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San
Diego, Calif., Jan. 6, 2000 -- MP3.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:
MPPP), a premier online music service provider (MSP), today
announced it has entered into a strategic relationship with
privately-held PortalPlayer, Inc., a provider of end-to-end
systems for playback and recording of digital media content
for consumer electronics manufacturers. In addition, MP3.com
plans to participate in PortalPlayer's upcoming Series B Preferred
Stock financing, which is expected to be finalized in the
first quarter of 2000, subject to customary closing conditions.
MP3.com
and PortalPlayer will provide consumer electronics manufacturers
with a compelling turn-key solution including a head-end server
application, PC application media management software, complete
firmware stack, a Super IntegrationTM chip, and a Service
Pack that comes bundled with access to MP3.com's vast database
of music and other value-added services. The strategic relationship
with PortalPlayer will facilitate the integration of MP3.com's
content and website with next generation Internet Protocol
(IP) enabled consumer electronics devices. By collaborating
to define these next-generation devices and their web interfaces
for products such as portable MP3 players and mini-component
systems, MP3.com and PortalPlayer will accelerate the introduction
of devices that will allow consumers to access their music
anytime, anywhere.
Commenting
on the partnership with PortalPlayer, Michael Robertson, chairman
and chief executive officer of MP3.com, said, "We are very
excited about our relationship with PortalPlayer which puts
us ring-side at the development of the next-generation devices
that our customers will use to access their music anytime,
anywhere. We have been looking for a partnership exactly like
this to further fuel our strategy as a music service provider
and propagate our content and related services on a broad
range of devices. Consumers should finally have options for
accessing their music from devices other than their computers
such as portable MP3 devices, home stereo systems, mini-component
systems and boomboxes."
John
Mallard, PortalPlayer's chief executive officer, said "Anything
you can do with your music today using your computer, you
will be able to do tomorrow with a device such as a portable
MP3 player containing our technology. This will provide users
with a new level of freedom and flexibility; they will be
able to listen to their music anytime, anywhere, on any device.
By integrating access to MP3.com's ever-expanding content
and services with the PortalPlayer solution, we can now bundle
device functionality never available before with services
that continue to add value to the consumer. PortalPlayer is
working to provide an end-to-end solution for device manufacturers
wanting to provide products with next-generation media access
and management technology."
About
MP3.com
MP3.com
is pioneering a revolutionary approach to the promotion, distribution,
use and interaction of music. The Company's website has grown
into a premier music service provider (MSP). The Company uses
the Internet and file formats that make music files smaller
to enable a growing number of artists to distribute and promote
their music to a broad audience and to let consumers conveniently
access this expanding music catalog. The Company's website
contains more than 250,000 songs from over 40,000 artists,
representing the largest collection of digital music available
on the Internet. Consumers can search, preview and download
music free of charge. See MP3.com on the web at http://www.mp3.com.
MP3.com is located in San Diego and is listed on NASDAQ Exchange
under the stock symbol MPPP.
About
PortalPlayer, Inc.
PortalPlayer,
Inc. is the leading provider of end-to-end solutions designed
to help consumer electronics manufacturers provide next generation
access and management of music and other media content on
their devices. Products include destination website applications,
PC media management software, firmware, and semiconductors.
The Company's products support Internet-based delivery of
multimedia content including music and other audio content,
print and ultimately video materials to a variety of playback
devices including portable MP3 players, home and automotive
entertainment systems, and cellular phones. Founded in June
1999, PortalPlayer is headquartered in Santa Clara, California
with branch offices in Seattle, Washington and Hyderabad,
India. Visit PortalPlayer, Inc.'s Web site at http://www.portalplayer.com.
Statements
in this press release that are not strictly historical are
"forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include references
to the anticipated benefits of the strategic relationship
with and expected investment in PortalPlayer, Inc. These statements
involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty, are predictions
only and actual events or results may differ materially from
those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause or contribute to differences include the
risk that the conditions to closing of the investment will
not be satisfied and the Series B Preferred Stock financing
will not be consummated, risks related to the implementation
of the strategic relationship with PortalPlayer, Inc., the
Company's new and uncertain business model, risks associated
with competing for and executing business partnerships or
other strategic transactions, uncertainty regarding acceptance
of MP3.com's products and services, MP3.com's limited operating
history and risks associated with MP3.com's rapid growth.
These factors and others are more fully described under "Risk
Factors" in the Final Prospectus included in MP3.com's Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-78545) as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
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of their respective holders.
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