Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Liquid Audio Inc - (Nasdaq- LQID) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: R Hamilton who wrote (527)	1/4/2000 10:26:00 AM
From: R Hamilton	Respond to of 674

where is everyone?? BIG NEWS: AOL's Nullsoft Winamp and Liquid Audio Form Multi-Year Digital Music Alliance Integrated Music Delivery Systems to Offer Nullsoft Winamp Users Access To Liquid Audio's Catalog of More Than 50,000 Secure, CD-Quality Internet Singles DULLES, Va., and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- AOL's Nullsoft Winamp, creators of the popular Winamp audio player and SHOUTcast, and Liquid Audio, Inc. (Nasdaq: LQID), a leading provider of software and services for the Internet delivery of music, today announced a strategic multi-year alliance to integrate and cross-promote their music delivery systems. Under terms of the deal, Liquid Audio will deliver music content as Liquid(TM) Tracks and mp3 files for digital download on the AOL Nullsoft Winamp player and on AOL Spinner.com's new Playlist-To-Go feature. Liquid Audio will also develop a Liquid(TM) Plug-in for the Winamp player that will be designed to offer the millions of Winamp users access to Liquid Audio's full catalog of more than 50,000 secure digital downloads. (Photo:NewsCom: newscom.com ) The Liquid Plug-in for Winamp will be designed to enable users of the AOL Winamp music player to preview, securely purchase and download music from the more than 1,000 major and independent record labels distributed online by Liquid Audio. The Liquid Plug-in will also bring the CD-quality sound, music lyrics, album liner notes and cover art of the Liquid(TM) Player software to Winamp users, in addition to security, e-commerce, copyright management and rights reporting. The companies will distribute the AOL Nullsoft Winamp player with the Liquid Plug-in on liquidaudio.com, as well as on both spinner.com and winamp.com sites. In addition, Liquid Audio and Winamp will team up to encourage partner merchants to promote and sell Liquid Downloads. "We're delighted to be working with Liquid Audio to offer support for one of the most popular digital music delivery systems in the marketplace," said Justin Frankel, founder of AOL's Nullsoft Winamp. "This alliance with Liquid Audio underscores both companies' commitment to remaining format agnostic and providing users with the ability to play back and enjoy all types of digital music." "Liquid Audio provides the music content, secure digital delivery software and comprehensive distribution services that make it safe and easy for consumers to buy music on the Internet," said Robert Flynn, senior vice president of business development at Liquid Audio, Inc. "Liquid Audio's strategic alliance with AOL's Nullsoft Winamp enables the millions of Winamp users to access the full catalog of Liquid Downloads." Launched in January 1998, Winamp is the world's leading high-fidelity audio player, giving millions the ability to listen to digitally downloaded music. Winamp supports Liquid Audio, mp3, CD, Audiosoft, Mjuice, MOD, WAV and other audio formats, custom appearances, called skins, and audio visualization and audio effect plug-ins. The Winamp ( www.winamp.com ) and SHOUTcast ( www.shoutcast.com ) brands and services were acquired by America Online, Inc. in May 1999, and merged with Spinner.com. All three brands reside in San Francisco's Audio Alley and are an integral part of AOL's Interactive Properties Group. Liquid Audio, Inc. is a leading provider of software and services for the digital delivery of music over the Internet. The Liquid Audio solution gives musicians, record labels, Web sites and music retailers the ability to publish, syndicate and securely sell recorded music online with copy protection and copyright management. Using the Liquid(TM) Player software, available for free download at www.liquidaudio.com, music fans can preview and purchase downloadable music from the more than 300 affiliate Web sites in the Liquid(TM) Music Network. Traded on Nasdaq under the symbol LQID, Liquid Audio is located in Redwood City, California. Certain of the above statements constitute forward-looking statements, which may involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, technology changes, competitive developments, industry and market acceptance of new products and services, including the Liquid Plug-in, and risk factors listed from time to time in AOL's and Liquid Audio's SEC filings. NOTE: Liquid, Liquid Audio, Inc., Liquid Audio, the Liquid Audio logo, Liquifier and Liquid Music are trademarks of Liquid Audio, Inc. For more information about Liquid Audio software and services call 888-liquid-0 or visit liquidaudio.com . For more information, press only: Anne Bentley, 703-265-2825, or Annebent@aol.com, or Kim Strop, 650-549-2194, or kstrop@liquidaudio.com, both of Liquid Audio, Inc. SOURCE: Liquid Audio, Inc. CONTACT: Anne Bentley, 703-265-2825, or Annebent@aol.com, or Kim Strop, 650-549-2194, or kstrop@liquidaudio.com, both of Liquid Audio, Inc.

