[LOGO] [GRAPHIC OMITTED]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: David Shein LaVida Dowdell Barb Remley
Ruder Finn Net4Music Coda Music Technology
212-593-5890 212-375-6362 612-937-9611
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
NET4MUSIC S.A. AND CODA MUSIC TECHNOLOGY SET
THE STAGE FOR A WORLD OF NEW COMPOSERS
Release of Finale(R) NotePad(TM) Begins New Era for Musicians,
Music Educators and Composers of any Level
Minneapolis, MN, USA and Paris, France, October 17, 2000 - Coda Music
Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: COMT) and Net4Music S.A. In their first major
collaboration since agreeing to merge, Net4Music and Coda Music Technology today
announced the introduction of Finale NotePad, a free downloadable version of
Coda's world-renowned music notation software, also available on CD-ROM for
$19.95. The application, available at www.codamusic.com and www.net4music.com
for both Macintosh and Windows, allows all musicians to engrave simple music and
do interactive editing of their own sheet music in digital format, whether they
are beginners or masters of their craft.
The release marks a giant first step in the combined companies' efforts to
promote music education and the creative process through accessible, high
quality music technology. "With the introduction of products and services like
Finale NotePad, we are looking to establish a common worldwide standard for
basic music notation, and to fuel the creation of written music rather than
focus on just the finished product," said Net4Music CEO Francois Duliege.
NotePad is an excellent educational tool for music theory as well as a fun,
un-intimidating way to begin putting one's musical ideas in a tangible form."
Finale NotePad is a basic, easy-to-use version of Coda Music Technology's Finale
product, the industry standard in notation software. As users gain more
experience with this level of electronic composition and arranging (and
ultimately outgrow it), they can trade up and buy one of Coda's more fully
featured products, Finale PrintMusic!(TM), Finale Allegro(R) or the ultimate,
Finale. Because the entire Finale "Family" is based on the same software code,
familiarity with one product is carried over to any of the others and all music
files created from the same version or earlier versions are compatible. The
company plans to offer incentives to Finale NotePad registered users to "trade
up" and buy their next Finale product through dealers - more details on such
promotions are forthcoming.
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NotePad Enables Web Publishing:
Once they have created their music with the software, composers are one click
away from publishing their own sheet music and sharing it with the world via
Net4Music's Net4Publication(TM) service and Coda's Finale Showcase(TM). Both
services allow songwriters to post their compositions for secure digital
download, exposing the works to thousands of musicians online. All of the songs
posted to Net4Publication and Finale Showcase are protected with Net4Music's
proprietary copyright protection engine, all but eliminating unauthorized
distribution or altering of the material.
"By providing an easy, fun way to share and even sell one's own sheet music
online, we are giving music composition back to the masses," said Coda President
John Paulson. "This is no longer something that only a select few professional
composers can do. Anyone can learn to engrave, print and share their own music."
The software also has powerful applications for music educators who need to
print or email lessons and exercises for students. Music students could download
professionally engraved versions of their teachers' assignments directly from
the Net4Publication or Finale Showcase sites and print them out for rehearsals,
rather than deciphering photocopies of hand-written notation.
About Net4Music
Net4Music is a company for musicians, by musicians. Using Internet technology,
Net4Music has revolutionized the distribution of sheet music by licensing the
digital distribution rights to the world's largest catalog of titles from all
music genres and offering secure downloads of this sheet music. Net4Music's
innovative services empower the music end user by providing musicians and
composers with immediate access to one of the largest collections of musical
scores along with unparalleled copyright protection for music publishing.
Through Net4Music's web site, musicians can reference and download sheet music
for faster, easier and safer distribution than was previously possible. With its
cutting-edge services and growing number of strategic partnerships, Net4Music is
fast becoming the premier online portal for musicians.
About Coda Music Technology
Coda Music Technology, Inc. develops and markets proprietary music technology
products including Finale, the world's best-selling music notation software
product and SmartMusic(R) Intelligent Accompaniment(R) products, a comprehensive
music practice system that listens to you sing or play and follows your
spontaneous tempo changes. SmartMusic Studio(R) makes practicing music fun,
productive and entertaining and has over 5,000 accompaniment titles. Finale is
the standard development tool for many music publishers, which means most of
their titles are already in the Finale file format, ready to be customized for
each consumer and distributed on the Internet. SmartMusic Accompaniments(TM),
assessment and instruction are natural add-ons to digital print music products.
<PAGE>
Coda Music Technology and/or its officers and directors may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders of Coda Music
Technology with respect to Coda's merger with Net4Music. Information regarding
such officers and directors is included in Coda Music Technology's annual report
on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 1999 filed with the SEC on March
27, 2000. This document is available free of charge at the SEC website at
www.sec.gov and from the Coda Music Technology contact listed above.
THIS PRESS RELEASE IS BEING FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 425 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT
OF 1933 AND IS DEEMED FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 14A-12 UNDER THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL
SECURITIES. SHAREHOLDERS OF CODA MUSIC TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE URGED
TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT - PROSPECTUS WHICH WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 FILED BY CODA MUSIC TECHNOLOGY IN CONNECTION
WITH THIS TRANSACTION BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE ON THE SEC WEBSITE AT
WWW.SEC.GOV AND FROM CODA MUSIC TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE CONTACT LISTED ABOVE.
Safe Harbor Statement. This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements, which reflect Coda's current views of future events
and financial performance, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties
which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such
statements for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, the risks
described from time to time in Coda's reports to the Securities and Exchange
Commission (including Coda's Annual Report on Form 10-K). Investors should take
such risks into account when making investment decisions. Shareholders and other
readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Coda
undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking
statements.
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