New Contest Allows Fan to Win Private Conversation with Coldplay, via Skype; Coldplay's New Single ''Talk'' to Be Featured on Skype.com

Business Wire, Dec 20, 2005

LUXEMBOURG -- Skype, the global Internet communications company, and EMI, the world's largest independent music company, are partnering to give one Coldplay fan the opportunity to have a private Skype-enabled conversation with band members through a competition hosted on Skype.com.

The contest, launching today, is timed to celebrate Coldplay's new single, "Talk," which was released yesterday.

Any Skype user can enter the contest by leaving a message to Coldplay in the band's Skype voicemail, which is accessible through Skype.com's dedicated contest Web site. The band members themselves will listen to the messages to judge which one is best and determine who is the winner. Visitors to the site can also watch a streaming video of the new "Talk" single, directed by Anton Corbijn.

"Skype offers entertainers like Coldplay a unique way to reach tens of millions of people around the world with exclusive content," said Saul Klein, Skype's vice president of global marketing. "We're thrilled to be able to work with Coldplay and EMI, and we look forward to working with other artists who want to connect with millions of Skype users."

Entrants who call Coldplay's Skype voicemail using their Skype account will have 20 seconds to tell the band why they like the new single.

All messages must be left in English and include the participant's Skype user ID for consideration in the competition. The contest will run through February 28th and a winner will be selected in March. Skype will contact the winner to arrange the call with Coldplay, to take place during March 2006. Skype is free to download at Skype.com.

The utterly hypnotic "Talk" is the third single to be released from Coldplay's multi-platinum third album 'X&Y'. It is available as a two-track CD, a DVD, a 7 inch, as well as multiple digital download and mobile formats (available to purchase from the Skype competition landing page). Coldplay, recent recipients of two MTV Europe Awards, are on the last leg of a European tour. They will play tomorrow in Belfast.

Skype allows anyone with an Internet connection to make free Internet voice and video calls.

Available in 27 languages, Skype is used by people in almost every country around the world, and Skyping has become a global phenomenon.

About Skype

Skype is the world's fastest growing service for Internet communication, allowing people everywhere to make unlimited voice and video calls for free. Skype is available in 27 languages and is used in almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenue through its premium service offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones, as well as voicemail and call forwarding services. Skype also has a growing network of hardware and software partners. Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). To learn more visit skype.com.