America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 175 174. Art Records was established and planned The Voice of America

In Neverland, a celebration party is being held.

boom!

Bubbles erupted from the champagne cork, Eric took the drink and swayed it, and the bubbles fell on everyone.

Ha ha ha ha

cheers

Everyone burst out laughing deep in their hearts, and after this hard struggle, victory was finally achieved.

Aomei looked at the news report and giggled: "How did you say these things in front of reporters? Aren't you ashamed?"

Michael shook his head and sighed: "That's why I asked Lawyer Messerio to do it for me. It's still too difficult for me to say these words."

Lawyer Messerio, who usually looks very serious, now also rarely laughed: "I'm afraid Howard Stringer has even eaten our hearts."

Hearing this, Aomei was a little worried.

"Maiko, although you won this time, Sony will definitely retaliate against you. You must be careful."

Messerio waved his hand: "No, McNugget and Sony have signed a new agreement, which includes no retaliation."

"Besides, as long as he holds the copyright, Sony won't dare to take any serious action. If they really have the courage, why should they compromise this time?"

"What I'm more worried about is MGM. This incident has caused too much trouble. Sony has suffered such a big loss and can't get out of it in a short time. But there will definitely be an investigation afterwards. Eric can't hide it. "

Thinking of this, Michael couldn't help but laugh: "Eric, the one who really needs to be careful is you. If Sony wants to target MGM, have you considered how to deal with it?"

Seeing their nervous looks, Eric didn't take them seriously.

He knew very well that once Lionheart went online, it would inevitably have an impact on other film and television companies.

Streaming media is inherently in conflict with TV stations and theaters. It diverts the audience, which is equivalent to taking food from other people's bowls. Who can not hate you?

Anyway, Eric is already prepared to be jointly besieged by the other six major companies. The six major sects are besieging Guangmingding.

He also doesn’t expect other companies to grant MGM film rights by then. There is a high probability that Lionheart will only be able to use MGM’s own film library.

Maybe we can also acquire the film libraries of some small independent companies, and DreamWorks can also consider pursuing them, but DreamWorks' foundation is too thin to be of great use.

All Eric can do is to continue to launch good dramas, attract traffic, and retain users. This is the only way to stand out.

So people must rely on themselves!

So since we will be opponents sooner or later, there is nothing to worry about. The troops will come to cover up the water and the earth will cover it up!

Taking a sip of champagne, Eric said nonchalantly: "How to deal with this? What's there to consider? As long as there are no terrorist attacks such as assassinations, business competition can be relaxed."

"Anyway, since the establishment of Hollywood, the eight major companies have always been in a state of both cooperation and competition."

"Everyone is making movies, so how else can we compete? It's just competing for the box office in the same period, so why should I be afraid of Sony?"

“Although Sony also has some big IPs, such as ‘Spider-Man’, ‘Men in Black’, ‘Mouse’, etc., MGM also has ‘Transformers’, ‘007’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs’.”

"Moreover, the market has seen the company's performance over the past year for all to see. There is too much capital waiting for MGM to be relisted. Who is afraid and who knows?"

Seeing Eric's confident look, everyone couldn't say anything even if they were worried.

After a fun time of eating and drinking, Michael and Eric walked outside.

When we came to the artificial lake, the evening breeze blew, and after being soaked by the lake water, we felt more cool.

"Maiko, now you are finally free. As long as you have this half of the copyright, you can do a lot of things. What are your plans?"

Maikou stared at the lake and said softly: "Until this moment, I still feel that everything is a dream. Although I have had the idea of ​​leaving Sony, I always think it is an unrealistic fantasy."

"Eric, your appearance is like a gift from God, helping me start a new life. Thank you!"

Looking at Maikou, who seemed calm but was actually very excited, Eric was also quite emotional. Compared with the fragmented life in the original time and space, this was not just a new life, but also full of light and hope.

