New York, NY – November 11, 2009 – Sony Music Entertainment today announced plans to optimize the Web destinations of its artists for viewing on mobile phones. Sony Music, which was recently ranked by comScore Media Metrix as one of the Web’s top 10 entertainment music destinations, will partner with Azuki Systems, Inc., an innovator powering a new generation of mobile media, to create mobile versions of its artist websites, offering video, photos, news, and more for the music fan on the go.

A mobile version of Michael Jackson’s official website will be the first site to launch under the initiative, marking the first fully mobile-optimized website for a Sony Music artist.

Beginning today at m.michaeljackson.com, the Michael Jackson mobile website will feature Michael Jackson news, photos and streaming access to classic videos such as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and the unforgettable “Thriller.”

The site will allow mobile music fans to experience like never before Michael Jackson’s celebrated artistry, which has left an indelible mark on music history, and the music that will continue to inspire and influence pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop for generations to come.

“The genius and influence of Michael Jackson’s music and artistry is unparalleled,” said Adam Block, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Legacy Recordings. “We are pleased to be working with Azuki Systems to create a high quality, rich media experience for MichaelJackson.com that will allow fans to enjoy Michael’s art and vision via the site on mobile phones in much the same way they do today on their PCs.”

Sony Music will roll out mobile versions of other artists’ websites in the coming months.

Powering Mobile Media

Sony Music’s mobile sites are being developed in Azuki’s rapid web production environment and powered by the award-winning Azuki Wireless Platform™ (AWP). The AWP works in conjunction with Akamai, the world’s leading content delivery platform, to offer unparalleled scale, reliability and cost efficiencies.

Sony Music artist sites will serve up the highest quality mobile video along with dynamically updated photos, news and other content.

“We look forward to working with Sony Music to demonstrate what is possible for rich mobile media,” said Jim Ricotta, CEO of Azuki Systems. “We are prepared to support an unprecedented number of mobile site visitors and are excited to be able to showcase our ability to optimize the experience for each of them.”

Availability

The Michael Jackson mobile website is available at m.michaeljackson.com for Android, BlackBerry Storm, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Palm Pre users. Azuki and Sony will roll out full support for mobile browser handsets by the end of the year.

About Azuki Systems

Azuki offers an award winning software platform for media companies to deliver a new generation of mobile websites and applications. Azuki powers high quality video, rich community features, and compelling true-to-brand consumer experiences. With Azuki, content providers scale on proven infrastructure and extend desktop services seamlessly across the mobile web. Based in Acton, Mass., Azuki is led by an executive team that has built some of the communications industry’s most successful companies. For additional information, please visit www.azukisystems.com, follow Azuki on Twitter at www.twitter.com/azuki_systems or call 1-978-844-5100.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

As part of the agreement, SendMe will offer users a comprehensive selection of Sony Music ringtones, videos and wallpaper images of artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Franz Ferdinand, T-Pain, Wyclef Jean and more.

In addition, SendMe will deliver additional ringtones, images and video content from Sony Music’s extensive catalog never available before to mobile users.

“With Sony Music, we’re giving mobile phone users access to the most in-demand mobile entertainment, including content from some of the hottest labels such as Epic, Columbia, Jive, RCA and more,” said Russell Klein, Co-founder and CEO of SendMe. “Along with more offerings for our subscribers, this partnership reinforces the value of SendMe’s portfolio approach for content providers.”

Subscribers can download media directly onto their mobile devices at SendMeMobile.com or through one of SendMe’s distribution channels, such as imeem, Eventful and Univision. In addition, SendMe and Sony Music will unveil special co-branded sweepstakes to promote Sony Music’s hottest artists. For example, the recently introduced “Viva Las Vegas with Mario” offers fans the chance at an exclusive weekend in Las Vegas with the Grammy-nominated artist. Mario fans entered to win on SoLow.com, SendMe’s mobile game and contest platform where the player with the lowest unique guess wins unique prizes and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

“SendMe is connecting artists and fans in exciting and innovative ways by offering a full suite of mobile entertainment services,” commented Michael Paull, Executive Vice President, Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment. “We are pleased to make our unparalleled roster of music available to SendMe subscribers as more and more consumers continue to look to their mobile phones for engaging entertainment.”

With this partnership, SendMe now offers content from all four major U.S. music labels and claims the most robust mobile entertainment library on the market, also featuring content from dozens of emerging labels, top game publishers, movie studios and other leading content providers.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information, visit www.sonymusic.com.

About SendMe

SendMe, Inc. turns any mobile phone into a portable playground. As the premier mobile media company, SendMe’s family of destination sites lets you take the fun from the Web to your mobile phone with the broadest and best content, entertainment and community out there. SendMe’s three properties – SendMeMobile.com, SoLow.com and mbuzzy.com – deliver content from today’s pop culture sensations, niche independent creations, stuff from our own community, and one-of-a-kind mobile games that will keep you coming back for more. Included in our premium content at SendMeMobile.com are wallpapers, one-of-a-kind mobile games, and the hottest, latest mobile ringtones. Whether you’re searching for a TV show ringtone or a comedy ringtone, SendMe brings it all to you – how you want it, when you want it. So when you’re looking for new ways to show your personal style, eager for some mobile gaming excitement, or trying to stay connected to the people and things you love the most, turn to SendMe. Founded in 2006 by three veteran online and mobile entrepreneurs, SendMe is funded by Amicus Capital, GrandBanks Capital, Spark Capital, Triangle Peak Partners, and True Ventures. For more information, visit www.SendMeMobile.com.