To: R Hamilton who wrote (527)	1/4/2000 10:34:00 AM
From: R Hamilton	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 674

did anyone catch bill gates on larry king the other night? one of the items, actually, the first item, he discussed as HOT for 2000 was a digital music recorder/playback gizmo(sorry, i ain't too technical<G>) i was planning on buying around 25, until the "stupid aol announcement" foiled my plans....oh well. Good luck and happy new year! rhonda ps........dont send the "cut and paste" police after me...one last, older news release(for historical purposes<G>): No Santa for Internet music industry... this year By Scott Hillis LOS ANGELES, Dec 27 (Reuters) - It looks like the online music industry, grappling with concerns over digital formats, piracy and technical woes, will have to wait until next year for Santa to deliver a merry Christmas. While other Internet businesses, from selling books to booking tickets, are ringing up billions of dollars in sales, Web music is still largely confined to the tech-savvy crowd despite early predictions of a blockbuster holiday season. Companies like MP3.com Inc. (NASDAQ: MPPP) and EMusic.com Inc. (NASDAQ: EMUS) that let users download music to their computers have generated a lot of buzz and attracted the attention of Wall Street. But complicated software, pricey portable music devices and a battle over how easy it should be to copy songs means it will be some time before the PC replaces the stereo system. "It is probably one of the biggest killer apps on the Web in the next 12 months, but it's also one of most chaotic and least defined," said Bob Ohlwiler, vice president of marketing for software company MusicMatch. MusicMatch and others, most notably RealNetworks Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), have brought a semblance of order to the industry with their jukebox software that record CDs, download songs from the Web and organize music files on the PC. But the Holy Grail of actually selling music online remains a distant goal. For one thing, record labels, haunted by visions of hackers e-mailing Top 40 hits for free, have been reluctant to release songs in formats like MP3, which is favored by many users but has no copyright protection. MP3 and other formats work by compressing a digital music file, such as off a CD, to one-tenth or less of its original size, making it easier to send over the Web. An initiative to decide how to make the music pirate-proof is bogged down by bickering between labels, who want to make it difficult to record new CDs, and hardware and software companies who say listeners will demand the power to record and play all their music. Another problem is in unshackling listeners from the tinny confines of their personal computer speakers. Sales of portable gadgets that can store music on tiny memory cards or chips have sputtered, reaching maybe 750,000 units, well short of industry estimates of 1 million by the end of the year. Devices that will let people play music files in their car or home stereo are only just coming to market, at prices only technology fanatics won't protest. "It hasn't taken off as much as analysts expected," said Andy Rathbone, author of "MP3 for Dummies", a how-to guide for digital music that recently hit the shelves. "There is reluctance among record companies to use the MP3 format and make a lot of music available in that format. The industry is in a state of stagnation about what to do about this MP3 monster," Rathbone said. Such concerns have made investors uncertain. Shares in MP3.com were trading around 28-1/2 on Monday, unchanged for the day, but near a 52-week low of 23-5/16 and far below its high of 105. EMusic traded at 10, down from a peak of 35, while Liquid Audio Inc. (NASDAQ: LQID), which makes software to encode and play songs, was at 36-3/4, off its 52 week high of 49-1/4. Others insist the industry is booming and that the incredible velocity of Internet business has warped people's expectations. "If you look at the rate of adoption ... it's happened much, much faster than CDs happened or cassettes happened," said Ken Wirt, chief executive of Riffage.com, which offers music by unsigned bands. Hardware makers appear ready bring better and cheaper portable devices to market. "There's some really compelling devices out already and even better ones coming out in January and February of next year," said EMusic Chief Executive Gene Hoffman. There's even good news from the labels. EMI Recorded Music, a division of EMI Group Plc says it could start selling singles on the Web next year. "Technology is not a threat. It gives birth to new and expanded markets," Jay Samit, vice president of new media for the label, told an industry conference recently. Such developments have led to promises that 2000 will be the industry's breakout year and that a winter wonderland willawait those who are patient. "There is going to be a really, really serious Christmas next year that we don't really have any inkling of right now," EMusic's Hoffman said.