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MusicMatch Offers Music Fans Easy Access to Premium Major-label Content

With the release of MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0, MusicMatch reaffirms its commitment to supporting open standards for the secure distribution of major-label music. The MusicMatch Jukebox software was chosen as the first jukebox for music fans to experience hundreds of AAC-encoded singles and albums offered by BMG Entertainment via digital download. MusicMatch also works with leading digital rights management (DRM) technology provider InterTrust Technologies to ensure that music fans using MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0 will have easy access to AAC-encoded music secured with InterTrust's InterRights Point DRM software.

``AAC technology delivers the most efficient and best-sounding audio available on the Internet,'' said Ramzi Haidamus, Dolby's director of business development. ``MusicMatch Jukebox users will be thrilled with the great sound they get with AAC, and we're excited that AAC will now be accessible to millions of new users.''

``BMG is pleased to see MusicMatch support the AAC format,'' said Christa Haussler, vice president, New Technology, BMG Entertainment. ``This development will offer vast numbers of music fans easy access to hundreds of BMG singles and albums while providing them with the high quality audio that AAC makes possible.''

``MusicMatch is committed to delivering the highest quality listening experience possible,'' said Bob Ohlweiler, senior vice president of business development for MusicMatch, Inc. ``By integrating support for AAC-encoded music into MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0, we are giving music fans the ability to access and enjoy premium digital downloads from their favorite major-label recording artists.''

The free MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0 AAC plug-in with InterRights Point software is available at www.musicmatch.com/plug-ins. For more information about MusicMatch, please visit www.musicmatch.com.

About AAC

AAC is high-quality audio coding technology and the solution of choice for many broadcast and electronic music-distribution applications. AAC is compatible with all digital rights management, encryption, and watermarking solutions available today. In independent tests, the coding efficiency of AAC proved to be superior to MP3, providing higher-quality audio reproduction at lower bit rates. AAC provides up to 48 channels of audio, sample rates of up to 96 kHz, and can achieve ITU-R broadcast quality at 320 kbps for a 5.1-channel audio program. Developed and standardized as an ISO/IEC specification by four industry leaders (AT&T, Dolby Laboratories, Fraunhofer IIS, and Sony Corporation), AAC is supported by a growing number of hardware and software manufacturers. For more information about AAC, please visit the AAC website, www.aac-audio.com, or send email to aacla@dolby.com.

About AT&T

AT&T Corp (www.att.com) is among the world's premier voice, video and data communications companies, serving more than 80 million customers, including consumers, businesses and government. With annual revenues of more than $62 billion and 148,000 employees, AT&T provides services to customers worldwide. The company runs the world's largest, most sophisticated communications network and has one of the largest digital wireless networks in North America. Its services are backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, which is working to create the information services and communications network of tomorrow. AT&T Labs is a leader in the development of technologies and standards for audio (www.research.att.com/history/soundinnovation.html), speech, video and image compression; electronic commerce and digital copyright management; search and directory services; speech processing and coding of all sorts; network architecture, design, engineering and operations; and other areas critical to the advancement of new broadband communications and Internet offerings.

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories (www.dolby.com) is the developer of signal-processing systems used worldwide in applications that include motion picture sound, consumer entertainment products and media, broadcasting, and music recording. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo.

About Fraunhofer IIS

Fraunhofer IIS (www.iis.fhg.de/amm) is the leading research laboratory in the area of audio coding. For more than ten years, Fraunhofer IIS has actively driven forward international standardization of several audio compression algorithms, including MPEG Layer 3 and AAC. Besides devising advanced algorithms, Fraunhofer IIS engineers focus on the effective implementation of state-of-the-art audio and video coding schemes on PCs and digital signal processors (DSPs). Fraunhofer IIS is active in international efforts focussing on methods for intellectual property management and protection, including MPEG-4 and SDMI.

About MusicMatch, Inc.

MusicMatch, Inc. (www.musicmatch.com) is a music company focused on giving people the music they want, the way they want it. The company's award-winning MusicMatch Jukebox software is enjoyed by more than 11 million music fans worldwide who trust MusicMatch to deliver personal fulfillment through music.

About Sony

Sony Corporation (www.sony.com) is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications, and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its music, pictures, and computer entertainment operations make Sony one of the most comprehensive companies in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of over $56 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999.

• Note to Editors:
• (R) MusicMatch is a registered trademark of MusicMatch, Inc.
• (TM) MusicMatch Jukebox is a trademark of MusicMatch, Inc.
• Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

     Dolby Laboratories
     Jim Arnold, 415-645-5116
     jja@dolby.com
     or
     Shandwick International
     Kristin Thomson, 310-203-0550
     kthomson@shandwick.com
     or
     MusicMatch
     Gary Brotman, 858-485-4350
     garyb@musicmatch.com