For Release 6 a.m. PDT

Aug. 1, 2001

David Byrne to Provide Promotional Music for Windows XP

“Like Humans Do” to Give Music Fans a Taste of the Digital Music Experience in Windows XP

REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 1, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that every copy of the Windows^® XP operating system will come with a promotional song from the musical innovator David Byrne to show off the digital media capabilities of the new Windows Media™ Player for Microsoft^® Windows XP.

The song “Like Humans Do” from Byrne’s latest album, “Look Into the Eyeball,” on Virgin Records America, will come preloaded in Windows Media Player for Windows XP. The song will play as a digital audio track, complete with album art and lyrics, the first time the Windows Media Player is used, showcasing the high-quality music experience possible with Windows Media Player for Windows XP.

“Windows Media Player for Windows XP is a big step forward that will help digital music reach its full potential for fans, musicians and the industry,” said Ty Braswell, vice president of New Media for Virgin Records. “Having a track from David Byrne included with Windows XP speaks to his broad appeal and gives millions of people a fun way to explore all the ways they can enjoy digital music on Windows XP.”

Byrne first achieved fame in the late 1970s for his work with Talking Heads, a New York-based band that combined cutting-edge artistic sensibilities with clever lyrics and danceable rhythms. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Byrne has been active in a wide range of solo projects, including theatrical and international music.

“Throughout his career, David Byrne has redefined the boundaries of popular music,” said Dave Fester, general manager of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. “This is a great song, with wide appeal, and I think users are going to really enjoy listening to the song while experiencing all the exciting new digital music features of Windows XP.”

Windows Media Player for Windows XP takes advantage of improvements throughout the operating system to offer the best digital media experience on a personal computer. The new Windows Media Player for Windows XP offers dramatically improved media playback and handling, CD ripping with the industry-leading Windows Media Audio, enhanced MP3 support and more.

With the Byrne track, music fans will be able to experience how Windows Media Player for Windows XP improves virtually all their favorite digital music activities. As the track plays, showing off the high quality of Windows Media Audio, users can explore the new player visualizations that move to the music, view the album art in the Now Playing window, and follow the lyrics in the Media Information pane.

Microsoft also announced today that WindowsMedia.com will feature a free webcast of an hour-long concert Byrne recorded before a private audience. The webcast premieres on WindowsMedia.com (http://WindowsMedia.com/previewv2/xpconcerts/) at 7 p.m. EDT Aug. 2 and will be available on demand through August.

Windows XP will be available on Oct. 25.

About Virgin Records America

Virgin began in the early 1970s as a small, independent label based in London. By 1986, Virgin had grown dramatically and brought its innovative approach to U.S. soil. Today, Virgin Records America and its London-based parent company, Virgin Music Group Worldwide, are part of EMI, the world’s third-largest music company. In America, Virgin is distributed by EMI Music Distribution (EMD), and the label’s offerings span virtually all contemporary musical genres, including modern rock, R&B, pop, hip hop, rap, blues, country, film soundtracks, compilations and contemporary instrumentals. Over 25 years after its humble beginnings, Virgin remains devoted to seeking and embracing artists who possess the talent, vision and passion to create something new and different.

About Windows Media

Windows Media is the leading digital media platform, providing unmatched audio and video quality to consumers, content providers, solution providers, software developers and corporations. Windows Media offers the industry’s only integrated rights-management solution and the most scalable and reliable streaming technology tested by independent labs. Windows Media Technologies includes Windows Media Player for consumers, Windows Media Services for servers, Windows Media Tools for content creation, and the Windows Media Software Development Kit (SDK) for software developers. Windows Media Player, available in
26 languages, is the fastest-growing media player. More information about Windows Media can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software —
any time, any place and on any device.

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