With this transaction, VEVO is now formed as an independent and fully funded entity with Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC) as founding shareholders. Funding from the shareholders will enable VEVO to come to market with an attractive premium music offering for consumers and advertisers alike.

Launching in the United States and Canada later this year with a further international roadmap to be announced, VEVO will be a premium destination and syndication network for the very best in top-notch music video content that will leverage the massive existing traffic of YouTube.

“This global partnership flags Abu Dhabi Media Company’s commitment to establish a leading position in the digital media industry. It is part of an integrated approach to expanding the global digital presence and brand portfolio of Abu Dhabi Media Company, and it illustrates our partnering approach with innovators in digital media services and technologies”, stated H.E. Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazroui, Chairman of ADMC, on joining UMG and SME to create VEVO.

“It’s a credit to the music community, and to the global opportunity that VEVO represents, that we have been able to attract such a solid investment partner with the vision and track record of Abu Dhabi Media Company,” commented Rio Caraeff, President & Chief Executive Officer of VEVO. “Abu Dhabi Media Company brings to the venture important funding support and a team with enormous global media experience and insight, and we look forward to working with them to seize the many opportunities ahead of us.”

“Consumer demand for music video entertainment is growing significantly today and is transforming the digital entertainment market and the music industry by fuelling new media business models. VEVO fits our vision and goals perfectly, as we are expanding our capabilities and continue to build the market for digital entertainment around the world.  VEVO will redefine the way premium music video entertainment is consumed, created and shared in a global community of music audiences,” said Edward Borgerding, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Media Company

“We’re now entering a new exciting phase in the digital media industry in the region and we’re determined to be at the forefront of it”, added Ricky Ghai, ADMC’s Executive Director, Digital Group. “With VEVO there’s real opportunity for incredible growth, as both brand advertisers and consumers are looking for new premium video experiences online.”

About VEVO

Launching later this year, VEVO is the innovative online premium music video and entertainment destination for consumers, advertisers and content owners that blends the very best in top-notch music content with YouTube’s leading edge video technology and user community. The content will be made available on YouTube through a newly created VEVO channel, on VEVO.com, the service’s marquee destination site, and through a special VEVO branded embedded player. The service will also serve as a syndication platform for additional internet destination sites, expanding the reach of the VEVO brand across the worldwide web. VEVO is a partnership between Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media Company.

About Abu Dhabi Media Company

Abu Dhabi Media Company is one of the fastest growing, multi-platform media organizations in the region created in 2007 as a public joint stock company from the assets of Emirates Media Incorporated. Abu Dhabi Media Company owns and operates a range of television channels (Abu Dhabi Al Oula, Abu Dhabi Al Emarat, Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya, Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya 2, Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya 3 Abu Dhabi +1 and National Geographic Abu Dhabi) and a network of radio stations (Abu Dhabi FM, Emarat FM, Star FM, Holy Quran FM), as well as number of publications (Al Ittihad newspaper, The National Newspaper, Zahrat Al Khaleej magazine, Super magazine and Majid magazine) and a number of other media related businesses including Imagenation Abu Dhabi that will develop, finance and produce full length feature films and digital content for Arabic and international markets; LIVE which owns a fleet of outdoor HD broadcast vans; a state of the art printing press, United Printing Press, and a joint venture with Gazillion Entertainment to form the region’s first Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) Studio. Abu Dhabi Media Company employs 2098 people across its operating units which include publishing, television, radio, digital media, distribution, and printing.  The company is headquartered in Abu Dhabi with offices in Cairo, Dubai and Washington D.C.

The story behind MusiCure is extraordinary because this specially designed original music – created for physical relaxation and mental inspiration – is backed by International research and scientific documentation by independent health care professionals in Scandinavia and USA.

Direct feedback from thousands of hospitalized patients and clinical experience from numerous research projects constitute the foundation on which the composer Niels Eje has created the MusiCure music, and 5 years of research and development preceded the first release in this CD series.

Today MusiCure is used in many contexts, by thousands of private individuals and health care research all over the world and many scientific articles about the effect of this music have been published in International medical journals.

So far the MusiCure CD series has only been available at pharmacies in Denmark and Norway, but through the collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment the music will now be made available to the public in many countries.

The ninth CD in the series entitled “SCANDINAVIA” is soon to be released, and besides being the composer’s personal tribute to his natural heritage, the music on this album is also designed for relaxation and inspiration across global cultural and musical boundaries.

Sony Music Entertainment:

“Being involved with Gefion Records on a project like MusiCure is very exciting for us at Sony Music Entertainment. It’s an extremely unique collection of music, which not only sounds great but has a wealth of background research and results to support it to prove that MusiCure really does work. Working with Gefion Records allows us to move into new and challenging areas of business and provides great opportunities for all involved. We are very proud to support MusiCure and to present it throughout the world in partnership with Gefion Records.” Tessa Bird, Product Manager, Sony Music Entertainment (Europe) Ltd.

