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

In Neverland Manor, a celebration party was being held.

BANG! The champagne cork burst with bubbles, and Eric splashed the drink, causing the foam to fall on everyone.

Hahahaha, cheers! Everyone laughed from the bottom of their hearts. After this hard struggle, they finally won.

Olsen giggled at the news report and said, "How could you say these things in front of reporters? Aren't you ashamed?"

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

Lawyer Meserio usually looked very serious, but now he laughed out loud, which was rare: "I'm afraid Howard Stringer even wants to eat us."

Hearing this, Ao Mei was a little worried.

"Michael, even though you won this time, Sony will definitely retaliate against you. You must be careful."

Meserio waved his hand. "No, Michael 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 real action. If they really have the guts, why would they compromise this time?"

"I am more worried about MGM. This incident is too big. Sony has suffered such a huge loss and cannot extricate itself from it in the short term. But there will be an investigation afterwards. Eric cannot hide."

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

Seeing how nervous they were, Eric didn't take it 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 cinemas. Diverting the audience is equivalent to stealing food from other people's bowls. Who wouldn't hate you?

Anyway, Eric has already prepared himself for the joint siege by the other six major companies, the six major sects besieging Guangmingding.

He also did not expect other companies to grant MGM the film copyrights at that time. It was likely that Lionheart Network would only be able to use MGM's own film library.

Perhaps it could also acquire the film libraries of some small independent companies, and DreamWorks could also consider trying for them, but DreamWorks’ foundation is too weak to be of much use.

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

So people must rely on themselves! Since we will be rivals sooner or later, what is there to worry about?

After taking a sip of champagne, Eric said nonchalantly, "What's the solution? There's nothing to consider! As long as it's not a terrorist attack like assassination, let the business competition come."

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

"We are all making movies, so how else can we compete? It's just a competition for box office during the same period. How can I be afraid of Sony?"

"Although Sony also has some big IPs, such as Spider-Man, Men in Black, Stuart Little, etc., MGM also has Transformers, 007, and The Silence of the Lambs."

“Besides, the market has witnessed the company’s performance over the past year. There is too much capital waiting for MGM to re-list, and it’s hard to say who is afraid of whom!”

Seeing Eric's confidence, everyone was reluctant to say anything even though they were worried.

After a pleasant meal of eating and drinking, Michael and Eric went outside.

When we arrived at the artificial lake, the evening breeze blew, and after being soaked by the lake water, we felt a cooler feeling.

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

Michael stared at the lake and said softly, "Until this moment, I still feel like I'm dreaming. Although I've thought about leaving Sony, I always thought it was an unrealistic fantasy."

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

Looking at Michael, 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 a new life, full of light and hope.

Patting him on the shoulder, Eric said in a complicated tone: "You are my idol. You are like a ray of light that brings happiness and hope to many people. Maybe I am the one sent by God to give you the reward."

The two smiled at each other. Although they had only known each other for half a year, the hardships and sufferings they had experienced together exceeded those of many people in their entire lives. Their relationship was already stronger than that of old friends.

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

"Even if we have to start over as a distribution channel, it is better than being controlled by others. I think with our resources and capabilities, we will definitely become a super music company on par with Sony, Universal and Warner in the future."

"us?"

"Yes, that's us, Eric. I would like to invite you to set up a new company together. I have already thought of the name of the company. It will be called Meiyi Records Company."

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

"You will have 49% of the company's shares, which is my reward to you."

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

Eric was stunned for a moment. It was not that he thought it was too little, but that it was too much. He knew very well what 49% of the shares meant.

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

For example, if Britney Spears earned $100 million through her company this year, she could take about 20% of the income.

This ratio is floating, it is different for each company and each singer's contract is also different.

If it is a newcomer who signs with a large company like Sony, the proportion may be reduced to 15% or even lower.

For newcomers, if they sign with a small company or studio, the proportion will increase a lot, generally reaching more than 30%.

But the price of being a small company or a small label is that their promotion and marketing channels are weak, and their album sales may not even reach half of those of large companies. In the end, the money they receive is actually less than what they would get if they signed with a large company.

After Britney takes 20%, the company's operating expenses and taxes must be deducted. After all these miscellaneous expenses are deducted, Sony and Michael Kors can share the remaining portion equally.

As for how much is left, it depends on the individual. For example, if 40% is left, then Michael Jordan will get 20%, which is 20 million US dollars.

This means that he can just sit at home and do nothing and still take home a share of $20 million.

Sony has to distribute and operate the film, and it does all the work but still gets paid for it. Don’t you think it’s jealous?

