From...

February 25, 1999
Web posted at: 5:47 p.m. EST (2247 GMT)

by Rob Guth

(IDG) -- Online music seller MP3.com said it will offer music from select artists represented by Seattle-based independent record label Sub Pop Records.

Sub Pop, known for its early work with Seattle "grunge rock" bands Nirvana and Soundgarden, will feature artists on its current roster including Combustible Edison, Saint Etienne and the Pernice Brothers, the companies said.

MP3.com in the past six months has gained notoriety as a proponent of MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3), a format for compressing audio data so that it can be downloaded easily over a network.

The MP3 format has rapidly spurred the growth of Web sites that offer downloadable music as well as a controversy over how to protect the copyright of that music. Much of the music available online has been pirated.

Though no top-tier record company has supported the MP3 format, Sub Pop joins a growing list of independent record labels offering MP3 versions of their artists' recordings.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based GoodNoise earlier this month signed an MP3 distribution deal with Rykodisc, the independent label behind musicians Frank Zappa, Bruce Cockburn and Morphine.

MP3.com in January received its first venture funding, a total of $11 million.

Rob Guth is Senior Asian Correspondent for the IDG News Service in Tokyo.