“Niels Eje quote: “I am extremely happy about the new cooperation with Sony Music, and that my music now being released in many countries throughout the world for the first time”.

For more information about MusiCure please contact:

Your browser may not support display of this image.

Gefion Records ApS

MD Inge Mulvad

Tel: +45 45854948
Fax: +45 45854933

contact@musicure.com
MusiCure: www.musicure.com
Research: www.musicahumana.org

As an additional benefit, Sony Music will offer ThankYou Members special artist promotions on an on-going basis, including early access to select new album releases. Beginning October 6, members will be able to download Bob Dylan’s first-ever Christmas album during a special one week period in advance of the October 13 release date. Members can get the entire 15 track album for 1,000 ThankYou Points. All of Bob Dylan’s U.S. royalties from sales of “Christmas In The Heart” will be donated to Feeding America (http://feedingamerica.org).

“Aligning with industry pioneer, Sony Music Entertainment, reinforces our commitment to providing our members with unique and rewarding experiences,” said Nancy Gordon, executive vice president, Citi’s ThankYou Network. “This relationship gives our members virtually instant access to one of the most important music collections in history, in addition to promotional offers involving some of the most exciting artists in the recording industry. And it’s a great opportunity for members to use very few points to get a reward that has such a broad and passionate appeal among consumers. ”

Through Citi’s ThankYou Network’s newly expanded rewards collection, members can download music from Sony Music Entertainment for 100 points per song from a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both emerging musicians and global superstars. Members will be able to access and preview the entire Sony Music digital catalog of songs from artists such as Brad Paisley, Britney Spears, Daughtry, The Fray, and many more.

“Sony Music is pleased to be establishing a relationship with Citi to offer our music to the more than 13 million members of ThankYou Network.  As one of the leaders in the financial services industry, Citi’s ThankYou Network is an excellent fit for Sony Music as we continue to expand the reach of our artists and their music through new and innovative partners and channels, including rewards programs,” commented JJ Rosen, EVP Sony Music Entertainment Commercial Music Group. ”We look forward to collaborating with Citi on a variety of unique music offers specially designed for their ThankYou Members.”

Since its inception in 2004, Citi’s ThankYou Network has been a pioneer in rewards programs, allowing members to pool points from multiple activities so they can earn and redeem points faster. Citi ThankYou Members can earn points from activities across a range of Citi businesses, such as having an eligible checking account and conducting every day banking activities with Citibank, by using participating Citi credit cards or Morgan Stanley Smith Barney FMA Cards.  ThankYou Members can also get points by booking eligible travel at Expedia®, or by shopping through the ThankYou Bonus Center, an online shopping mall featuring more than 300 top retailers.

ThankYou Network lives up to its promise of rewarding members in big and exciting ways by offering millions of rewards to choose from including online travel reservations powered by Expedia, a huge selection of merchandise with expedited shipping options, gift cards, and cash.  Members may also use ThankYou Points to make student loan and mortgage payments or create customized rewards with “Your Wish Fulfilled.”

About Citi

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information, visit www.sonymusic.com.

“This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows – that Michael is one of God’s greatest gifts, “ comments John McClain, co-producer of the album.

Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael’s biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released “This Is It.” This song is featured in the film’s closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael’s brothers, the Jacksons.

Disc two offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist’s classic tracks. This disc also features a touching spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled “Planet Earth” that has never been heard before.

The two-disc This is It is a stand-alone companion to the motion picture and includes a 36-page, commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal.

The motion picture MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London’s O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a chance to discover the man they never knew through this privileged and private look at Jackson. In raw and candid detail, MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show.

Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson’s creative partner and the director of the stage show is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing.

Tickets for the limited two-week engagement of the film go on sale beginning September 27.  For more information about the motion picture, please visit the website www.thisisit-movie.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 22  AmieStreet.com, the up-and-coming music retailer and discovery service, today announced an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment to sell music from the major label’s vast catalog of legendary artists.

The deal covers both current hits and classic recordings from Sony Music. Under the agreement, tracks will be priced at set levels of $.69, $.99 and $1.29 per song.

Sony Music becomes the first major label to offer its content through AmieStreet.com, which was founded just three years ago in the dorm rooms of Brown University.

In adding one of the world’s most important music catalogs, the deal marks a significant next step in Amie Street’s mission to offer its users the richest and most diverse music experience possible, and to create a service that appeals to a broad base of mainstream music fans.

“Amie Street has proven to be an innovative platform for engaging music fans and introducing them to both emerging and established artists,” said Michael Paull, Executive Vice President, Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment. “We look forward to our music being available to Amie Street’s growing community.”

For today’s release, Amie Street has created a special section on it’s website (http://amiestreet.com/blog/sony) highlighting just a small sample of the great artists, both old and new, that are now available, including dozens of classic albums that have been discounted to $4.99.

“The partnership with Sony Music is a huge development for Amie Street,” said Peter Asbill, Co-Founder of AmieStreet.com. “We want to be the best place to discover new music for all types of customers, from indie to mainstream, and adding the unparalleled Sony Music catalog is a critical step towards fulfilling that promise.”

