concurrent with the release of Microsoft Windows 98.
The Deluxe CD Player included in Plus! 98 can take advantage of the Internet to automatically deliver information about the title, artist and playlist of a CD to users as they listen. Tunes.com provides Plus! 98 users with Internet access with this information as well as links to Web pages containing expanded information on artists, additional albums, related music genres, radio playlists, new releases and more.
“We are pleased to be working with Tunes.com and JAMTV to provide the richest and most informative listening experience for Plus! 98 customers,”
said Rob Bennett, group product manager of Windows 98 at Microsoft.
According to a recent study by the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association,
71 percent of multimedia PC owners now use built-in CD-ROM drives to play music CDs. The Tunes Network complements the music listening experience by providing more information about the artist, the album and other artists in a particular music genre.
“Our relationship with Microsoft aligns perfectly with our long-term strategy to be the premier music content and information provider on the Internet,”
said Howard A. Tullman, CEO of JAMTV.
“By leveraging our music technology and content assets with the features of the Deluxe CD Player, we are able to offer the consumer a personal music discovery experience never before possible.”
The Deluxe CD Player will read the CD’s
“fingerprint”
and then, using an Internet link to Tunes.com, display the artist, title and track names in the Deluxe CD Player user interface. At the same time, the consumer will see unique menu items generated by Tunes.com that, when selected, automatically open the consumer’s default browser to various Tunes.com Web site pages containing further information, music previews, videos and recommendations associated with the CD currently being played.
In addition, by playing their music CDs from within the Deluxe CD Player, users will be able to automatically create a virtual CD collection on the Tunes.com Web site, where they will be able to view album-cover images, listen to previews, create playlists and organize their favorite recordings.
Users also will be able to take advantage of other Tunes.com personalization features, including CD wish lists, graphical music profiles and personal music recommendations. Tunes.com, a leader in music Web site innovation, features a vast array of licensed music previews, a unique navigation interface optimized for music discovery, and TunesMail, which allows users to send links to their favorite songs and albums to their friends.*
JAMTV Corp. ( http://www.jamtv.com/ ) also operates Tunes.com (http:// www.tunes.com /) and the Rolling Stone Network (http://www.rollingstone.com/), the Web’s premier independent music megasites with the world’s largest aggregation of multimedia assets and artist information. The Rolling Stone Network includes original daily and weekly editorial content on entertainment and music industry developments and events, a comprehensive database that includes discographies, biographies, interviews, tour dates and full motion video clips, and a massive downloadable photo library of bands, artists and concerts. The Virtual Venue allows users to see and hear state-of-the-art webcasts – in streaming audio and video – of live and archived concerts using critical technology supplied and supported by worldwide strategic partners including Intel Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., WebTV Networks, Inc., Microsoft, BackWeb, CDNow and Real Networks. Other strategic distribution and content partners include Ticketmaster and Pollstar.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
* To access the links, recipients must have an e-mail program that can display HTML in the body of the message.
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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