Exhibit 99.1
Coda Announces That Schott Music International has Made Its Catalog Available to
Customers Online Through Net4Music
Thursday, September 28, 2000 03:55 PM
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2000--Coda Music Technology, Inc.
(Nasdaq: COMT) is successfully moving its strategic merger with Net4Music SA
forward as announced August 27, 2000, currently targeted to be complete on
October 19, 2000. As they get closer to this merger the activities of both
companies become more important to the financial community and others who have
followed Coda. To that end, Coda management is informing you of important events
at Net4Music.
Net4Music, the Internet's premier resource for musicians and music educators,
announced September 26th that it had secured digital distribution rights to the
entire catalog of German publisher Schott Musik International. The deal covers a
wide range of classical and contemporary music, including important works by
Beethoven, Wagner, Stravinsky, Orff, Rodrigo, Ligeti, Henze, Penderecki,
Takemitsu and others.
Over 230 years old, Schott Musik was the original publisher of many of these
works, and has one of the most comprehensive catalogs of materials for
instrumental education, choral works and orchestral scores in the world. The
company also produces several innovative solutions for electronic media,
including its MasterPlayAlong and CD-PluScore technologies.
"Schott Musik International is truly one of the most important names in
classical and contemporary music," said Net4Music CEO Francois Duliege. "This
agreement makes a huge and respected catalog available to our users."
Net4Music will make Schott's most popular sheet music titles available for
download, including German and international songs, and some extremely rare
editions of classical scores from the company's extensive archives. The offering
will also feature music titles from larger works and collections that individual
musicians can download at low prices, rather than spend big money for full
volumes of sheet music.
According to Dr. Peter Hanser-Strecker, "Distributing online through Net4Music
will provide musicians and educators with the most convenient way possible to
access our large, complex catalog of music. We are extremely excited about this
opportunity to expand our reach."
Hanser-Strecker added that the agreement with Net4Music would allow Schott to
explore new models of distribution among its existing dealer network in the
German-speaking territories of Germany and Austria. The publisher plans together
with Net4Music to offer this dealer network unique packages with very favorable
terms and conditions, as well as free intensive training support, enabling them
to make the products offered online at the Net4Music web site even more
accessible to consumers in their region.
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.
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.
CONTACT: Coda Music Technology, Inc., Minneapolis
Barb Remley
952-937-9611