About Sony Music Entertainment(R)

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About AmieStreet.com(R)

AmieStreet.com is a place to discover, download and share music of every genre, from all over the world. It is the first store where the customers collectively determine the price of music. On AmieStreet.com, most songs start free and increase in price up to 98 cents, based on their popularity among members. Members are also rewarded with credit for more downloads when they recommend songs–the more a song increases in price after it’s been recommended the more credit the they receive. Amie Street is one of the easiest ways to discover new music online, and with over 1.5 million songs on the site, from the most recognizable musicians to the most promising unsigned acts, there is plenty of music to choose from. AmieStreet.com was founded in 2006, by three then Brown University seniors, and is now headquartered in New York City.

Seattle, WA. -  August 13, 2009 – iLike, a leading social music discovery service, today announced the availability of the iLike Challenge App on the App Store. The iLike Challenge App for iPhone and iPod touch tests how quickly music fans can listen to, and correctly identify, songs from a host of Sony Music superstars including Britney Spears, Sean Kingston and Kenny Chesney. The app is also a valuable discovery tool because it allows users to visit the iTunes Store to purchase the songs they listen to as they compete in the challenge.

“We are delighted to be working with iLike to help its enthusiastic community enjoy Sony Music’s artists in an innovative new way on the iPhone and iPod touch,” commented Michael Paull, Executive Vice President, Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment. “With our unparalleled catalog, the iLike Challenge App will offer fans a fun and engaging way to test their knowledge of their favorite songs past and present.”

“The iLike Challenge App makes music discovery on the iPhone and the iPod touch a lot of fun,” said Ali Partovi, CEO of iLike. “This app is addictive. We challenge anyone with an iPhone or iPod touch to test their knowledge of their favorite artists.”

The iLike Challenge App offers a unique two-player mode, which enables two users to compete against one another on the same iPhone or iPod touch and will exclusively feature questions about Sony Music’s popular artists, from current chart toppers to legendary icons, across multiple genres of music including rock, pop, alternative, country, hip-hip, R&B, and more.

Sony Music artists featured in the iLike Challenge App include:

Brad Paisley

Britney Spears

Santana

Duran Duran

Elvis Presley

John Mayer

Johnny Cash

Kenny Chesney

Korn

OutKast

Sean Kingston

Shakira

The Clash

The Fray

The Fugees

Will Smith

The iLike Challenge App is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

About iLike, inc

iLike is the Web’s leading social music discovery service and the dominant music application on iGoogle, Facebook® and other leading platforms. With more than 50 million registered users, iLike helps people share music recommendations, playlists, and personalized concert alerts. iLike offers musicians and labels a convenient Artist Dashboard from which to reach fans, manage their presence across multiple channels, and cultivate the viral spread of their music. iLike, inc also runs indie music site GarageBand.com.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

CULVER CITY, Calif., August 10, 2009 – Beginning October 30th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson’s final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

This Is It is being produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state of the art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson’s closest friends and creative collaborators.

The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of the studio, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. The companies serve as the principal entertainment divisions of Sony Corporation.

Joining Sony in the announcement was The Estate of Michael Jackson, administered by his longtime attorney John Branca and veteran music executive John McClain, a Jackson family friend for more than 40 years. Proceeds the Estate earns from the film’s release will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Mr. Jackson specified in his will is to receive all of his assets.

The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.

The majority of the film’s footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for “This Is It,” the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.

This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson’s meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.

Said Branca, “Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael’s legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it’s only fitting that the relationship continues.”

Said McClain, “This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael’s musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.”

“People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson’s performance,” said Lynton. “This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with the Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage.”

“Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art,” said Rob Stringer. “He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect.”

Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson’s creative partner on the This Is It concert, “The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry’s most creative minds. This Is It was Michael’s last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.”

In the coming weeks, additional information about the film will be available at www.michaeljackson.com.

Peter Schlessel, President of Worldwide Affairs, negotiated for the footage on behalf of Sony Pictures. Branca represented The Estate of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture.

Five of Jackson’s solo albums – “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” “Bad,” “Dangerous” and “HIStory,” all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label – are among the top-sellers of all time and “Thriller” holds the distinction as the largest selling album worldwide in the history of the recording industry with more than 70 million units sold. Additionally, singles released from the Thriller album sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, another all time record.

During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and “Thriller” as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award.

Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and the epic “Thriller.” Jackson’s sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at www.sonypictures.com.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information, visit www.sonymusic.com

Addictive Rhythm Game For iPhone and iPod Touch Features Songs From Superstars

LOS ANGELES, July 8 — EpicTilt today announced the launch of TapStar™ on the Apple App Store. TapStar is a rhythm game for the iPhone and iPod Touch that features music from an exclusive label-wide partnership with Sony Music Entertainment. The game includes songs from many of Sony Music’s superstar artists, such as Britney Spears, Cheap Trick, Cyndi Lauper, John Mayer, Los Lonely Boys, Sarah McLachlan, Three Days Grace, and P!nk. Users can play levels from their favorite artists and show off their TapStar skills to their friends as well as compete for high scores.

