Beastie Boys to Offer Three Unreleased Tracks for Digital Download Exclusively on LAUNCH.com Using Windows Media Technology

Business Wire, May 26, 1999

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 26, 1999--

LAUNCH.com and Beastie Boys to Donate $1 for Every Download to

Kosovo Relief Effort -- Microsoft to Match Donation;

Capitol Records Supports Download of Secure Tracks

LAUNCH Media Inc. (NASDAQ:LAUN) Wednesday announced in conjunction with Beastie Boys, Grand Royal Records, Capitol Records and Microsoft Corp., that at 12 a.m. (PDT), Wednesday, May 26, the first of three previously unreleased Beastie Boys tracks will be available for secure digital download exclusively on LAUNCH.com (www.launch.com), the Web's premier site for discovering new music.

LAUNCH.com and Beastie Boys will in turn donate $1 to two charities that support the Kosovo relief effort, CARE and MADRE, for each new visitor to LAUNCH.com who downloads the tracks during the 10-week exclusive period. The downloads will be free to consumers, with the donation coming directly from LAUNCH.com and Beastie Boys, up to $1 million.

In addition, Microsoft has pledged to match the donation dollar for dollar, with proceeds to benefit the U.S. Committee for UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders/MSF.

"We are proud to offer this digital download opportunity with Beastie Boys in an effort to make a substantial contribution to such a meaningful cause," said Dave Goldberg, chief executive officer of LAUNCH. "We are really pleased that Beastie Boys, a major record label like Capitol Records and Microsoft are collaborating with us on this effort, and hope that we can raise some significant awareness and funds for the refugees of Kosovo."

"We felt honored to be able to help people in need, using both our music and this new technology," commented Mike Diamond of Beastie Boys. "It is in crises like these that we are all reminded of what we should already be aware: There are many beings suffering and it is everyone's responsibility to help change that."

The Beastie Boys Web site can be found at www.beastieboys.com. The Grand Royal Records Web site can be found at www.grandroyal.com.

LAUNCH.com currently employs Microsoft's Windows Media Technology for digital downloads.

"Musicians have supported important causes for many years, and we're pleased to team up with Beastie Boys, LAUNCH.com, Grand Royal Records and Capitol Records to support relief efforts in Kosovo," said Will Poole, senior director, marketing and business development, Streaming Media Division at Microsoft. "Together with music fans we're working to help those in great need."

Reciprocal, which has a strategic alliance with Microsoft, provides the suite of services that manages the content transactions, the royalty management infrastructure and customer relationship tools for Windows Media Technology 4.0. Reciprocal is donating its services to this project as well.

The collaboration represents one of the first times a major record label has supported free digital downloading of content directly to consumers over the Internet. It is particularly unique due to the scale of this promotion.

"First and foremost Capitol Records is honored to be able to join Beastie Boys, LAUNCH.com, Grand Royal Records and Microsoft in this effort to benefit the Kosovo refugees," said Roy Lott, president and CEO, Capitol Records. "The availability of secure download technology has enabled Capitol Records and Beastie Boys to give something back to the fans who have supported them, and to raise funds for this worthy cause."

The first track to be made available will be the previously unavailable DJ Design Remix of their current hit single "The Negotiation Limerick File" from their multiplatinum and critically acclaimed album, "Hello Nasty."

Each of the four charities employs a different method of aiding the refugees of Kosovo. In addition to managing refugee camps in Macedonia and Albania, CARE (www.care.org) is providing food, basic medicine, shelter and helping to reunite children separated from their families.

MADRE (www.madre.org) has been supporting community-based women's organizations addressing the psychological and practical effects of war and displacement in the Yugoslavia region since 1993.

UNICEF (www.unicefusa.org) UNICEF works in more than 160 countries and territories providing health care, clean water, improved nutrition, and education to millions of children in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Doctors Without Borders (www.dwb.org) Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is the world's largest independent international medical relief agency aiding victims of armed conflict, epidemics, and natural and man-made disasters, and others who lack health care due to geographic remoteness or ethnic marginalization.

Donations can also be made directly to the organizations by visiting their Web sites. Other organizations wishing to make donations may contact LAUNCH directly by visiting LAUNCH.com.

About LAUNCH

LAUNCH Media is a digital media company dedicated to creating the premier Internet destination for discovering new music. LAUNCH produces both LAUNCH on the Web at www.launch.com and LAUNCH on CD-ROM. LAUNCH has headquarters in Santa Monica and was founded in 1994.