DISCOVERMUSIC.COM GETS IN BED
WITH FOUR OF THE BIG FIVE

DiscoverMusic.com, a leading provider of song samples for use by Internet retailers, signed license agreements with four major record companies. The site signed on domestically with BMG Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group and with EMI Recorded Music worldwide.

Under the non-exclusive agreements, the companies will receive license fees and other compensation for the use of their music.

DiscoverMusic already has similar license agreements with over 500 independent labels.

"We are pleased to be the first company to execute agreements with four major record companies for Internet music sampling," said DiscoverMusic.com President and CEO David Lambert. "We respect and support the rights of music copyright holders and are delighted to have agreements with these leading record companies."

A hurt Sony spokesman commented, "It's hard not to be wounded by this. Obviously, DiscoverMusic will ‘partner' with anybody—anybody, that is, but us. It's these pants, isn't it? They make us look fat, don't they? Well, don't they?"

Wisely, Lambert refused to answer that question.