“TapStar represents the fruit of our labor to understand exactly what an iPhone or iPod Touch user wants in a music game,” said Jonathan Zweig, CEO of EpicTilt. “We’ve had a number of successful apps on the App Store thus far, with well over ten million downloads on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and we believe that casual gamers and music lovers will enjoy TapStar and make it an iconic app.”

TapStar will give users the ability to sample and play along with a variety of Sony Music’s recordings, and then, from the game, link to the iTunes Store to purchase Sony Music tracks.

With its unique landscape view layout, TapStar offers gamers a natural controller feel and uses the innovative Multi-Touch user interface to easily navigate the four touchpoints in the corners of the screen. By increasing the player’s agility with all four corners, TapStar’s functionality facilitates additional complexity to rhythmic patterns and combos. Meanwhile, TapStar’s powerful gaming engine, combined with its high resolution and smooth graphics, offers gamers an accurate playback experience that never loses a beat.

TapStar is available for download from Apple’s App Store on the iPhone and iPod Touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

More information can be found at: http://epictilt.com, http://tapstar.com or http://jirbo.com.

About Jirbo/EpicTilt

Jirbo Inc. is a worldwide leader in entertainment and educational applications on the App Store. The company has two brands: Jirbo and EpicTilt, whose 51+ games cover a very broad demographic. Under Jirbo is a network of critically acclaimed and highly ranked simple casual games as well as educational offerings with Kaplan. EpicTilt, the company’s pop-culture brand, has established partnerships with companies such as ESPN and Scion. Jirbo’s “Paper Football” achieved the #1 Most Popular Entertainment Application on the entire iTunes App Store. In total Jirbo has had 24 Top 100 Apps, 8 Top 10 Apps, the #1 Paid Game in Brazil, and the #3 Paid Game in China.  Jirbo World Headquarters is located in Los Angeles.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information, visit www.sonymusic.com.

Partnership to Leverage Combined Global Online Retail Distribution Network And Complementary Technologies

New York, New York — July 1, 2009 — Sony Music Entertainment (SME) today announced that it has entered into a global partnership with IODA to create a new leading distribution and services network for independent rights holders. As part of the partnership, Sony Music has made a strategic investment in IODA, a leader in digital distribution, marketing, and technology solutions for the independent music industry. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This agreement underscores Sony Music’s commitment to expanding its service capabilities to the independent label community. With its independent distribution subsidiary RED, Sony Music currently provides award winning sales and marketing services to independent labels and artists. IODA now brings its proven digital distribution platform for the independent sector into the Sony Music network. With distinct areas of expertise and market focus, RED and IODA will build on their complementary technologies and increase the scope of sales and promotional opportunities that each currently offers its existing and growing customer base worldwide. Both companies will also leverage the global marketing and financial strength of Sony Music to continue expanding their businesses and providing best in class service.

“Sony Music is committed to offering independent labels and distributors the most compelling package of distribution services in the industry,” said Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “IODA has proven it has the expertise and ability to lead the independent market with groundbreaking digital solutions. We look forward to collaborating with Kevin and his team on this strategic partnership to develop new and innovative ways to help our respective clients grow their businesses.”

In just six years, IODA has emerged as a leader in digital distribution for the independent music and video community. With a catalog of almost two million tracks from thousands of labels from over 50 countries, IODA represents a diverse catalog of music spanning all styles, including rock, electronic, hip-hop, metal, punk, indie, world, latin, jazz and classical. IODA’s robust systems for managing the technical complexities of digital distribution and marketing continue to set the standard for the way independent rights holders do business in the digital age.

“Sony really impressed us with their respect for, and understanding of the needs of the independent community,” said Kevin Arnold, Founder and CEO of IODA. “We remain, as we always have, fully dedicated to helping independent content owners succeed in the digital world. This alliance will greatly enhance IODA’s ability to continue delivering effective solutions for Independents.”

About IODA

IODA, the Independent Online Distribution Alliance, is the industry-leading digital distribution company for the global independent music community. IODA provides comprehensive services to record labels, physical distributors, and artists, including license negotiations; media encoding and metadata management; and royalty payment administration and reporting. The company also offers promotional support through a dedicated marketing division and through IODA Promonet (www.iodapromonet.com). A promotional distribution network, IODA Promonet provides qualified podcasts, blogs, and other music sites with access to pre-cleared, legal music and other promotional assets from IODA’s labels. Founded in 2003, IODA represents a rapidly expanding roster of nearly two million tracks that is licensed to more than 400 digital storefronts worldwide. IODA also distributes independent film and video content for over 2000 titles. IODA’s retail partner network includes all major digital music services like iTunes®, Amazon MP3 and MySpace Music and mobile carriers and outlets such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint and Nokia. The company’s website is www.iodalliance.com.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information, visit www.sonymusic.com

Commenting on his passing, Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation, said: “Michael Jackson was a brilliant troubadour for his generation, a genius whose music reflected the passion and creativity of an era. His artistry and magnetism changed the music landscape forever. We have been profoundly affected by his originality, creativity and amazing body of work. The entire Sony family extends our deepest condolences to his family and to the millions of fans around the world who loved him.”

Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, CEO, Sony Music Entertainment, said: “Michael Jackson’s unsurpassed artistry and beloved music brought joy to every corner of the world. We join today with his millions of fans in expressing our profound sadness and we offer our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. It was a true privilege for all of us in the Sony Music family to work with one of the most talented superstars in the history of music. We will miss him greatly.”

