Virgin Megastores Hellas Launches Greek Digital Music Service Powered by Loudeye

Virgin Megastores Hellas Launches Greek Digital Music Service
Powered by Loudeye
Greek Language Service Provides Low Cost, Great Choice Digital Music Experience



ATHENS, Greece and SEATTLE, June 14  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Virgin
Megastores Hellas and Loudeye Corp. (NASDAQ:LOUD), a worldwide leader in
business-to-business digital media solutions, today announced the launch of a
Virgin Greece digital music service. The service, powered by Loudeye's OD2
services, is designed to give Greek consumers an affordable digital music
package with a wide array of content from a Greek language site.

The service, available at http://www.virginmegadownloads.gr/, operates on a
'pay-as-you-go' model, meaning music buyers only pay for what they want. The
service will also be supported by a Pre-Paid Card system, which will allow
consumers to purchase music, not just by credit card, but with a card paid for
in advance. These cards will be available in amounts of 5, 15, or 30 Euros,
initially from Virgin Megastores Hellas and later from other retail outlets in
Greece.

Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group, said:  "Our new service in
Greece will be instrumental in giving the consumer what they want, when they
want and at an affordable price package. Virgin has been a pioneer in the music
industry since our earliest days, and our low-cost Greek digital music service
is in the same tradition. We want to make it simple and low cost for music fans
to sample and buy music digitally."

"Music fans are driving the demand for digital music and now the technology is
there, the industry is behind it and -- with the introduction of our service --
prices are affordable for all," Branson continued.

Kostas Piladakis, Chairman of Vivere Entertainment and the Virgin Megastores in
Greece, continued, "We've created a service that is easy, low cost and more
importantly assists in the drive against piracy in Greece. The site will offer
a broad catalogue and aim to support the Greek record industry in its efforts
to provide a digitalized music service to the Greek consumers."

The launch of Virgin Hellas' music service represents the first store in Greece
powered by Loudeye's OD2 services.

Philip Shepherd, Loudeye's head of strategic partnerships -- EMEA said, "Virgin
Hellas has launched a strong digital music offering that will appeal to a wide
range of music fans. Its decision to offer an alternative to the subscription
model shows that digital music can be packaged in a number of different ways to
suit consumer needs and buying patterns, and we are delighted to be involved
with this exciting development into this new market."

About Vivere Entertainment S.A. and Virgin Megastores

Vivere Entertainment owns the license rights to represent Virgin Megastores in
Greece, as well as http://www.virginmega.gr/ and operates 15 stores across
Greece. Its aim is to seek new and innovative ways for entertainment products
and services within the B2B and B2C Greek market.

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 digital music archive, a broad catalog of
licensed digital music 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 possibility of adverse changes in the market for distribution of
digital audio and video that Loudeye serves; adaptation to new international
markets; adverse or uncertain legal developments with respect to copyrights
surrounding the creation and distribution of digital content; pricing pressures
and other activities by competitors; the failure of Loudeye's hosting
infrastructure; the complexity of Loudeye's services and delivery networks; any
problems or failures in the structure, complexities or redundancies of
Loudeye's network infrastructure; failures in third party telecommunication and
network providers to provide required transmission capacity; lack of market
acceptance for Loudeye'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:  Maria Kalkakou, Marketing and PR Manager of Vivere

Entertainment S.A. (Virgin Megastores), [phone], or

; or media, in Europe, Chris Owen of Trimedia

Communications UK, [phone], or [phone], or

, or in the U.S., Karen DeMarco of mPRm Public

Relations, [phone], or , both for Loudeye Corp.; or

investors, Michael Dougherty, [phone], or 



Web site:  http://www.loudeye.com/

http://www.virginmegadownloads.gr/ 

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