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February 10, 2003

Media Contacts:
UCSD Karen Gajewski, (858) 822-3353
MP3.com: Mike Matey, (858) 623-7296

UCSD MUSIC DEPARTMENT RECEIVES
MORE THAN 33,000 COMPACT DISCS FROM MP3.COM

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) today announced that the Music Department received a collection of 33,799 compact discs from MP3.com. The collection will be housed in the Music Library, which is located in UCSD’s Geisel Library, and amounts to more than 30 years worth of normal compact disc acquisition. It is estimated that it would take more than three-and-a-half years of non-stop 24-hour listening to hear the entire collection, which ranges from classical to jazz to today’s top hits.

The gift from MP3.com’s compact disc vault came to UCSD in an effort to enhance the Library’s existing recording collection, largely comprised of post-1950 art music. The collection increases listening and research opportunities for students and faculty, and supports music courses including music literacy, theory, history, literature, composition, culture and music technology, as well as a wide range of courses on specific music styles, such as opera and jazz. Annually, there are approximately 6,000 undergraduate music enrollments each year, including 3,000 non-music majors who take music classes as part of their overall humanities education.

“We are very grateful to receive this impressive selection of music from MP3.com,” said Frantisek Deak, dean of UCSD’s Division of Arts and Humanities. “It will provide incredible learning opportunities to today’s students, as well as future generations.”

“As a member of the San Diego community, we are pleased to be able to help foster music education at UCSD and hope the donation enhances the continued enjoyment and learning across genres and styles of music,” said Mike Matey, vice president of Marketing for MP3.com.

Brian E. C. Schottlaender, University Librarian, joined Dean Deak in welcoming the gift: “The UCSD Libraries plan to catalog the individual CDs as quickly as possible, both to enable their use by students and faculty, and to create a lasting and complete record of the gift collection.”

The new additions will also support the expansion of the Library’s Digital Audio Reserves Program (DARP). DARP is a research and learning tool that streams audio curriculum over the UCSD Intranet so students may do their homework assignments and study for music exams from any campus-networked computer. The DARP program has reduced last minute lines at library listening stations before course exams.

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About MP3.com

MP3.com is the leading online destination for digital music and a favorite venue for millions of music fans and emerging artists alike. The site showcases one of the Internet’s largest collections of streaming and downloadable music by offering comprehensive charts, genres, editorial features and promotional services for independent as well as major label musicians. Along with RollingStone.com, EMusic.com, MP4.com and truSONIC, MP3.com is part of the Music and Media Group of Vivendi Universal Net USA Group, Inc. -- the U.S. arm of VUNet, Vivendi Universal’s Paris-based Internet and technology unit.