Martin Bandier, Chairman & CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, said: “Michael was the kind of amazing talent that comes along once in a lifetime. He was an incredible recording artist, an insightful businessman, an unmatched performer, and a true icon. To all of us at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, he was also a trusted and passionate partner, who was very proud of our accomplishments. He will be dearly missed.  We wish his children and entire family our deepest condolences.”

Five of Jackson’s solo albums – “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” “Bad,” “Dangerous” and “HIStory,” all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label – are among the top-sellers of all time. During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and “Thriller” as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time.  Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award.

Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and the epic “Thriller.” Jackson’s sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists.

New York, Florence – June 25, 2009 – Sony Music Entertainment and Dada, a leading international provider of web and mobile community and entertainment services, today announced that they have entered into a new strategic agreement which further strengthens their partnership.

Sony Music is acquiring an equity interest in Dada.net S.p.A., the mobile music operation of Dada S.p.A. in exchange for its stake in Dada Entertainment LLC, the US-based mobile entertainment joint venture between the two companies.

In addition Sony Music and Dada have entered into a broadened international content distribution agreement that enables Dada to offer a wider selection of products and services featuring content from Sony Music artists in a greater number of territories around the world.

“We are pleased to be expanding our relationship with Dada to continue to build the market for mobile and web entertainment in the U.S. and around the world,” commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “Our new content distribution agreement will give more consumers greater flexibility in how they consume music, and enable the development of innovative new products, and off-deck and on-deck mobile services featuring the highest quality content from Sony Music artists.”

“Two years from the launch of the Joint Venture with Sony Music, with whom we have successfully collaborated in the development of an innovative digital entertainment offer in the United States and Canada, we have decided to further consolidate our strategic partnership,” commented Paolo Barberis, founder and Chairman of Dada. “The strengthening of relations with a major partner such as Sony Music once again demonstrates the potential of Dada Music: a musical ‘open platform’ increasingly central to a network which is implementing rapid changes and registers growing user number records.”

***

About Dada S.p.A.

Dada S.p.A.(dada.dada.net) is an international leader in Community and Entertainment services via web and mobile, as well as in Domain, Hosting and advanced online Advertising solutions.

The company is organized into 2 business areas: Dada.net (www.dada.it, services focused on digital music) and Dada.pro (www.dada.pro, professional services and online advertising solutions). Dada is listed on the MTA market of Borsa Italiana (DA.MI) in the STAR segment.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) Joins Universal Music Group (UMG) to Make Professionally-Created Content Available from Broad Array of Musical Artists

New York, New York, Thursday, June 4, 2009 – Sony Music Entertainment (SME) has joined Universal Music Group (UMG) to create VEVO, the new premium music video and entertainment service conceived by UMG and powered by YouTube. The announcement was made today by Doug Morris, Chairman & CEO of UMG, and Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of SME. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Music fans will be able to view professionally-created content from UMG’s and SME’s broad array of chart-topping artists through VEVO, the innovative online premium music video hub being built for consumers, advertisers and content owners that will blend the very best in top-notch music content with YouTube’s leading edge video technology and user community. The content will be made available on YouTube through a newly created VEVO channel, on VEVO.com, the service’s marquee destination site, and through a special VEVO branded embedded player. The service will also serve as a syndication platform for additional internet destination sites, expanding the reach of the VEVO brand across the worldwide web. In addition to the participation of SME and UMG, VEVO is exploring additional strategic participation by third-party investors to join this innovative entertainment platform as equity partners.

“We are delighted that SME has joined us in this exciting new service that will further transform premium music content into a legitimate commercial enterprise that benefits fans, artists and advertisers,” stated Mr. Morris. “VEVO will harness the power of the enormous traffic generated by YouTube and direct it to a dynamic destination created specifically for consumers and advertisers alike.”

“We are excited to be participating in VEVO with Universal Music Group. SME is committed to delivering the best possible music experiences to consumers and with VEVO, we share a common vision of offering music videos and other premium video content from some of the world’s greatest artists in an attractive, clean and intuitive environment that appeals to fans and advertisers alike. We look forward to working with VEVO to develop a first-class destination that will attract a massive online audience from day one, boast some of the most desirable demographics on the Web and develop new and innovative ways to monetize music video,” commented Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, CEO, SME.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world’s leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry’s leading global music publishing operation. Universal Music Group’s record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG’s catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal  Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.  Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Burgundy Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Music Masterworks, Sony Music U.S. Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

NEW YORK, June 1, 2009 – eMusic, the internet’s corner music store, and Sony Music Entertainment today announced that they have reached an agreement to sell songs from Sony Music’s back catalog on the eMusic website. Beginning in the third quarter, eMusic will offer its U.S. subscribers classic recordings from all Sony Music labels, such as Arista, Columbia, Epic, Jive, LaFace, Legacy Recordings and RCA, including artists such as Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Jeff Buckley, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and OutKast. The agreement covers music that is two years old or more. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

eMusic offers music fans a deeper, more immersive alternative to mass market digital music stores and will present Sony Music artists with the same award-winning editorial focus that it brings to its current catalog. The site, geared to adults over the age of 25, will contextualize albums and songs from Sony Music’s renowned artists, drawing meaningful connections between “major” and “indie” artists, and featuring in-depth discographies and collections built around genres and themes.

