Sonic Foundry Adds RealNetworks G2 Support

Sonic Foundry, Inc. (AMEX: SFO) today announced an update to Sound Forge 4.5 that incorporates RealNetworks' G2 file format support for the streaming media marketplace. This important product update addresses the growing audience of Internet content developers who are incorporating media presentation and delivery via the Internet.

RealSystem G2 incorporates revolutionary advances developed by RealNetworks and leading industry hardware and software partners. This allows for the delivery of multimedia presentations that include audio, video, images, Web pages, and text over the Internet or corporate Intranets. The versatile RealSystem G2 delivers rich multimedia presentations over all bandwidths, adds greater security and administration features, provides integration to back office programs, and incorporates efficient customization of existing applications.

"Sound Forge 4.5 includes enhanced Internet authoring capability and now adds G2 support which further demonstrates Sonic Foundry's commitment to providing leading edge Internet authoring tools," said Chief Technology Officer Curtis Palmer. "The media streaming market is one of the fastest growing segments on the Internet, and RealNetworks is the recognized market leader. Sonic Foundry is firmly committed to supporting the RealNetworks G2 technology through the various products we offer and by providing these tools to content developers worldwide."

"We're thrilled that Sonic Foundry has chosen to support RealSystem G2's rich streaming multimedia capabilities with its Sound Forge 4.5 product," said Ben Rotholtz, General Manager, Systems and Tools, RealNetworks, Inc. "The superior features in Sound Forge 4.5 will enable Web page authors to create compelling content enhanced by RealAudio[R] and RealVideo[R] technology."

Sound Forge is a comprehensive audio media editing environment containing a wide range of processes, tools, and effects for manipulating audio. Built from the ground up as a Windows platform product, it features DirectX plug-in compatibility and support for streaming Web audio + video productions. The 4.5 version includes all of the functionality offered by the 4.0 release, plus a built-in batch converter for automated processing of multiple files, a powerful spectrum analyzer function, and an advanced loop editing tool set with support for Sonic Foundry's ACID[TM], a loop-based music creation product.

Current owners of Sound Forge 4.5 are eligible for a free update. Owners of Sound Forge 4.0 are eligible for a $99.00 upgrade. Owners of Sound Forge[R] XP, Sound Forge 2.0, or Sound Forge 3.0 are eligible for a $249.00 upgrade. Demo versions of Sound Forge 4.5 are also available. Sound Forge 4.5 sells for a suggested retail price of $499.00.

About RealNetworks

RealNetworks, (Nasdaq: RNWK), based in Seattle, is the recognized leader in the streaming media market. It develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video, and other multimedia services using the Web. RealNetworks can be found on the World Wide Web at www.real.com.