EMI Music Publishing Pacts With Net4Music to Digitize and Distribute Catalog; Wide-Ranging Relationship Also Includes EMI Investment in the Leading Portal for Musicians

Business Wire, April 18, 2000

Business, Internet & Music Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000

EMI Music Publishing, the world's largest music publisher, and Net4Music (www.net4music.com), the premier portal for musicians, today announced that EMI has entered into an agreement with Net4Music to digitize and globally distribute sheet music in digital form drawn from EMI's catalog of over one million songs. This precedent-setting agreement will cover the digital creation, licensing and marketing of EMI's catalog of digital sheet music. As part of this relationship, EMI is set to take a minority equity position in Net4Music.

"Net4Music's vision of empowering musicians through Internet technology and making copyright protection a cornerstone of their business model fits perfectly with EMI's vision for the digital distribution of music," said Martin Bandier, Chairman and CEO of EMI.

"This is an important step in the development of Net4Music as we strive to have the most comprehensive selection of digitized downloadable sheet music," said Claude Poletti, Chairman of Net4Music. "EMI's broad catalog encompasses many genres, from pop to country. We are extremely pleased that EMI is working with Net4Music and our technology to achieve their objectives."

Net4Music was founded in 1995 in France as Interactives Musiques Companie by Claude Poletti, the director of a number of music academies and chamber music festivals and the president of the Association of Music Academies in France. Last year, the name of the company was changed to Net4Music to better reflect the company's future using the Internet. Net4Music expanded its operations to include the U.S. and added key members of its management team, whose collective resume includes BMI Music, Showtime Networks, Nat Systems, Citibank and GeoCities.

In December 1999, Net4Music launched its comprehensive portal for musicians, featuring digitized downloadable sheet music and MIDI files and offering immediate and secure access to over 40,000 titles initially. Net4Music's state-of-the-art copyright protection technology virtually eliminates piracy and unauthorized distribution of product. The site also features content written by musicians and educational components for musicians of all levels. Net4Music offers content in five languages and the ability to purchase in 22 currencies.

About EMI Music Publishing

EMI Music Publishing is the world's largest music publishing company. EMI's writers include: Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Robbie Williams, Diane Warren, Sting, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Gloria Estefan, Depeche Mode, Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, Hootie and the Blowfish, Blur, Texas and Jamiroquai.

About Net4Music

Net4Music is a company for musicians, by musicians. Using Internet technology, Net4Music has revolutionized the distribution of sheet music by licensing the digital distribution rights to the world's largest catalog of titles from all music genres and offering secure downloads of this sheet music. Net4Music's innovative services empower the music end user by providing musicians and composers with immediate access to one of the largest collections of musical scores along with unparalleled copyright protection for music publishing. Through Net4Music's web site, musicians can reference and download sheet music for faster, easier and safer distribution than was previously possible. With its cutting-edge services and growing number of strategic partnerships, Net4Music is fast becoming the premier online portal for musicians.