“We welcome the opportunity to expand the reach of Sony Music catalog artists online to include eMusic’s large and passionate subscriber base. We look forward to working with them to promote discovery and sales of all the great music available from Sony Music’s recent past and legendary history,” said Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy.

“We’re excited to bring Sony Music’s vast catalog of music to eMusic’s customers,” said Danny Stein, eMusic CEO and Chairman.   “First and foremost, eMusic is about a quality customer experience. We are eager to bring eMusic’s in-depth approach and curatorial excellence to these incredible recordings — as we’ve done for independent labels for the last 10 years.”

eMusic launched in 1998 and was one of the first digital music services to sell MP3 downloads and the first to launch a download-to-own subscription service for music in 2000. Its subscription pricing offers the ability to download 24 tracks for as little as $11.99 per month.

About eMusic

eMusic is the internet’s corner music store. It offers a deeper, more personal alternative to mass market digital music retailers by combining the best of ecommerce, community and editorial content to create a more immersive and authentic music experience. State-of-the-art recommendations, award-winning editorial and social media features provide the most musical context for an enthusiastic community of music fans, renowned experts, record labels, artists and employees. Customers are encouraged to explore music downloads with subscription pricing that rewards discovery at a better value than any legal competitor. eMusic also sells downloadable audio books from all major audio book publishers. Based in New York with an office in London, eMusic is available in the U.S., Canada and 26 E.U. nations. eMusic.com Inc. is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history.

Britney Spears, Ciara, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson And Michael Jackson Among First Official Artist Websites To Launch New Features

New York, NY – May 5, 2009 – Sony Music Entertainment (SME) today announced a new initiative to add robust on-demand audio streaming and song lyrics features across its network of artist websites.  Fans will now be able to listen to tracks from the catalog of many of their favorite artists, create multiple personalized playlists, and follow along with the words to songs.

Sony Music’s websites will encourage a deeper connection between the fan and artist by featuring on-demand audio players that will make it possible for fans to explore and discover both current hits and previous releases.  To add to the experience, the sites will also include lyrics licensed by Gracenote, which offers the world’s largest catalog of complete, accurate and licensed song lyrics. Sony Music’s agreement with Gracenote spans all of its label groups in the U.S. and Canada and establishes it as the first music major to broadly offer song lyrics on its artist websites. The roll out will begin in early summer.

The new lyrics service, which complements current features like music videos, artist photos, song recommendations, buy links and customizable playlists, further enhances Sony Music’s websites as go-to destinations for fans to connect with the artists they love. Sony Music’s web network already draws more than 18,000,000 visitors from around the world each month.

“We think fans are going to love the new Sony Music audio players and song lyrics feature,” commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales, Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “These compelling additions represent our ongoing commitment to creating the most interactive and authoritative official artist pages online.”

“Song lyrics are extremely important to music fans and are among the most searched topics on the Web, so they’re a natural fit for Sony Music’s fan-focused websites,” commented Craig Palmer, President, Gracenote. “Following the lyrics of your favorite song while you’re listening to it or while you’re watching the video is an exciting way to experience music.”

The introduction of the audio players builds on Sony Music Entertainment’s 2006 launch of the MyPlay-branded platform, which includes online video players that are deployed across Sony Music’s web network. There is also a comprehensive Sony Music MyPlay video portal at http://myplay.com/.

Official Kelly Clarkson Music Web Site

Official John Legend Music Web Site

Official Ciara Music Web Site

Official Britney Spears Music Web Site

Official Michael Jackson Music Web Site

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars.  The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history.

About Gracenote

Gracenote, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, is a global leader in embedded technology, enriched content, and data services for digital entertainment solutions within the Internet, consumer electronics, mobile, and automotive markets. Formerly known as CDDB®, Gracenote delivers a substantially improved consumer experience in digital media devices and applications, plus media monitoring and other data services to the recording industry, making it an integral part of the digital media economy. Gracenote powers leading services including Apple iTunes, Yahoo! Music Jukebox, Winamp; home and automotive products from Alpine, Panasonic, Philips and Sony; and mobile music applications from Samsung, Sony Ericsson, KDDI (Japan), KTF (Korea), Musiwave (Europe), and others. Gracenote is headquartered in Emeryville, California. www.gracenote.com/corporate.

Gracenote and CDDB are registered trademarks of Gracenote, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Under the terms of this multi-year agreement, Sony Music Entertainment will deliver physical and digital content from Razor & Tie’s extensive artist roster across all commercial channels and on a variety of digital platforms, including online and mobile.

“Razor & Tie has been a valued partner of ours for more than a decade now,” commented Mr. Hesse. “We couldn’t be more pleased to be extending and expanding our agreement with Razor & Tie as Sony Music continues to further build its distribution business with the best companies in the music industry.”

“Sony Music Entertainment has been an integral part of our success over the years,” commented Mr. Balsam. “The company offers an unparalleled portfolio of distribution services and the team has an unwavering commitment to customers. With their help, we have continued to grow our business and reach new customers.”

