Warner/Chappell Music Announces Exclusive, Worldwide Publishing Agreement With Microsoft Music Publishing


NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- February 28, 2007 --Warner/Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG), and one of the world's largest music publishers, and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced today a worldwide music publishing administration agreement, whereby Warner/Chappell will claim, administer and license music compositions owned and controlled by Microsoft, including the award-winning compositions for: Bungie Studios' blockbuster, Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, Halo®: Combat Evolved and Halo® 2, as well as Age of Empires®, Fable®, Kameo™: Elements of Power™ and other video game franchises.

As part of the agreement, which is the first music publishing administration agreement Microsoft has entered into for its catalogs, Warner/Chappell will claim and register Microsoft-owned copyrights in all territories worldwide, as well as identify and develop new synchronization, performance and other music publishing opportunities for the Microsoft music publishing catalogs.

The Microsoft music catalog administered by Warner/Chappell will include several thousand compositions, including those which have been released as part of the extensive library of video games published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment console. The agreement also includes music in future video games to be published by Microsoft Game Studios, including the upcoming Halo 3 release.

In making the announcement, Ed Pierson, Executive Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs, Warner/Chappell Music, said, "Warner/Chappell is proud to partner with a technology leader like Microsoft and delighted to be the worldwide publisher for the company's video game music catalog. We're confident we can develop and identify some exciting and unique new licensing opportunities for these well-known game compositions."

"We have developed a large library of video game music and are excited to make it available for placement beyond games," said Ed Ventura, Senior Director of the Franchise Development Group in the Interactive Entertainment Division. "By partnering with Warner/Chappell, we can continue to extend the value and experiences for our music and also inspire and give further recognition to the composers who are dedicated to working on video games."

About Warner/Chappell Music

Warner/Chappell Music is WMG's award-winning global music publishing company. The Warner/Chappell Music catalog includes standards such as "Happy Birthday To You," "Rhapsody in Blue," "Winter Wonderland," the songs of Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin, as well as the music of Dido, Dr. Dre, Eric Clapton, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Nickelback, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow, T.I. and others. Warner/Chappell Music is a leader in creating innovative strategies for marketing and promoting its songwriters and their music. The company's extensive catalog makes it a natural first stop for A&R executives and record producers, feature film and television production companies, and others looking to record or license some of the world's greatest music.

Microsoft, Age of Empires, Elements of Power, Fable, Halo and Kameo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Contact Information: Contact: Amanda Collins Warner Music Group (212) 275-2213 Email Contact Josh Cramer-Montes Warner Music Group (212) 275-1375 Email Contact