Document:

EXHIBIT 4.3
                                                                     -----------
                          REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

           This Registration Rights Agreement dated as of the ___ day of August,
2001 by and between Able Laboratories, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and the Purchasers listed on the execution page of this Agreement
(the "Purchasers").

           WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, the Purchasers are purchasing from the Company, pursuant to the Stock
Purchase Agreement dated the date hereof (the "Purchase Agreement"), shares of
Series Q Convertible Preferred Stock, $.01 par value per share, of the Company
that are convertible into shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value per share, of
the Company; and

           WHEREAS, the Company desires to grant to each Purchaser the
registration rights set forth herein with respect to the Registrable Securities
(as defined below).

           NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

           1. DEFINITIONS. For all purposes of this Agreement, all of the words
and expressions used herein which are not defined herein, but which are defined
in the Purchase Agreement, shall have the same respective meanings herein as the
meanings specified therein. As used in this Agreement:

               (a) the term "Business Day" shall mean any day other than
          Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are not
          required to be open in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

               (b) the term "Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange
          Commission;

               (c) the term "Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock, par
          value $0.01 per share, of the Company or any other security into which
          the Preferred Stock may, by its terms, be converted;

               (d) the term "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange
          Act of 1934, as amended, or any federal statute or code which is a
          successor thereto;

               (e) the term "Form S-3" shall mean the form so designated,
          promulgated by the Commission for registration of securities under the
          Securities Act, and any forms succeeding to the functions of such
          form, whether or not bearing the same designation;

               (f) the term "Holder" shall mean any Purchaser;

               (g) the term "Preferred Stock" shall mean the shares of Series Q
          Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company
          issued to the original Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement;

               (h) the terms "register", "registered" and "registration" shall
          refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing a
          registration statement in compliance with the Securities

<PAGE>

          Act and the declaration or ordering by the Commission of effectiveness
          of such registration statement;

               (i) the term "Registrable Securities" shall mean, in relation to
          a Holder at any particular time: (i) all shares of Common Stock
          issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock held of record by the
          Holder at such time; (ii) all shares of Common Stock held of record at
          such time by the Holder as a result of such conversion or exercise;
          and (iii) shall not include any other shares of capital stock of the
          Company without the consent of the Holder; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
          with respect to any particular Registrable Security, such security
          shall cease to be a Registrable Security when, as of the date of
          determination, (A) it has been effectively registered under the
          Securities Act and disposed of pursuant thereto, (B) registration
          under the Securities Act is no longer required for the immediate
          public distribution within a 90-day period of such security together
          with all other Registrable Securities held by the Holder pursuant to
          the provisions of Rule 144 thereunder, or (C) it has ceased to be
          outstanding;

               (j) the term "Registration Expenses" shall mean all expenses
          incident to the Company's performance of or compliance with Section 4
          and 5, including, without limitation, all registration, filing,
          listing, and NASD fees, all fees and expenses of complying with
          securities or blue sky laws, all word processing, duplicating,
          printing and engraving expenses, messenger and delivery expenses, the
          fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and of its
          independent public accountants, including the expenses of any audits
          or comfort letters required by or incident to such performance and
          compliance, the fees and disbursements of a single counsel retained by
          the Holder or Holders of more than 50.1% of the Registrable
          Securities, not to exceed $5,000, premiums and other costs of policies
          of insurance against liabilities arising out of the public offering of
          the Registrable Securities being registered, and any fees and
          disbursements of underwriters customarily paid by issuers or sellers
          of securities, but excluding underwriting discounts and commissions
          and transfer taxes, if any.

               (k) the term "Registration Statement" shall mean the registration
          statement and any additional registration statements contemplated by
          Section 4, including (in each case) the prospectus, amendments and
          supplements to such registration statement or prospectus, all exhibits
          thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
          incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

               (l) the term "Rule 144" shall mean Rule 144 issued by the
          Commission under the Securities Act, or any subsequent rule pertaining
          to the disposition of securities without registration; and

               (m) the term "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of
          1933, as amended, or any federal statute or code which is a successor
          thereto.

           2. CONVERSION SHARES. Each Holder shall, for all purposes of this
Agreement, unless the context shall otherwise require, be deemed to hold, at any
particular time, all shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon conversion
of the Preferred Stock held of record by the Holder at such time.

