Liquid Audio Joins RIAA's Secure Digital Music Initiative for Creating An Open Standard for Music Delivery on the Internet

Business Wire, Dec 16, 1998

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1998--

-- SDMI Formation Validates Digital Distribution and Liquid Audio's

Existing Initiatives and Technology That Protect

Artists and Record Labels Copyrights --

Liquid Audio, the leading developer of secure online music and audio delivery systems, today announced its support for and participation in the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI).

The SDMI, which was announced today at the RIAA press conference in New York, is coalition of over a dozen leading companies within the technology and music industry sectors, working to develop industry standards for the secure digital distribution of music over the Internet.

"We are extremely pleased to be working with the RIAA on this initiative and fully support their efforts to develop industry standards for secure digital distribution," said Gerry Kearby, CEO of Liquid Audio. "Liquid Audio has already demonstrated that the Internet can be a commercially viable and secure environment for music distribution. We look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience to help the record industry develop new standards that enable a superior online experience for music fans through widespread compatibility."

This announcement builds on Liquid Audio's existing momentum to date as the leader in the advancement of secure digital music distribution:

-- Currently, there are ten's of thousands of songs in Liquid Audio

format for sale and download on the Internet. Retail sites

selling songs in Liquid Audio format, include Musicblvd.com,

Amplified.com, Musicmaker.com, and Platinumcd.com.

-- Liquid Audio has recently announced support for Diamond

Multimedia's Rio player and Iomega's Zip drives, and all major

CD-R drives through a relationship with Adaptec.

-- Liquid Audio has done major label promotions with artists

including: Dave Matthews Band, Marilyn Manson, Hole, Creed, Bruce

Hornsby, and Emmy Lou Harris, among others.

-- Major label partnerships have included Geffen Records, Interscope

Records, BMG Online's genre-based Web sites, RCA Records, Virgin

Records, Giant Records, The Windham Hill Group, Almo Sounds,

Outpost Recordings and EMI Records (UK).

-- Key independent labels utilizing Liquid Audio technology, include

Sub Pop Records, Twin Tone Records, Mojo Records, Wind-Up

Entertainment, CMC International, KTEL, Platinum Entertainment,

Razor & Tie Entertainment, Rykodisc, Oh Boy Records, Rounder

Records and What Are Records. A complete listing of Liquid Tracks

can be found at the Liquid Audio Web site.

Redwood City, Calif.-based Liquid Audio, www.liquidaudio.com, is the first Internet company focusing exclusively on the needs of the professional audio and music industries providing labels, artists and production facilities with software tools and technologies to enable the secure online distribution of professional-quality audio. Liquid Audio's technology allows consumers to preview and purchase CD-quality music over the Internet, while ensuring copyright protection and tracking royalties. Formed by veterans of the music industry and professional recording engineers, Liquid Audio is leading the convergence of music and technology to establish the Internet as a new medium for music publishing.