Feb. 8, 1999
IBM and the big five record companies announce they’ll test digital downloads on high-speed cable access provider Roadrunner with 1,000 album titles available.

Feb. 24, 1999
Sony says it has developed a copy protection method called Open MG and Magicgate.

February 1999
Leonardo Chiariglione of Telecom Italia, a co-creator of the MP3 format, is named to head the Secure Digital Music Initiative. He vows to have standards published by June.

March 3, 1999
IBM, Intel and Matsushita announce a watermark to prevent illegal copying of a new music format.

April 7, 1999
Universal and BMG music join forces to form Getmusic.com, Peeps.com, Bugjuice.com, Twangthis.com.

May, 1999
Real Networks' Jukebox debuts, allowing consumers to create play lists from music they find online as well as music from their own CD collections.

May, 1999
Napster, software created by a Boston college student and funded by his uncle, incorporates in California.

May 20, 1999
MTV announces it will acquire SonicNet, one of the original music Web sites, and The Box, an interactive television music service.