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<PAGE>

           3. RESTRICTION ON TRANSFER. Each Holder acknowledges and understands
that prior to the registration of the Registrable Securities as provided herein,
the Registrable Securities are "restricted securities" as defined in Rule 144
and that no disposition or transfer of the Registrable Securities may be made by
the Holder in the absence of (i) an opinion of counsel to the Holder that such
transfer may be made without registration under the Securities Act (which shall
be reasonably acceptable to the Company), or (ii) such registration.

           4. REGISTRATION ON FORM S-3. The Company will, as soon as practical,
but in no event later than 180 days following the date hereof (the "Registration
Period"), prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement on Form
S-3 to permit a public offering and resale of the Registrable Securities under
the Securities Act on a continuous basis under Rule 415. Subject to receipt of
necessary information from the Holders, the Company will use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared effective
by the Commission within the Registration Period. To the extent not unlawful,
the Company will pay all Registration Expenses of each registration of
Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 3. The number of shares of
Common Stock designated in the Registration Statement to be registered shall be
equal to the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the
Preferred Stock. If at the time the Company files the Registration Statement the
maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the
Preferred Stock is not yet determinable pursuant to the conversion provisions of
the Preferred Stock, the Company agrees that it will register a reasonable
estimate of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the
Preferred Stock The Company agrees that it will file such amendments and/or
supplements to the Registration Statement, and also agrees to file such
additional Registration Statements, as is necessary in order to ensure that at
all times at least 100% of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon
conversion of the Preferred Stock are included in a Registration Statement.

           5. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. The Company will use commercially
reasonable efforts in good faith to effect promptly the registration of the
Registrable Securities under the Securities Act and to permit the public
offering and resale of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the
intended method of disposition thereof, and, in connection therewith, the
Company, as expeditiously as shall be reasonably possible, will:

               (a) prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement
          with respect to the Registrable Securities, and thereafter use its
          commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement
          to become and remain effective until the date that is two years after
          the date such Registration Statement is declared effective by the
          Commission or such earlier date when all Registrable Securities
          covered by such Registration Statement have been sold (the
          "Effectiveness Period"); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that before filing such
          Registration Statement or any amendments thereto, the Company will
          furnish to the Holders and their counsel copies of all such documents
          proposed to be filed.

               (b) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and
          supplements to such Registration Statement and the prospectus included
          in such Registration Statement as may be necessary or advisable to
          comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities
          Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such

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<PAGE>

          Registration Statement or as may be necessary to keep such
          Registration Statement effective and current during the Effectiveness
          Period;

               (c) prepare and file with the Commission additional Registration
          Statements if the number of Registrable Securities at any time exceeds
          100% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a
          Registration Statement within 30 days of such occurrence.

               (d) furnish to each seller of Registrable Securities such number
          of copies of such Registration Statement, each amendment and
          supplement thereto (in each case including all exhibits thereto), the
          prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each
          preliminary prospectus) in conformity with the requirements of the
          Securities Act, and such other documents as any such seller may
          reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the
          Registrable Securities held by such seller;

               (e) enter into such customary agreements and take all such other
          customary actions in connection therewith in order to expedite or
          facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities;

               (f) use its commercially reasonable efforts to register and
          qualify the Registrable Securities covered by such registration
          statement under such securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions
          as any seller shall reasonably request and do any and all such other
          acts and things as may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable
          such seller to consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of the
          Registrable Securities held by such seller; PROVIDED, HOWEVER that the
          Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify to do
          business or file a general consent to service of process in any such
          jurisdiction;

               (g) notify each seller of Registrable Securities at any time when
          a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the
          Securities Act of the happening of any event as a result of which the
          prospectus included in a Registration Statement, as then in effect,
          includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a
          material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
          statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then
          existing and use its reasonable efforts to amend or supplement such
          prospectus in order to cause such prospectus not to include any untrue
          statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
          to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
          misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing; and

               (h) use reasonable efforts to cause all Registrable Securities to
          be listed on such securities exchange on which similar securities of
          the Company are then listed and to be qualified for trading on each
          system on which the securities issued by the Company are from time to
          time qualified.

           Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time or from time to time
after the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company
notifies the Holders in writing of the existence of a Potential Material Event,
the Holders shall not offer or sell any Registrable

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<PAGE>

Securities, or engage in any other transaction involving or relating to the
Registrable Securities, from the time of the giving of notice with respect to a
Potential Material Event until such Holders receive written notice from the
Company that such Potential Material Event either has been disclosed to the
public or no longer constitutes a Potential Material Event; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that the Company may not so suspend the right of such Holders of Registrable
Securities for more than two twenty (20) Business Day periods in the aggregate
during any period of 12 consecutive months, during the periods the Registration
Statement is required to be in effect ("Permitted Suspension Period") and;
PROVIDED, FURTHER, that the Effectiveness Period shall be extended by any
Permitted Suspension Period;

           "Potential Material Event" shall mean any of the following: (i) the
possession by the Company of material information not ripe for disclosure in a
Registration Statement, which shall be evidenced by determination in good faith
by the Board of Directors of the Company that disclosure of such information in
the Registration Statement would be detrimental to the business and affairs of
the Company; or (ii) any material engagement or activity by the Company that
would, in the good faith determination of the Board of Directors of the Company,
be adversely affected by disclosure in a Registration Statement at such time,
which determination shall be accompanied by a good faith determination by the
Board of Directors of the Company that the registration statement would be
materially misleading absent the inclusion of such information.

           6. COOPERATION BY PROSPECTIVE SELLERS, ETC.

               (a) The Holders will furnish to the Company in writing such
          information as the Company may reasonably require from the Holders or
          as required by the Commission, and otherwise reasonably cooperate with
          the Company in connection with any Registration Statement with respect
          to such Registrable Securities.

               (b) The Holders of Registrable Securities included in any
          Registration Statement will not (until further notice) effect sales
          thereof after receipt of telegraphic or written notice from the
          Company to suspend sales to permit the Company to correct or update
          such Registration Statement or prospectus.

               (c) Each Holder agrees that it will deliver a prospectus in
          accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act and all
          applicable rules of the Commission in connection with each sale and
          will notify the Company when it has sold all of its Registrable
          Securities.

           7. INDEMNIFICATION.

               (a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company will indemnify
          the Holders, the officers, directors, and partners of each such
          Holder, and each person who controls any thereof (within the meaning
          of the Securities Act), against any and all claims, losses, damages,
          and liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), joint or several, to
          which such Holder or any such officer, director, partner, or
          controlling persons may become subject under the Securities Act or
          otherwise arising out of or based on any untrue statement (or alleged
          untrue statement) of any material fact contained in any Registration
          Statement, prospectus, offering circular, or other document, or any
          amendment or supplement

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<PAGE>

          thereto, incident to any registration, qualification, or compliance
          (or in any related registration statement, notification or the like)
          or any omission (or alleged omission) to state therein any material
          fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
          therein not misleading, or any violation by the Company of any rule or
          regulation promulgated under the Securities Act applicable to the
          Company and relating to any action or inaction required of the Company
          in connection with any such registration, qualification, or
          compliance, and the Company will reimburse each such Holder, officer,
          director, partner, and controlling person for any legal or other
          expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or
          defending any such claim, loss, damage, liability, or action;
          PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company will not be liable in any such
          case to the extent that any such claim, loss, damage, or liability
          arises out of or is based on any untrue statement or omission based
          upon written information furnished to the Company in an instrument
          duly executed by such Holder, officer, director, partner, or
          controlling person and stated to be exclusively and specifically for
          use therein. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect
          regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Holder,
          officer, director, partner, or controlling person.

