Loudeye Corp. (LOUD)

[excel]

Loudeye Introduces the Loudeye Media Framework(TM)
7/16/2003 7:05:00 AM









SEATTLE, Jul 16, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Loudeye Corp. (LOUD) , a leading provider of services for the management, promotion and distribution of digital media, today introduced the Loudeye Media Framework(TM), its next generation of services and solutions for companies to rapidly develop online music and video businesses with minimal time, resources and up front cash investment. Built upon Loudeye's 5+ years of digital media experience and $60 million infrastructure and technology investment, the framework offers a comprehensive, scalable and cost effective platform to integrate customers' in-house solutions with Loudeye applications and services. The Loudeye Media Framework is the single source for developing and integrating digital music purchases, music subscriptions, customized audio and video players, music and video channels, and music samples including meta data and cover art. Utilizing Microsoft Windows Media 9 Series and Digital Rights Management technology, the Loudeye Media Framework is able to deliver the highest-quality audio and video for its customers.







Customers using components of the Loudeye Media Framework include Amazon, AOL, Apple iTunes, Barnes and Noble, BMG, Borders, Buena Vista, Buy.com, Coca Cola, Columbia House, DMI, EMI, MSN and Windows Media, MUSICMATCH, MusicNet, PressPlay, Yahoo! and several domestic and international wireless content providers.

"This is a pivotal point in the development of the online music market," said Susan Kevorkian, senior analyst with IDC. "Building viable businesses will require music service providers to actively manage costs, reduce time to market, and offer compelling selections of music to attract and retain paying online music consumers. Partnerships with infrastructure providers like Loudeye can help music service providers to efficiently meet those demands."

Loudeye's Media Framework is a fully integrated solution based upon a modular architecture to address the full range of challenges customers have in managing and distributing digital media. Specifically, Loudeye's Media Framework enables customers to expand and exploit digital audio and video channels, leverage differentiated services and existing investments, eliminate the need to manage a myriad of label and studio relationships, reduce time to market and generate a higher ROI on their digital media initiatives.

"Loudeye's Media Framework provides a complete outsourced media framework for music retailers allowing them to focus on the marketing and promotion of their media assets," said Dave Fester, general manager, Windows Digital Media Division, Microsoft Corp. "Loudeye's choice of Windows Media 9 Series enables cost-effective delivery of high-quality audio and video for its customers and proven DRM to support a wide range of business models."

Loudeye's Media Framework provides the following features:
-- Purchase or subscription based digital music downloads
-- Branded players to provide both live and on-demand audio and video
content to end users
-- Digital rights management using Windows Media DRM
-- Usage reporting and analytics
-- Digital music license clearance and royalties
-- Streaming music samples and cover art
-- Music meta data
-- A la carte or subscription based ringtone downloads


A major new component to the framework is Loudeye's analytics and reporting capabilities that enable customers to garner valuable user behavior and usage information that has previously been unable to track. For example, these capabilities allow online retailers to determine whether a customer who listened to a song sample, purchased the CD being previewed. Additionally, Loudeye is offering full reporting compliance through rights clearance and royalty calculation for customers.

"These products and services are built on a common media framework offering compatibility and integration across all our offerings," said Mike Harburg, Loudeye's chief technology officer. "This framework enables customers to quickly and cost effectively add media driven marketing or digital distribution to their existing businesses while preserving and enhancing their brand and customer relationships. By outsourcing critical digital media projects, customers can free resources for focusing on components core to their individual businesses."

Loudeye's Media Framework includes professional volume matching services from Octiv, Inc., the audio processing innovator. Because music files are originally produced at varying recording levels, "Octivation" enables Loudeye customers to seamlessly combine their music selections and offer professionally mastered play lists with automatically matched volume levels, an important aspect to any broadcast or media distribution business that mixes various artists or audio content.

"Volume matching is a valuable function for online media business and a critical capability for Loudeye to offer customers through its Media Framework," said Jack Peterson, vice president of product management at Octiv. "An Octivated music library delivers a consistent song-to-song listening experience whether creating a compilation CD, building a radio programming format or downloading digital music."

Customized Solutions

The framework is comprised of three layers to provide a complete media management and distribution solution or individual components as needed by customers. The top layer is Loudeye's turn key solution, a one-of-kind outsourced offering that provides all of the functions required to create, manage and launch a digital music or video business.

Loudeye Media Toolkit

The framework's middle layer is provided to the customer through the Loudeye Media Toolkit, which includes local and remote APIs and tools for media application integration and development including interfaces for media management, meta data, samples and digital downloads. The Loudeye Media Toolkit is designed to allow quick and easy interfacing with existing technical and product platforms through industry standard interfaces. This integration allows customers to launch new services and applications in a matter of weeks.

Loudeye Services

The framework is based on the core services that Loudeye has been providing to the digital media marketplace for years, including streaming, downloading, audit tracking and reporting, music samples, metadata, full song downloads, rights management, movie trailers and store and forward offerings.

"We've spent five years and invested $60 million in infrastructure and systems to create the most advanced and reliable digital media offerings in the industry," said Jeff Cavins, Loudeye's president and chief executive officer. "The framework introduced today was designed directly from customer feedback on the major challenges facing their digital music and video businesses."

Pricing and Availability

All of Loudeye's new products and services under the Loudeye Media Framework are available immediately. Pricing is determined by individual customer feature sets and deployments.

About Loudeye Corp.

Loudeye provides the business infrastructure and services for managing, promoting and distributing digital media for the entertainment and corporate markets. For more information, visit www.loudeye.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about the growth of Loudeye's business including, the timing of full deployment of the Loudeye Media Framework; anticipated adoption and implementation of the Loudeye Media Framework and its associated applications and services; expected benefits of the Loudeye Media Framework, including return on investment, ability to integrate with customers' in-house solutions, increased time to market, driving of retail sales, and decreased customer acquisition costs; and the statements made by Loudeye's president and CEO, Loudeye's CTO and statements made by third parties. These statements are based on Loudeye's opinion of current trends and actual results may differ materially due to risks, including adverse changes or a slow down in the adoption of digital media and outsourced services in the markets Loudeye serves; the loss of any key customers; the failure to continue to maintain or develop new copyright licenses to deliver current and future services; the failure or loss of service of Loudeye's technological infrastructure; the complexity of Loudeye's services and delivery networks; and other risks set forth in Loudeye's most recent Form 10-Q, Form 10-K and other SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Loudeye assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Loudeye Corp.

Andrew Cullen of Barokas Public Relations, [phone], or
[e-mail], for Loudeye Corp.; or investors, Michael Dougherty of
Loudeye Corp., [phone], or [e-mail]


http://www.loudeye.com