Zune Fires Up Live at the BBQ

Zune Fires Up Live at the BBQ

Microsoft's portable entertainment brand brings a unique experience to hip-hop fans with a series of free summer concerts in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

REDMOND, Wash., July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) today announced a series of three summer events to celebrate hip-hop music and the community that surrounds it. The Zune Live at the BBQ series will give fans an opportunity to see top hip-hop artists for free in a unique outdoor environment with music, games and, true to the series' name, a barbecue. The concert hits Los Angeles on July 12, Chicago on July 22, and New York City on Aug. 4. Viral invitations will be sent to fans, and they will be asked to register at a special Web site to receive their ticket.

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"These summer concerts are a great way for Zune to bring fans together with the artists they love," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global Marketing for Zune at Microsoft. "It's a way to show our appreciation to the hip-hop community for its support of the Zune(TM) brand and to bring the music to life for fans."

Artists confirmed to participate in Live at the BBQ include Common, David Banner, UGK, Mos Def, Bilal, Clipse, Collie Budz, E-40, Cham, and Large Professor. Additional artists are being confirmed, and fans can expect a few surprises along the way.

"Live at the BBQ is helping to bring hip-hop back to a golden age where records were produced and iconic artists rose directly out of their local communities," said UGK member Bun B. "It's a chance to put singles, ringtones and industry hype aside and just get a bunch of our friends together for some great music and barbecue. Let's eat."

More information about Live at the BBQ is available at http://www.zune.net/.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment platform that provides an end-to-end solution for Connected Entertainment. The Zune experience includes a 30GB digital media player, the Zune Marketplace music service, and a foundation for an online community that enables music fans to discover new music. Zune Marketplace offers for purchase more than 2.6 million song titles, ranging from popular hits to leading-edge new music. Zune users can download songs individually or by the album using Microsoft(R) Points or a Zune Pass subscription, which offers unlimited downloads for $14.99 a month. Zune Marketplace also offers insightful editorial programming produced by a team of music professionals who aim to bring a local record store experience to the digital world. Zune is part of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company's software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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Source: Microsoft Corp.

CONTACT: Sara Ball, of Edelman, +1-206-268-2236, sara.ball@edelman.com,
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http://www.zune.net/

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