New Online Service Announces the Next Chapter in Digital Media Management
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 24, 2003–Former principals of Nullsoft, makers of the leading MP3 player Winamp, today announced the launch of Muse.Net(TM) (http://Muse.Net), a service that enables complete access and control of digital audio or video files from any Web browser, media player or Internet PC.
“Muse.Net changes the entire perception and expectation of digital media distribution,” says co-founder, president and CTO Ian C. Rogers. “Just as you expect your email to be available anywhere, Muse.Net allows your digital media to be available from any Internet-connected PC.”
By installing the Muse.Net Agent on any broadband-connected PC, users can listen to their home MP3s at work, watch movies stored on their office PC in their living room or access all of their digital media anytime and anywhere they are connected to the Internet.
Unlike other online digital media or music subscription services, Muse.Net works with user’s existing personal digital media collection, providing all of the access, playback and control services without the infamous lock-ins, limitations or costs of those services. Users rip their CDs to MP3s, play them back from their PCs over a broadband connection to other PCs and devices without any interference or limitation.
Because Muse.Net is a single-login system, allowing only one signed-in account user at a time to access his or her personal media collection. It does not allow file sharing nor does it promote or support piracy. Muse.Net does not copy user’s files to their servers. A stranger will never download, listen to or view user’s media via Muse.Net.
“As other leading companies follow Apple’s lead in providing legal digital downloads to consumers, it’s clear that the market for adding utility to digital media collections is about to grow exponentially,” adds Rogers. “Already more than 100 million active MP3 users spend about $1.5 billion per year on portable players, CD burners and blank CDs, while spending almost nothing on music subscription services. Muse.Net meets all these needs by allowing you to play what you own, anywhere.”
In addition, the Muse.Net service integrates seamlessly within AOL’s Winamp2 and Winamp3, two dominant desktop media players, and will soon integrate into Windows Media Player and others. Muse.Net is also licensed and custom-branded through major distribution partnerships including DivX, as part of its Mastermind service, and is also available directly to users under the Muse.Net brand.
Muse.Net is a product of Mediacode, Inc. Mediacode was founded by Ian C. Rogers and Robert Lord, who previously served in senior management positions at Nullsoft where they supported the leading MP3 player, Winamp, and streaming MP3 Internet radio software, SHOUTcast. For more information, please go to http://Muse.Net.