               (b) Indemnification by the Holders. Each Holder will indemnify
          the Company, its officers and directors, and each person, if any, who
          controls any thereof (within the meaning of the Securities Act) and,
          if required by the underwriter effecting the related registration,
          such underwriter, and their respective successors in title and assigns
          against any and all claims, losses, damages, and liabilities (or
          actions in respect thereof) with respect to any untrue statement (or
          alleged untrue statement) of any material fact contained in any
          Registration Statement, prospectus, offering circular, or other
          document incident to any registration, qualification or compliance (or
          in any related registration statement, notification or the like) or
          any omission (or alleged omission) to state therein any material fact
          required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement
          therein not misleading, if such statement or alleged statement or
          omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in
          conformity with written information furnished to the Company through
          an instrument duly executed by such Holder specifically stating that
          it is for use in the preparation of such Registration Statement,
          prospectus, offering circular, or other document; and each Holder will
          reimburse the Company and each other person indemnified pursuant to
          this paragraph (b) for any legal and any other expenses reasonably
          incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claim,
          loss, damage, liability or action; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such
          Holder's liability under such indemnification shall be limited to the
          net sales proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of
          Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement,
          prospectus, offering circular, or other document.

               (c) Indemnification Proceedings. Each party entitled to
          indemnification pursuant to this Section 6 (the "indemnified party")
          shall give notice to the party required to provide indemnification
          pursuant to this Section 6 (the "indemnifying party") promptly after
          such indemnified party acquires actual knowledge of any claim as to
          which indemnity may be sought, and shall permit the indemnifying party
          (at its expense) to assume the defense of any claim or any litigation
          resulting therefrom; PROVIDED that counsel for the indemnifying party,
          who shall conduct the defense of such claim or litigation, shall be
          reasonably acceptable to the indemnified party, and the indemnified

                                      -6-
<PAGE>

          party may participate in such defense at such party's expense; and
          PROVIDED, FURTHER, that the failure by any indemnified party to give
          notice as provided in this paragraph (c) shall not relieve the
          indemnifying party of its obligations under this Section 6 except to
          the extent that the indemnifying party is damaged as a result of the
          failure to give notice. No indemnifying party, in the defense of any
          such claim or litigation, shall, except with the consent of each
          indemnified party, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any
          settlement which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the
          giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a
          release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation. The
          reimbursement required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic
          payments during the course of the investigation or defense, as and
          when bills are received or expense, loss, damage, or liability is
          incurred.

           8. RULE 144 REQUIREMENTS. The Company will make publicly available
and available to the Holders of Registrable Securities, pursuant to Rule 144 of
the Commission under the Securities Act, such information as shall be necessary
to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities to make sales of Registrable
Securities pursuant to such rule. The Company will furnish to any Holder of
Registrable Securities, upon request made by such Holder at any time, a written
statement signed by the Company, addressed to such Holder, describing briefly
the action the Company has taken or proposes to take to comply with the current
public information requirements of Rule 144. The Company will, at the request of
any Holder of Registrable Securities, upon receipt from such Holder of a
certificate certifying (i) that such Holder has held such Registrable Securities
for a period of not less than one (1) year, (ii) that such Holder has not been
an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company for more than the ninety
(90) preceding days, and (iii) as to such other matters as may be appropriate in
accordance with such rule, remove from the stock certificates representing such
Registrable Securities that portion of any restrictive legend which relates to
the registration provisions of the Securities Act, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, in the
event that Foley, Hoag & Eliot LLP is no longer counsel to Company, counsel to
Holder may provide such instructions to the transfer agent regarding the removal
of the restrictive legend.

           9. MISCELLANEOUS.

               (a) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company will not, at any time
          after the date of the Purchase Agreement, enter into any agreement or
          contract (whether written or oral) with respect to any of its
          securities that prevents the Company from complying in any respect
          with the registration rights granted by the Company to the Holders of
          Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement.

               (b) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement,
          including the provisions of this paragraph (b), may not be amended,
          modified, or supplemented, and any waiver or consent to or any
          departure from any of the provisions of this Agreement may not be
          given and shall not become or be effective, unless and until (in each
          case) the Company shall have received the prior written consent of the
          Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities for any such
          amendment, modification, supplement, waiver, or consent.

                                      -7-
<PAGE>

               (c) Permitted Transferees. All of the agreements contained in,
          and all of the rights granted by the Company pursuant to this
          Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
          parties hereto and their respective heirs, successors, and assigns. In
          addition, whether or not an express assignment shall have been made,
          the provisions of this Agreement that are for the benefit of the
          parties hereto other than the Company shall also benefit of and be
          enforceable by any subsequent holder of any Registrable Securities,
          PROVIDED, that the transfer Registrable Secutities to such subsequent
          holder shall have been made in accordance with applicable laws and
          regulations and all applicable provisions of the Purchase Agreement.

