RioPort Launches Next Generation Audio Manager Software Giving Consumers Instant Access to Downloadable Media

Business Wire, April 12, 2000

Business Editors and High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2000

RioPort Audio Manager 3 Available for Download Today at MTV.com,

VH1.com, SonicNet.com, MinistryofSound.com and RioPort.com

RioPort Inc., a pioneer in the digital audio download market, today announced the official launch of its RioPort Audio Manager 3 software, offering consumers a host of innovations that make enjoying and managing digital media content, both audio and video, easier than ever before. The new jukebox software features audio and video playback capabilities for downloadable or streaming content, the ability to create custom CDs for playback of music and spoken word content on home or car CD players, the ability to manage and download to portable devices, and easy acquisition and downloading of tracks in multiple formats using an integrated Web browser.

Consumers who download and register the software for the next 30 days will receive unlimited MP3 encoding at no charge.

"One of our goals at RioPort is to offer a complete and easy-to-use media application that meets the needs of both the consumer and copyright holders," said Todd Moore, director of product management for platform systems at RioPort, Inc. "With RioPort Audio Manager 3, consumers can play a variety of media content in multiple formats with great ease."

RioPort's Audio Manager 3 is MetaTrust(TM) Certified (by InterTrust Technologies Corp.) and also supports Microsoft's Windows Media Format, providing a solid, secure commerce infrastructure for content holders. The RioPort Audio Manager respects all usage limits that are associated with secure content packaged in an InterTrust or Microsoft system. Support for these secure systems provide consumers with access to a greater breadth of popular content.

RioPort Audio Manager 3 Promotion

Beginning today, RioPort is offering consumers free upgrades for unlimited MP3 encoding. For a period of 30 days, users can download the RioPort Audio Manager 3 at: www.mtv.com, www.vh1.com, www.sonicnet.com, www.ministryofsound.com or www.rioport.com, and, by registering the software by May 10, 2000, unlock unlimited MP3 encoding at no cost -- a value of $9.95. The promotion ends on May 10, 2000 and is subject to modification without notice.

After May 10, 2000, a free version RioPort Audio Manager 3, including an unlimited number of WMA encodes and up to 50 MP3 encodes, as well as 25 CD burns, in addition to all the other features listed above, will be available. To enable unlimited encoding and burning after May 10, consumers can unlock the software for $18.95 or $9.95 for each unlimited encoding or CD burning.

Multi-Format Support for Playback on PCs, Portables or Home/Car

Stereos

RioPort Audio Manager 3 provides users with flexibility to enjoy new music and spoken word content. For instance, using RioPort Audio Manager 3, consumers can:

-- Play CD music in addition to downloaded digital audio or video

files;

-- Easily encode music from their own CD collection to create a

personal database of MP3 or Windows Media Format audio files

for playback on their PC or compatible portable device;

-- Create CDs from music tracks downloaded from the Internet or

use their existing database of MP3 or WMA files, using a

supported CD-R drive for playback on a standard home/car

stereo;

-- Simply download tracks in MP3, InterTrust DigiBox, and

Microsoft's Windows Media formats for playback on the PC or

compatible portable player;

-- Stream leading audio formats, such as MP3, Microsoft's Windows

Media or Real Networks G2 formats or a variety of streaming

video formats;

-- Or connect to portable devices that use the industry standard

Media Device Manager (MDM) API from RioPort that has been

adopted by a growing number of portable device manufacturers.

Other Key Advantages of RioPort Audio Manager 3 Include:

-- Simple and intuitive categorization, searching, sorting and

creation of playlists. RioPort Audio Manager 3 uses an easy

system to organize all digital audio content. A powerful

searchable database lets users store and organize all of their

digital audio and video tracks by artist, title, genre and

other user-defined categories. The database supports digital

tracks that can be embedded with information such as song

titles, lyrics and CD art. An intuitive playlist editor lets

users search their entire digital audio collection and easily

create and save playlists that can be played from either their

desktop or downloaded to their portable playback device.

-- Support for multiple video streaming formats. With RioPort

Audio Manager 3, music fans can enjoy a full multimedia

experience by viewing AVI and QuickTime videos.

-- Higher fidelity encoding. RioPort Audio Manager 3 allows

consumers to encode tracks at full speed from their own CD

collection into the MP3 or WMA formats at up to 256 Kbps

(versus the lower quality of 96 Kbps with the free versions of

competitive applications), providing for higher fidelity in

the quality of recorded music. Encoding of CD tracks couldn't