SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Dec. 7, 1999 - Today at Streaming Media West '99, Supertracks Inc., a new company founded by music industry and technology professionals to provide complete music download solutions and services for retailers, announced support for Windows Media™ Technologies, Microsoft's digital media platform. Windows Media, featuring superior CD-quality audio and digital rights management technologies, enables Supertracks to use Microsoft's digital rights management technologies to provide digital distribution of music (DDM) to retailers.

"Microsoft^® Windows Media is fast becoming one of the most trusted and widely used technologies for digital rights management in the Internet music market," said Charles Jennings, co-founder and CEO of Supertracks. "Particularly in light of today's announcement between Microsoft and Preview Systems Inc. -- that Preview Systems will support Windows Media digital rights management -- and given that Preview's technology is our core platform, we will have a strong new solution for DDM."

Supertracks will work with Microsoft Corp. to optimize the operation of Windows Media digital rights management technology with other elements of the Supertracks solution, including those that manage digital commerce and clearinghouse operations. The two companies also intend to work strategically to develop the general market for DDM.

"Supertracks is well-positioned to be a key player in the market for commercial, electronic music distribution services," said Will Poole, general manager of marketing and business development, Streaming Media Division, Microsoft. "This support is another important step toward the goal of realizing the great potential of the Internet to deliver high-quality digital music to consumers."

Windows Media is rapidly gaining support from consumers and all industry segments. PC Data recently announced the Windows Media Player was the fastest-growing media player among media player users. Major labels EMI Recorded Music, Warner Music Group Inc., Sony Music Entertainment and BMG Entertainment have announced support, as have device manufacturers Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc., Creative Labs Inc., Sony and, announced today, THOMSON multimedia S.A.'s RCA LYRA. Among music portals, musicmaker.com, Tunes.com and Virgin Megastores have announced support.

"Windows Media is one of a small number of highly secure environments for online distribution of music, and we're pleased to see that Supertracks is able to support it," said Jeremy Silver, vice president of new media at EMI. "This is the type of cooperation between leading technology and service providers that will help build rapid growth in the market for digital distribution of music."