First Auction Uses a2b music for Successful Sale of Jazz Divas CD Set; Number of Bids Increase to Four Times Above Average.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 1999--First Auction, the premier online auction retailer, recently completed a successful trial with a2b music(sm), and found a significant increase -- four times above average -- in the number of bids tendered for the offering.

Using a modified version of a2b MAIL(sm) in a recent promotion of an exclusive CD collection called Jazz Divas, which brings together Billie Holiday's God Bless the Child, Sarah Vaughan's Sophisticated Lady and the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald's Ella. During the 48-hour bidding period, interested customers were able to listen to a sample of Ella performing "Stairway to the Stars."

The sample contained a link back to First Auction's Music & Entertainment category where the listener could place a bid if they desired. This modification of a2b MAIL, which is an executable file normally sent out like a regular email, allowed potential buyers to sample music without having to download any players. The file was also available directly from the web site.

"As we expand our CD selections, we need to provide new and exciting ways to make shopping for CDs more entertaining," said Ken Neibaur, senior vice president for marketing and executive producer of Internet Shopping Network which operates First Auction. "Using a2b MAIL is a great way to give our customers a first listen to the music we're offering at First Auction, and a great way to give them confidence in their purchase."

"First Auction allowed us to show once again how a2b music can help generate the sale of CDs here and now," said a2b music's chief operating officer Larry Miller. "This application of a2b MAIL is especially useful to people who perhaps have never listened to music over the Internet before - without having to download any type of player, they are able to sample the CD to make their purchasing decision."

About Internet Shopping Network

Internet Shopping Network (www.isn.com), a division of USA Networks Interactive, launched the world's first online store in 1994. ISN continues its online commerce innovation with First Auction (www.firstauction.com), the first real-time online auction, featuring a diverse selection of home and leisure products, jewelry, apparel, consumer electronics and computers. ISN plans to launch new commerce sites in 1999 including an online outlet shopping center. Internet Shopping Network is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA.

About a2b music

a2b music (http://www.a2bmusic.com), an Internet marketing and technology company, is leading the music industry in innovative uses of secure digital audio distribution. a2b music enables clients to leverage unique Internet opportunities to create customized in-store and online retail sales and marketing promotions. As the exclusive provider of AT&T Labs technologies for Internet delivery of secure digital music, a2b music also makes its compression, mastering and security software available through a licensing program. AT&T and a2b music are founding members of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) Forum, which will create a voluntary digital music security specification.

Since its launch in November of 1997, a2b music has been selected to create cross-media promotions for recording artists such as Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, Tori Amos, Willie Nelson, Garbage, Lenny Kravitz, Counting Crows, The Verve Pipe, Dave Stewart, Joe Walsh, SWV, Rocket From The Crypt and Gravity Kills. a2b music customers include Almo Sounds, Atlantic Records, BMG, Camelot Music, Capitol Records, Dreamworks, Fairwest Direct, Inc., Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Maverick, N2K's Music Boulevard, RCA Records, Tower Records, Trans World Entertainment, TVT Records, Virgin Records and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which uses a2b music's platform to power a digital archive of 27,000 CD-quality songs.

NOTE: a2b music and a2b MAIL are service marks of AT&T Corp.