About Razor & Tie Entertainment

New York-based Razor & Tie Entertainment is one of the fastest growing independent entertainment companies in the United States and is the parent company of Kidz Bop, LLC.  Razor & Tie successfully sells audio and video products through traditional retail distribution, a wide variety of digital outlets, and direct response television advertising. Founded by co-owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam, Razor & Tie is a vertically-integrated company that includes a music company with major label distribution, a music publishing business, a media buying company, a home video company, a direct marketing operation and a growing database of entertainment consumers.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars, as well as a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

Vodafone announces today that it has signed deals with the world’s largest record companies Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music to offer their tracks and albums DRM free (without digital rights management) across Vodafone markets for both mobile phones and PCs.
The new deals are the first of their kind for a mobile network operator enabling dual delivery of DRM free music to a wide range of mobile phones and PCs with no need to sideload or synchronize. With over a million tracks available from every music genre, for the first time customers will be able to play and enjoy music bought from these three labels via the Vodafone Music store* without any limit to the type of device provided they belong to the customer. In addition, those customers who have already bought tracks or albums from Universal Music, Sony Music or EMI in WMA format (with DRM) will be able to upgrade them to MP3 at no extra charge within the existing download allowance. DRM free music will be available through a number of Vodafone countries by the summer and will complement Vodafone’s current music offerings.
“Music is central to many of our customers’ lives,” said Pieter Knook, Vodafone Internet Services Director. “By Vodafone pioneering DRM free on mobile and offering MP3s on PC, they will now have the freedom to download tracks from their favourite artists without any device restrictions allowing them to experience their musichowever they want it, wherever they are.”
“Vodafone has been a business partner of Universal Music for six years,” said Rob Wells, SVP, Digital, at Universal Music Group International. “This new deal shows how serious Vodafone is about music, and opens up new opportunities for both companies – but, more importantly, for consumers and artists.”
“We are thrilled that this agreement will provide Vodafone’s millions of customers in Europe with access to music by our popular local artists and global superstars,” commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales, Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “Vodafone’s convenient mobile and PC solution gives fans another great way to integrate music into their daily lives and forge an even stronger connection with the artists they love.”
“EMI has long been a proponent of DRM free music because of the benefits it brings to fans and so we are very supportive of this initiative from Vodafone,” said Douglas Merrill, EMI Music’s COO of New Music and President, Digital Business. “With its international reach and commitment to music, Vodafone is taking a major step forward for our industry by offering consumers more flexibility and choice.”

Notes to Editors:
* Vodafone Music store is powered by RealNetworks.
DRM free services will be available in Germany, Italy, UK, Spain and New Zealand by the summer. Australia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Turkey will follow in due course, along with services provided via Vodafone’s partner networks in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Iceland, Slovenia and Switzerland.

About Vodafone

Vodafone is the world’s leading international mobile telecommunications company, with equity interests in 27 countries and Partner Markets in more than 40 countries. As of 31 December 2008, Vodafone had approximately 289 million proportionate customers worldwide. For further information, please visit www.vodafone.com.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world’s leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry’s leading global music publishing operation.
Universal Music Group’s record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG’s catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty–First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.
Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About EMI

EMI Music is one of the world’s leading music companies, representing artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, EMI Records, EMI Televisa Music, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – FEBRUARY 23, 2009 – mSpot, Inc. a mobile music and entertainment company, today announces it has signed a distribution agreement with Sony Music Entertainment to add the company’s vast catalog to mSpot’s current collection, which now includes more than 400,000 song titles. The addition of Sony Music Entertainment’s catalog makes mSpot’s customizable ringtone offering one of the largest in North America.

mSpot’s customers will now be able to access the new Sony Music Entertainment titles through the mSpot® Make-UR-Tones™ mobile application available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. The application allows customers to select full-track songs and use an intuitive editor to create customized ringtones.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sony Music Entertainment – and with access to so many new titles from the label’s incredible roster, we have a feeling our customers will be too,” said mSpot CEO Daren Tsui, “This partnership bolsters our strong position in the mobile music industry and advances our mission to offer innovative and entertaining services that consumers love.”

“With access to a broad customer base and active music fan users, mSpot is a natural partner for us as we continue to expand the reach of our diverse musical offerings in the mobile arena,” said Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales, Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment.

The addition of Sony Music Entertainment completes mSpot’s plan to offer customizable ringtones from all four major music labels including EMI, Universal Music and Warner Music. mSpot also offers customizable ringtones from indie labels Ingrooves and IRIS.

mSpot increased its subscriber base to over four million users in 2008 – a remarkable 260% increase since 2007.

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About mSpot

mSpot is a mobile music and entertainment company that services more than four million customers across 10 wireless carriers. mSpot helps consumers access music, custom ringtones, live radio and videos from major music labels, movie studios and top brands including ABC, ClearChannel, Fox Sports, Sony, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Universal Music Group and Disney. In the U.S., mSpot entertainment services are available through Alltel, AT&T, Boost, Metro PCS, nTelos, Sprint, U.S. Cellular and Verizon; in Canada through Bell Mobility and TELUS. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, mSpot is on the Web at www.mspot.com.

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars.  The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.