Patting him on the shoulder, Eric's tone was very complicated: "You are my idol, you are like a light that has given many people happiness and hope. Maybe I am the person sent by God to give you a reward. "

The two looked at each other and smiled. Although they had known each other for only half a year, the trials and tribulations they had experienced together had exceeded many people's lifetimes, and their relationship was already stronger than old friends.

"Eric, the new agreement I signed with Sony sets many restrictions on the use of this half of the copyright, so the best solution is to open my own music company."

"Even if we redo distribution channels, it is better than being controlled by others. I think with our resources and capabilities, we will definitely become a super music company comparable to Sony, Universal, and Warner in the future."

"us?"

"Yes, it's us, Eric. I want to invite you to set up a new company together. I have already thought of the name of the company. It will be called Art Records."

"The source is my initial 'M' plus your initial 'E', Art Records."

"You will enjoy 49% of the company's equity. This is my reward for you."

"I hope you don't dislike it. This is already the most precious thing I can give you."

Eric was stunned for a moment. It wasn't that it was too little, but that it was too much. He knew very well what 49% of the equity meant.

That means he will be able to enjoy the profits of McQueen itself and Sony's many contracted singers.

For example, if Britney Spears makes $100 million through the company this year, she can take away about 20% of the income.

This ratio is floating, each company is different, and each singer signs a different contract.

If you are a newcomer and sign with a big company like Sony, the ratio may be reduced to 15% or even lower.

If you are also a newcomer, if you sign with a small company or studio, the proportion will increase a lot, generally reaching more than 30%.

However, the price of small companies and small labels is that they have weak publicity and distribution channels. Their album sales may not reach half of those of other big companies, and the money they get in the end is not as good as signing with a big company.

After Britney takes 20%, the company's operating expenses and taxes must be deducted. After deducting these miscellaneous expenses, Sony and McQueen can equally share the remaining part.

As for how much is left, it varies from person to person. For example, if 40% is left, then McQueen will get 20%, which is US$20 million.

This is equivalent to him just sitting at home and doing nothing, and he can take away a share of 20 million US dollars.

And Sony has to distribute and operate it. It has done all the work and still gets the money. Do you think it is jealous or not?

But what about jealousy? Who allowed you to covet the music library in the hands of Maikou? Sony Music has grown step by step from the 1990s to the present, and Maikou has made great contributions.

He personally and the music library in his hands have also made billions of dollars for Sony. Everyone is mutually beneficial.

And now that Mykko has established a new company, it means that the 20% of the profit that he originally could share will be shared with Eric again at 49%, which is almost equivalent to a 50-50 split between the two, and its value is inestimable.

However, since Michael is now an independent musician, his copyright has limits.

First of all, Sony Music in Japan is independent, and Maikou does not enjoy the rights.

Then from the moment he left Sony, he would not be able to enjoy the rights if Sony's singers released new albums.

The copyright rights in his hands only last from the establishment of Sony Music to this moment.

Over time, the value of these songs will become less and less, and some will even be transferred to public copyright, but even so, they are still a very considerable wealth.

"Maiko, I am very willing to establish a company with you, but 49% is too high and I cannot accept it."

But Maikou said in an unquestionable tone: "No, you have to accept it. Apart from you, I can't think of anyone who deserves it more."

"But 49% is really too much. I can accept it, but at most 20%, I will use a sum of money as the company's registered capital."

Maikou turned around and looked at Eric, his eyes were clear: "Eric, are you my friend?"

"Of course, I consider you my best friend."

"Then don't say no anymore. I also regard you as my best friend. These shares are not as good as the friendship between us."

Looking at his sincere eyes, Eric nodded slowly: "Well, let's work together to build Meiyi into a new music giant, not only to rival Sony, but also to surpass it. We must also acquire it in the future and make it a new music giant." Get all the copyrights back.”

Eric accepted the shares, and Maikou smiled. He bent down and picked up a pebble and threw it out, making several splashes on the lake.

