LOUD Loudeye

Loudeye Announces Second Portuguese Digital Music Distribution Deal X-Tazee Records to Launch Branded Digital Music Store Powered by Loudeye's OD2 LONDON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Loudeye Corp. (NASDAQ:LOUD), a worldwide leader in business-to-business digital media solutions, today announced it was chosen by Portuguese label X-Tazee Records (http://www.x-tazee.com/) to power a multi-faceted digital music distribution strategy and consumer download experience. Under the terms of the agreement, X-Tazee will launch a retail site leveraging a digital music download store powered by Loudeye's OD2 services and license portions of the X-Tazee music catalogue for distribution through stores powered by the OD2 services. Today's announcement marks the second deal for Loudeye in the Portuguese market over the past 30 days. X-Tazee's online music experience will aim to deepen relationships between artists and their fans, open a new retail channel for driving music sales, and promote X-Tazee's artist roster. The new online music store, expected to launch in the first quarter of 2005, will contain a number of unique features designed with the needs and tastes of the Portuguese public specifically in mind. One of the prime benefits the new store will offer customers is the opportunity to download select new releases before they hit retail stores. By negotiating deals directly with the artists on their label, X-Tazee can offer exclusive deals for national and international acts through their digital download store, and will shortly announce those expected to be featured during the launch of the site. Artists on X-Tazee's roster include guitarist Snowy White, Latin Jazz Grammy nominee Orlando Sandoval, Hip-Hop sensation Pentagon, singer P.P. Arnold, gothic lovers Dr. Zilch, Dutch heavy metal band Eye-Con, and many others. "Loudeye's OD2 services enabled us to rapidly capitalize on the potential of a digital distribution and retail strategy, leveraging our brand and the assets we already have in place," said Luis de Matos, founder of X-Tazee. "With our core focus on signing artists, producing and promoting their work and driving music sales, we sought an industry leader who could offer a turnkey solution for meeting our digital distribution goals. Loudeye's OD2 services provide a complete solution for every aspect to our deployment and brought a strong understanding of the importance of localizing the offering to the Portuguese market." Charles Grimsdale, president and general manager of Loudeye's international business operations, said, "This deal, our second in 30 days for the Portuguese market, highlights the recent rapid growth and great appetite for high quality, legal digital music among Portuguese consumers. X-Tazee's unique position in the marketplace enables them to launch a service using our platform that can leverage their content assets and retail reach to significantly enhance their business strategies by increasing artists' visibility, accessibility and sales potential." Loudeye's OD2 services are the leading European digital music services, offering online access to more than 400,000 songs through sites such as Virgin, Tiscali, MyCokeMusic and HMV. Loudeye's localized European services provide a focused offering for each country, with the best international acts for sale alongside the finest local talent. About Loudeye Corp. Loudeye is a worldwide leader in business-to-business digital media solutions and the outsourcing provider of choice for companies looking to maximize the return on their digital media investment. Loudeye combines innovative products and services with the world's largest music archive and the industry's leading digital media infrastructure enabling partners to rapidly and cost effectively launch complete, customized digital media stores and services. For more information, visit http://www.loudeye.com/. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current estimates and actual results may differ materially due to risks, including the completion of the development of the platform; possibility of adverse changes in the market for distribution of digital music that Loudeye and our OD2 subsidiary serve; adverse or uncertain legal developments with respect to copyrights surrounding the creation and distribution of digital content; pricing pressures and other activities by competitors; lack of market acceptance for Loudeye's and/or OD2's products and services; the possible delay in the adoption of digital media or related applications on the web in general; 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 http://www.sec.gov/. Loudeye assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: Loudeye Corp. CONTACT: media (U.S.), Karen DeMarco, +1-323-933-3399, or , or Yasmeen Coning, +1-323-933-3399, or , both of mPRm Public Relations, or media (Europe), Simon Hill of Trimedia Communications UK, +44 (0)207 471 6826, or +44 (0)7776 251192, or , all for Loudeye Corp.; or investors, Michael Dougherty of Loudeye Corp., +1-206-832-4000, or Web site: http://www.x-tazee.com/ Web site: http://www.loudeye.com/

Copyright