Platinum Entertainment Unveils Improved Web Site Features, New MP3 Downloads And 'Best of Web' Custom CDs

Business Wire, Dec 15, 1998

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1998--Enhanced shopping features, new MP3 downloads and the ability to create unique custom compact discs at a site called "best of the Web" by U.S. News & World Report are featured at http://www.PlatinumCD.com, officials of Platinum Entertainment announced today. Since November 1, 1998, the Platinum Entertainment [Nasdaq: PTET] retail Web site has received more than 2,000,000 hits from consumers seeking the best in blues, gospel, country, classical, electronic, urban and adult contemporary music.

PlatinumCD.com's improved "shopping cart" order system for CD purchases shipped directly from the company's warehouse should increase sales to last-minute holiday shoppers, said Platinum CEO Steve Devick. The new system includes immediate credit card verification and customer order E-mail confirmation.

"An improved, user-friendly system makes it easy for customers to sample and purchase our current releases and catalog music at the lowest prices anywhere," Devick said. "The holiday season is also the perfect time to introduce shoppers to custom CD technology, which allows anyone to create their own one-of-a-kind compact disc from a database of 200,000 songs, and have it mailed to their home."

Through its equity investment in The Music Connection Corporation [www.musicmaker.com], PlatinumCD.com offers shoppers the ability to make their own compact discs for holiday gifts. According to a U.S. News & World Report cover story (December 7), musicmaker.com is one of "the best sites for buying online." After choosing individual songs from artists in a wide variety of musical genres, customers can put the songs in any order they want and give the CD a personalized title ("Bob's Favorite Jazz Jams," for example). In just a few days, the custom disc is delivered by mail.

"This technology combines the ease of online shopping with the desire to select a personal gift that reflects the recipient's musical tastes," Devick added.

Through December, PlatinumCD.com and MP3.com will offer promotional MP3s by Taylor Dayne, Dionne Warwick, The Band with John Hiatt, Peter Cetera, Kansas, Luther Allison, Vickie Winans, the Blues Brothers and the Beach Boys. These songs dominate MP3.com's Top 40 chart -- with four out of the Top Five downloads -- generating increased Web traffic to PlatinumCD.com at no cost to the company.

Platinum Entertainment produces, licenses, acquires, markets and distributes high quality recorded music for a variety of music formats. Platinum's wholly owned labels include River North Records, House of Blues Music Co., CGI Records and Intersound. Platinum's products include new releases and compilations that allow the company to exploit its diverse catalog of more than 13,000 master recordings.