But what can you do if you are jealous? Who made you covet the music library in the hands of Maxwell? Maxwell has made great contributions to the development of Sony Music from the 1990s to the present.

He personally and his music library have also earned billions of dollars for Sony, and it is a mutually beneficial relationship for everyone.

Now that Michael has established a new company, the 20% of the profits that he was originally entitled to will be divided into 49% for Eric again, which is almost equal to half and half for the two of them. The value is inestimable.

However, now that Mike has become an independent musician, his copyright also has limits.

First of all, Sony Music Japan is independent, and Michael Kors cannot enjoy any rights.

Then, from the moment he left Sony, he would not be able to enjoy the benefits when Sony singers released new albums in the future.

The copyright rights he holds only extend from the establishment of Sony Music to this moment.

As time goes by, the value of these songs will become lower and lower, and some will even become public copyright, but even so, it is still a considerable fortune.

"Michael, I am very willing to set up a company with you, but 49% is too high. I can't accept it."

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

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

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

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

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

"Then don't say no. I also regard you as my best friend. These shares are not as valuable as our friendship."

Seeing his sincere eyes, Eric nodded slowly: "Well, let's work together to build Meiyi into a new music giant, not only to be on par with Sony, but also to surpass it. Moreover, we must acquire it in the future and take back all the copyrights."

Eric accepted the shares, Michael smiled, bent down, picked up a piece of pebble and threw it, which made several splashes on the lake.

"Eric, I have also made some ideas for the company, just like these few gradual splashes, and gradually expand 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 some things. I must adapt to the new market environment and make certain changes in my music style."

"Then there's the matter of concerts. Without Sony's help, it's not easy to hold a world tour, or even impossible. So next year I plan to hold concerts in China first, at least to rebuild the momentum."

"Another very important thing is to discover some good talents. Good artists are the real assets of the company. 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 prepared long ago emerged in Eric's mind, and he then introduced the situation of Lionheart Network and YouTube to Michael in detail.

He has been using Facebook quite frequently in recent times and has gained a deeper understanding of the Internet.

Especially through the war with Sony, we have a deep impression of the communicative nature of the Internet.

"Eric, do you mean that after YouTube goes online, I will authorize YouTube to use the copyright in my hands?"

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

"It feels no different from the usual licensed music library." Maikou was a little confused.

"For now, the difference is really not that big. I plan to buy a one-year license and give it to users for free. After all, YouTube is still in its infancy."

"When YouTube develops in a year, a new cooperation model will be adopted. For example, Meiyi will authorize YouTube to use it, but the profit will be divided from the number of views, advertising promotion, etc."

"Oh, this cooperation model sounds quite novel. It gives me a feeling of a new era of the Internet."

"Yes, that was the first idea. Then there was Lionheart Network's music variety show. I intend to create a novel show to compete with American Idol. The tentative name is The Voice of America."

"Music talent show?" Michael asked.

"I guess so, but it's not an open audition. We screen out contestants in advance. We only want the best and want to present a high-quality competition. When contestants go on stage, they can show singing skills that are no less than those of professional singers."

"The selected singers will be signed with Meiyi, which is just right for replenishing fresh blood."

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

"Don't worry about that, because even if the contestants can't compete with American Idol, The Voice still has another big selling point, which is the mentors fighting over candidates."

"I plan to invite four music celebrities to form a mentoring team. After the contestants finish singing, if more than one person likes a contestant, then the mentors will have to compete for the contestant."

"When the audience discovers these big stars joking and telling jokes, which is completely different from their performance on stage, they will find it very novel."

"So, the protagonists of The Voice of China may seem to be the contestants, but the real protagonists are actually the four mentors. I am sure that after the show is broadcast, the mentors' popularity will be greatly increased."

"Maiko, you are the first mentor I invited!"

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

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

Eric laughed and said, "You just sit there, even if you don't say a word, it will be enough to bring about the effect."

"And to ease any embarrassment you may have, I plan to invite your sister to be a mentor as well."

"You mean Jenny?"

"Well, she's the queen of rock and roll, a top female singer, and she's more than qualified to be your mentor. You won't be lonely with her around."

Michael 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 thinking of pairing two men and two women, plus a rapper and a female singer, but I'm not sure what kind of music the female singer is good at."

"My mind is to choose one from Whitney Houston, Madonna, Celine Dion and Shania Twain. What do you suggest?"

Maikou thought for a moment and said, "They are all so outstanding that I can't give any advice. You can try to invite them. Whoever offers the lowest price and longest term can be chosen."

"Uh pragmatic!"

(End of this chapter)