               (d) Notices. All notices, requests, consents, and other
          communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
          delivered by hand, sent via overnight courier, sent by facsimile, or
          mailed by first class certified or registered mail, return receipt
          requested, postage prepaid:

                     if to the Company, to:

                               Able Laboratories, Inc.
                               200 Highland Avenue, Suite 301
                               Needham, MA  02494
                               Attn:  President

                     with a copy to:

                               Foley, Hoag & Eliot LLP
                               One Post Office Square
                               Boston, MA  02109
                               Attn:  David A. Broadwin, Esq.

or to such other person at such other place as the Company shall designate to
the Holders in writing; and if to the Holders, at its address as set forth in
Exhibit A to the Purchase Agreement, or at such other address or addresses as
may have been furnished to the Company in writing.

Notices provided in accordance with this Section 9(d) shall be deemed delivered
(i) upon personal delivery with signature required, (ii) one Business Day after
they have been sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service
(charges prepaid and signature required) (iii) upon confirmation, answer back
received, of successful transmission of a facsimile message containing such
notice if sent between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., local time of the recipient, on any
Business Day, and as of 9 a.m. local time of the recipient on the next Business
Day if sent at any other time, or (iv) three Business Days after deposit in the
mail.

               (e) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
          counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but both of
          which, when taken together, shall constitute but one instrument, and
          shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed
          by each party hereto and delivered to the other party.

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<PAGE>

               (f) Term. The agreements of the Company contained in this
          Agreement shall continue in full force and effect so long as any
          Holder holds any Registrable Securities.

               (g) Severability. In the event that any one or more of the
          provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any
          circumstance, is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the
          validity, legality, and enforceability of any such provision in every
          other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein shall
          not be affected or impaired thereby.

               (h) Remedies. The parties agree that monetary damages would not
          be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach
          and hereby agrees to waive the defense in any action for specific
          performance of such an obligation that a remedy at law would be
          adequate.

               (i) Governing Law. The provisions of this Agreement shall be
          governed by and construed in accordance with the laws (other than the
          choice-of-law rules) of the State of Delaware.

                  [REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

                                      -9-
<PAGE>

           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be executed as of the date first above written by their duly authorized
representatives shown below:

                                      ABLE LABORATORIES, INC.

                                      By:
                                          --------------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                            ------------------------------------
                                      Title:
                                             -----------------------------------

                                      -10-<PAGE>   1

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.53

                AGREEMENT TO EXTEND INITIAL PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT

     This Agreement To Extend Initial Period of Employment (the "Agreement") is
being executed and delivered in connection with ARTISTdirect, Inc.'s (the
"Company") annual meeting of stockholders for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2001 (the "2001 Annual Meeting"), and is being entered into this 27th day
of April, 2001, by and between the Company and Marc P. Geiger ("Employee").

                                    Recitals

     WHEREAS, Employee currently serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company; and

     WHEREAS, Employee and the Company are parties to that certain Employment
Agreement, dated July 28, 1998 (the "Employment Agreement"), pursuant to which
either the Employee or the Company has a right to terminate the Employment
Agreement upon written notice to the other not less than ninety (90) days prior
to July 27, 2001 (the "Initial Period"), as provided for in Section 4 therein;
and

     WHEREAS, the Company intends to nominate Frederick W. Field to be elected
as a director of the Company, and to retain him as Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer of the Company; and

     WHEREAS, the Company will be seeking the approval of its stockholders at
the 2001 Annual Meeting to elect Mr. Field as a director of the Company and to
approve an employment agreement with Mr. Field whereby Mr. Field will be
retained as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company;
and

     WHEREAS, the parties acknowledge that upon the approval by the Company's
stockholders at the 2001 Annual Meeting, Mr. Field will become a director,
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and, in order
to effectuate this transition, the undersigned must voluntarily resign his
position as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company;

     WHEREAS, the parties acknowledge that they are presently engaged in
discussions regarding Employee's new job title and job duties and that the
parties anticipate Employee will be offered and will accept the position of
Vice Chairman of the Board and President, Artist Services, of the Company for
the remaining part of the "Term" as that term is defined in Section 4 of the
Employment Agreement; and

