RioPort to Offer Commercial Downloads From Warner Music Group Labels

Business Wire, April 3, 2001

Business Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2001

RioPort, Inc., the leading digital music application service provider (ASP), today announced an agreement with Warner Music Group (WMG) to deliver secure commercial downloads from WMG artists to select e-tailers in the RioPort network.

Beginning this month, consumers in the U.S. will be able to purchase initially approximately 100 downloadable singles released by WMG's leading labels, Atlantic, Elektra, London-Sire, Rhino and Warner Bros. Records. The downloads will be available non-exclusively through the following RioPort-affiliated e-tailers: MTV.com, VH1.com, SonicNet.com, BOLT and House of Blues' HOB.com.

RioPort will provide digital distribution services, including content preparation, hosting and delivery, digital rights management and customer support through its PulseOne Media Service(TM).

"Warner Music Group is home to some of the world's most popular artists and we are thrilled to be able to deliver this quality of music to our e-tailers," said Jim Long, president and CEO of RioPort. "This is an important relationship for RioPort, one that we feel marks another major milestone in moving the market for legal digital music e-commerce forward."

"Through this agreement with RioPort, we can supplement the network of online retailers that currently offer our downloads," said Paul Vidich, executive vice president, Strategic Planning and Business Development for Warner Music Group. "Now, music fans that visit some of the popular music sites affiliated with RioPort can purchase high quality music via a convenient download experience."

About Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group is home to some of the world's leading record companies, including The Atlantic Group, Elektra Entertainment Group, London-Sire Records, Rhino Entertainment and Warner Bros. Records Inc. The company's Warner Music International, with a roster of more than 1,000 artists, operates in more than 65 countries through various subsidiaries, affiliates and non-affiliated licensees. Warner Music Group also includes one of the world's leading music publishers, Warner/Chappell and WEA Inc., which is comprised of three companies, WEA Corp., WEA Manufacturing and Ivy Hill. Warner Music Group is a division of AOL Time Warner.

RioPort's PulseOne Media Service

RioPort's PulseOne Media Service provides all of the online functions and services needed to find, purchase and deliver digital music to consumers over the Internet simply and securely. The PulseOne Media Service features a 24 x 7 Web content hosting center, a wide catalog of music, a network of well-positioned e-tailers and a secure rights and e-commerce system focusing on a simple, secure consumer experience. For its music label partners, RioPort is able to provide all of the services necessary to securely encode, package, distribute, manage, sell and host audio content on the Internet. The PulseOne Media Service from RioPort sets the standard for the Internet economy's media application services.

About RioPort, Inc.

RioPort.com, Inc. is a leading music application service provider, enabling e-tailers and consumer electronics manufacturers with industry-standard solutions for selling music to consumers in a simple, secure manner. RioPort's distribution partners include the MTVi Group, House of Blues, Bolt, @Nifty and others. RioPort is backed by Oak Investment Partners, Vulcan Ventures, SONICblue, Microsoft Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., EMC Corp., Quantum Corp. and Macrovision Corp.