Nero Introduces Reference Quality Nero Digital Audio MPEG-4 and 3G Encoding Software; Free download is available for personal use via Nero website

Karlsbad, Germany (May 17, 2006) – Nero, the leaders in digital media technology, today announced that the Nero Digital Audio reference quality MPEG-4 audio encoding software is now available free of charge via download from the company’s website (www.nero.com). Fully compatible with the latest MPEG-4 audio standard (LC-AAC, HE-AAC and HE-AAC v2), the 3GPP-compatible software enables users to store an entire audio album in a single .mp4 file with the best audio quality available.

A simple text-based command-line interface ensures that Nero Digital Audio is compatible with any existing audio software that consumers may already be using. Every file saved in the Nero Digital Audio codec will have advanced content management built into it, including support for CD-audio index maps, embedded album art and ReplayGain.

“Nero is dedicated to the advancement of Home Entertainment, and Nero Digital Audio gives everyone the opportunity to conveniently create and manage audio files of the highest fidelity,” said Jim Corbett, Executive Director of Nero. “Audio quality and file compatibility are the two most important factors in deciding which codec to use for storing music files. These factors, along with the encoding software’s ready and free availability, make Nero Digital Audio an easy choice for consumers.”

The advanced sound processing features of Nero Digital Audio software address the needs of both the audiophile and casual music enthusiast. For example, the amount of compression can be selected for any given file, from 2.5:1 for the highest fidelity to the maximum compression for storing up to 58 CDs on a single disc. In addition, the ability to handle sampling rates from 8 to 96 kHz and bit rates to 320 kBit/s per channel with constant, average, variable, or double-pass coding modes ensures that users have no difficulty with content from any audio source.

Nero Digital Audio software makes it easy to manage music, offering index maps, support for multiple songs in a single file, and ReplayGain to maintain consistent playback volume levels for every track.

In addition to the PC Windows™ compatible software, Nero Digital Audio offers an optimized decoding/playback solution for embedded hardware platforms running on Windows CE™ / Symbian OS™ / Linux (ARM®, Intel® XScale™, TI-OMAP™, Freescale® mx.21), among others.

The Nero Digital Audio encoding software is available via download --free of charge-- for personal and non-commercial use. Downloading the software is a simple process with step-by-step instructions. Commercial licensing for Nero Digital Audio is also available, please email info@nerodigital.com.

For more information about Nero Digital Audio, please visit: www.nerodigital.com.

Nero (www.nero.com) develops and distributes the world’s leading digital media solutions for consumers and professionals. Today more than 200 million users worldwide rely on Nero’s award-winning and trusted, industry approved applications to manage the needs of the connected digital home and forward-thinking corporations.

Nero’s rapidly-growing portfolio of products defines new levels of innovation in the company’s three key areas of focus: Digital Media Solutions - delivering multimedia applications for audio, video, photo and TV capturing, editing, burning, managing and sharing; Audio and Video Compression Technologies - providing world-class interoperable standards-based solutions for encoding and decoding digital content with support for Next Generation HD and popular handheld formats; and VoIP Solutions - providing cost-effective voice, text and video communication over the Internet for home and business.

Nero products are globally distributed by leading hardware manufacturers, international distribution partners and online portals, and can be purchased directly at www.nero.com. Nero provides worldwide coverage through Nero AG, based in Karlsbad, Germany and two subsidiaries: Nero Inc. in Glendale, California, USA and Nero K.K. in Yokohama, Japan.