     WHEREAS, Employee acknowledges that Mr. Field's retention as a director,
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company is in the best
interests of the Company and, as a result, in his best interests, and that the
election of Mr. Field as a

<PAGE>   2
director of the Company and retention of Mr. Fields as Chairman of the Board
and Chief Executive Officer of the Company will be expedited in light of this
Agreement; and

        WHEREAS, in lieu of exercising its right to give notice that it will
not be extending the Term of Employee's employment beyond July 27, 2001,
pursuant to Section 4 of the Employment Agreement, the Company is willing to
extend the Initial Term conditioned upon the exchange of consideration as
referenced in Sections 1 and 2 of this Agreement.

                                   Agreement

        NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good
and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby
acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, the parties hereto agree as
follows:

        1.      Employee waives any right he now has, or in the future may
have, to terminate his employment in accordance with Section 7(d)(i) of the
Employment Agreement in connection with: (a) Mr. Field's election as a director
of the Company; (b) the retention of Mr. Field's as Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer of the Company; (c) Employee resigning, terminating
and/or relinquishing his position as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer of the Company; or (d) Employee being offered, accepting, or performing
the job duties assigned to him in connection with the position of Vice Chairman
of the Board and President, Artist Services, of the Company. The parties
acknowledge and agree that Employee's waiver of Section 7(d)(i) of the
Employment Agreement, as set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement, shall not in
any way constitute, and should not be construed as, a waiver of any other
section, provision, term or condition, of the Employment Agreement and that all
other sections, provisions, terms and conditions, contained in the Employment
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

        2.      Employee also agrees to voluntarily resign his position as
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in the event that the Company's
stockholder elect Mr. Field as a director and approve Mr. Field's employment
agreement at the 2001 Annual Meeting.

        3.      In consideration for Employee's waiver as set forth in Section
1 of this Agreement, and Employee's agreement to voluntarily resign his
position as set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement, the Company agrees to (a)
extend the Initial Period to September 30, 2001, unless terminated sooner as
provided for in Section 7 of the Employment Agreement and (b) in the event that
Employee voluntarily resigns as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer pursuant
to Section 2, retain Employee as Vice Chairman and President, ARTIST Services,
for the remainder of the Term, pursuant to the Employment Agreement, as amended
herein. Subject to this Section 3, the reference to "July 28, 2001," in the
third line of Section 4 of the Employment Agreement shall hereafter be deemed
to refer to "October 1, 2001."

        4.      The parties agree that the prevailing party in any action, suit
or proceeding based on, or arising out of, or in any way connected with, the
matters which are referenced or

                                      -2-

<PAGE>   3
covered in this Agreement, shall be entitled to recover its costs, expenses
and attorneys' fees incurred in such action, suit or proceeding.

     5.   This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties
hereto and fully supersedes any and all prior or contemporaneous agreements or
understandings, written or oral, between the parties hereto pertaining to the
subject matter hereof. In particular, the parties agree that this Agreement
shall supersede, replace, and cancel the "Amendment to Employment Agreement"
executed by Employee and the Company on April 27, 2001. Additionally, this
Agreement cannot be changed or modified except by a writing signed by both
parties.

     6.   In entering into this Agreement, the undersigned acknowledges that he
may be waiving significant legal rights and that he has sought and obtained the
legal advice of his attorneys, who are the attorneys of his own choice. The
undersigned further represents that he has completely read the terms of this
Agreement, and that he fully understands and voluntarily accepts those terms.

     7.   This Agreement may not be changed except in a writing signed by the
person(s) against whose interest such change shall operate. This Agreement
shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Employee's and the Company's
respective legal heirs, successors and assigns. This Agreement shall be
governed by and construed under the laws of the State of California without
regard to principles of conflicts of law.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed and delivered this
Agreement as of this 27th day of April 2001.

                                        /s/ MARC P. GEIGER
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        MARC P. GEIGER

ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED:

ARTISTDIRECT, INC.

By: /s/ JAMES B. CARROLL
    -----------------------------------
    James B. Carroll
Title Chief Financial Officer

                                      -3-

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