"Eric, I have also made some ideas for the company, just like these few splashes, gradually growing it."

"First of all, I plan to release a new album as soon as possible. The success of "rolling in the deep" made me understand something. I must adapt to the new market environment and make certain changes in the style of music."

"Then there is the matter of concerts. It is not easy or impossible to hold a world tour without the help of Sony, so next year I plan to hold concerts in China first, at least to re-establish the momentum first. stand up."

"Another very important thing is to discover some good talents. Good artists are the company's real assets. Only by constantly injecting fresh blood can the company develop in the long run."

"That's all I have to think about for now, do you have any ideas?"

The plan that had been drawn up appeared in Eric's mind, and then he introduced the situation of Lionheart Network and the oil pipeline to Mykou in great detail.

He has been using Facebook very diligently during this period, and his understanding of the Internet has deepened a lot.

Especially through the war with Sony, I have a deep impression of the spread of the Internet.

"Eric, what do you mean, after YouTube goes online, I will authorize the copyright in my hand to YouTube?"

Eric nodded: "Yes, in this case, YouTube can use your copyright to achieve faster development, and Fine Art can also charge fees."

"It feels no different from the general authorized music library." Maikou was a little confused.

"For the time being, the difference is really not big. I plan to buy a one-year right to use it for free for users. After all, the oil pipeline is still in its infancy."

"When YouTube develops in a year's time, a new cooperation model will be adopted. For example, Meiyi authorizes YouTube to use it, but how much money it makes will be based on the number of views, advertising and promotion, etc."

"Oh. This cooperation model sounds relatively new. It gives me a feeling of a new era of the Internet."

"Yes, this was the first idea, and then it was the music variety show on Lionheart. I intend to create a novel program to compete with American Idol. The tentative name is The Voice."

"Music talent show?" Mike asked.

"That's right, but it's not an audition, it's about selecting the contestants in advance. We only want elites to successfully present a high-quality competition. The contestants will be able to show singing skills that are no weaker than those of professional singers when they take the stage."

"The selected singers will sign contracts with Meiyi, which will be used to replenish fresh blood."

"It sounds very interesting. The model is completely opposite to American Idol. One is grassroots and the other is elite. I just don't know which type the audience likes."

"Don't worry about this aspect, because even if the contestants can't compete with American Idol, The Voice has another big selling point, and that is that the instructors compete to compete with each other."

"I plan to invite four music celebrities to form a mentoring group. After the contestants finish singing, if more than one person likes the contestant, then there will be a competition among the mentors."

"When the audience discovers that these big stars are laughing, joking, and making wisecracks, which are completely different from their performances on stage, they will feel very novel."

"So, the protagonists on The Voice appear to be contestants, but the real protagonists are actually the four mentors. I can be sure that after the show is broadcast, the popularity of the mentors will be greatly enhanced."

"Maikou, you are the first mentor I invite!"

Hearing this, he took a step back and tried to imagine the scene in his mind, but he couldn't imagine it, so he could only shake his head helplessly.

"Eric, am I suitable? I rarely participate in variety shows, so I don't know if I can adapt."

Eric chuckled and said, "As long as you sit there, even if you don't say a word, the effect will be enough."

"And in order to ease your possible embarrassment, I also plan to invite your sister to be a mentor."

"You mean Jenny?"

"Well, she is the queen of rock and roll. She is a top-notch female singer. She is more than capable of being a mentor. You will not be lonely with her."

Maikou nodded slightly: "If Jenny is involved, I will indeed be more relaxed. What about the other two people?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'm considering pairing it with two men and two women, plus a rapper and a female singer, but I'm not sure yet what genre the female singer is good at."

"My expectation is to choose one among Whitney Houston, Madonna, Celine Dion and Shania Twain. Do you have any suggestions?"

Maikou thought for a moment: "They are all too outstanding. I can't give you any advice. You can try to invite them. Just choose whoever has a low price and a long term."

"Uh pragmatic!"