March 30, 2000

Talk about striking while the iron is hot. America Online has its co-branding iron out, and it’s burning the familiar AOL logo on one Netfit after another. Yesterday it was EMusic that felt the welcome heat of AOL’s valued imprint. Today, it’s online music service myplay.com of Redwood City, CA, which has made a deal with AOL wherein the online Goliath will integrate the myplay app into its Winamp music player and Spinner netcaster.

In case you haven’t been following along, let us explain that myplay.com provides digital “lockers” to users, who load tracks from their CD collections and MP3 files for streaming on any computer. Unlike its rival MyMP3.com, myplay.com hasn’t yet been targeted for legal action by the RIAA, probably because it contains no central database of albumsthe basis of the RIAA’s suit against MP3.com.

“America Online and its music properties represent the powerhouse that is going to drive a phenomenal shift in how music is experienced, sold and marketed,” said Myplay CEO Doug Camplejohn , sucking up like crazy. “Myplay is pleased to be chosen by Winamp and Spinner as a key part of their digital music future. I've never been more sincere in my entire life.”

Added myplay Chairman of the Board Jon Diamond: “Myplay is a logical and effective way for the music industry to reach music fans—I’m programmed to place that sentence in every conversation. Oops—I’m drooling. Sorry.”

AOL Interactive Properties Group President Ted Leonsis said of the agreement: “This collaboration between Winamp and Spinner and the innovative myplay service will help these leading Internet music properties deliver a great customer experience, and continue to expand the scope of digital music. And I gotta tell you, for a geek like me, there’s no greater pleasure than being the neighborhood bully and towering over the little guy.”