nucmednet Chapter 020 Copyright and Negotiation
Chapter 020 Copyright and Negotiation
With the arrival of Director Fang, the atmosphere in the office underwent a subtle change.
It's often said that art is responsible for romance and sensual pleasures, while commerce is responsible for money and cash, but the two are not in conflict and can sometimes complement each other, as is the case now.
The three parties—Kingstone Music, the director and producer of the film "Life After Life: Falling Flowers"—and Yang Du each sat down on the sofa.
Before opening the contract, Fang Lei turned his gaze to Yang Du.
"Xiao Yang..." he sighed, "Since everyone's here today, I'd like to ask again, are you really not considering joining Jinshi Music? We can discuss any terms until you're satisfied."
This is not the first time Fang Lei has extended an olive branch.
In fact, ever since the arrangement of "Flammable and Explosive" made a splash in the conference room, he had hinted at it several times in private.
The most recent one was at the victory celebration banquet last night.
"Flammable and Explosive" achieved outstanding results, with both the performers and those behind the scenes receiving project bonuses.
As the most meritorious contributor, Yang Du naturally received a generous bonus of 20 yuan, along with an A-level contract.
If he agrees, the company also promises to set up an independent music studio for him, affiliated with Jinshi.
For a college student who hasn't graduated yet, this is like a windfall, a golden road to instant success.
However, Yang Du politely declined.
The reason is simple, just two words—copyright.
In the music industry, or rather in the entire pan-entertainment content industry, there is an unavoidable term: works made for hire.
Once you sign a full-time contract with the company and become an employee, all the works you create in this position, including lyrics, music, and arrangement, are legally considered works made for hire.
This means that even if you are the creator of the content, the copyright of that content belongs to the company, not you, just like the code written by a programmer belongs to the company, not to you.
Companies can use your songs for licensing, chart rankings, appearances on variety shows, and as background music on short video platforms, making a fortune.
However, the creators themselves can only receive a basic monthly salary, as well as a small bonus or commission stipulated in the contract.
Yang Du declined again: "Director Fang, I appreciate your kindness. You know I'm still a student, and I want to remain free at this stage and try more different things."
Fang Lei was just asking the question; he already had the answer in his heart.
Having been in this industry for so many years, it's easy to tell at a glance whether someone truly wants to join the company.
However, what he didn't understand was why Yang Du was so insistent on being an independent producer.
After all, in the music industry, the Pareto principle is amplified to the extreme, even reaching astonishing levels of 1 and 99.
Every year, tens of thousands of new songs are born on the market, but more than 99% of them don't even make a splash and don't earn a penny.
Only those top 1% of products that become widely known can reap the benefits of the market.
What's worse is that making music is actually very expensive.
Despite the widespread use of electronic devices and the development of the internet, it's not as simple as just having a computer and a sound card to record songs in your dorm room.
However, the cost of producing a single that meets industry standards and can be released to the market is extremely high.
A top-notch recording studio can cost tens of millions of dollars for its equipment, leaving independent producers with virtually no choice but to rent.
Furthermore, no one can guarantee that their song will become a hit. If it doesn't become a hit, it means not knowing where your next meal will come from, it means instability, and it means that life cannot continue.
Most musicians lack this ability to withstand risks, which is the fundamental reason why they exchange the integrity of their copyrights for recording studio resources, distribution channels, and a guaranteed income from large companies.
Ultimately, it was all a last resort.
They cannot predict the future, nor can they guarantee that their songs will become hits or that they will generate stable output.
But Yang Du is different.
He has enough confidence.
He'll only have more and more cards to play.
"Alright, everyone has their own ambitions, and I won't force you." Fang Lei got down to business, "The main purpose today is to finalize the project collaboration for the song 'Painting Heart'."
"After the brief communication just now, the current cooperation framework is as follows."
"The film 'Life After Life' is the client, and the production company invested 50 RMB to purchase the rights to the song 'Painting Heart' as both a theme song and promotional song for the film, as well as to provide customized production services."
"In this project, Jinshi Music, as the distribution agent and platform provider, is responsible for providing a complete set of recording studios, singers, and connections with major music platforms for promotion and distribution."
"According to industry practice, Jinshi Music will take 20% of the 50 yuan front-end fee as an agency service fee."
"And Yang Du..." Director Fang looked at Yang Du, "You will be working with Kingstone Music as an independent producer on this project, taking full responsibility for the recording and production of 'Painting Heart,' and enjoying 80% of the remaining 50 front-end fee."
This is reasonable. Jinshi Music provides the equipment and distribution channels, acts as a guarantor and support, and takes 20% of the profits. They have nothing to say about it.
Yang Du nodded in satisfaction; the 40 yuan had been deposited into his account.
"In addition, given the importance of this theme song to the film, Mr. Wang Shihui served as the producer of 'Painting Heart'."
This project originally belonged to Wang Shihui, so it's perfectly reasonable to have him as the producer.
"In addition to the front-end costs, the back-end profit distribution also needs to be clearly defined." Fang Lei continued, "After the completion of 'Painting Heart' and its release on major music platforms, as the copyright holder of the lyrics and music, Yang Du, you will still enjoy 10% of the song's subsequent commercial revenue from downloads and streaming.
"That's about it. Does anyone have any other opinions?"
"I have it," Yang Du gestured.
"Oh, which one?"
"Producer points. I was a newbie during the time of 'Flammable and Explosive,' but for this time with 'Painting Heart,' I want 3% of the producer points."
Wang Shihui coughed, stared wide-eyed at Yang Du, and said, "Producer points, you really dare to say that."
When an ordinary producer creates a single, they only receive a producer fee. For example, Yang Du was paid 2 yuan for coordinating the production of "Flammable and Explosive".
Only senior producers can earn producer points and participate in the later revenue sharing.
The director and producer exchanged a glance and watched the show unfold. In any case, all they wanted was the rights to the theme song for "Painting Heart." The profit distribution between Jinshi Music and Yang Du was of little concern to them.
When it comes to real money, Fang Lei was adamant: "Producer points are the treatment for senior producers. Frankly speaking, although you proved yourself with 'Flammable and Explosive,' 'Painted Heart' is only your second work. Isn't that taking too big a step?"
Yang Du retorted, "The 'Flammable and Explosive' citation mentioned by Director Fang is my first reason, which I will not elaborate on."
"Secondly, I was responsible for everything from the lyrics and music to the arrangement and production of 'Painting Heart,' and it was approved by the client. With the support of the movie promotion later on, the results shouldn't be bad."
The director and producer nodded; they were producing a top-tier S-level production, so their publicity and distribution resources wouldn't be lacking.
"Third, my identity has just been revealed and I have a lot of traffic. As my second song, even if 'Painting Heart' cannot become the interlude for 'Life After Life Falling Flowers,' I am confident that I can get 3% of producer points elsewhere."
This is a typical example of monetizing traffic.
Before Fang Lei could react, the director, who had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, couldn't sit still any longer.
What will happen to their songs if I go to another music company?
They signed a contract with Jinshi Music.
"Mr. Fang, I think Brother Yang makes a lot of sense. 3% producer points is definitely an exception for a producer like Brother Yang, right, Uncle Wang?"
Wang Shihui glared at him, "Don't drag me into this."
Seeing that Wang Shihui didn't respond, the producer chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Fang. 'Painting Heart' is of excellent quality, and its subsequent promotional efforts will undoubtedly make it a huge hit. This extra 3% can be considered as buying into Yang Du's popularity; it's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it."
After a heated exchange, Fang Lei shook his head helplessly: "You little rascal, you just can't stand to be taken advantage of."
As he spoke, he gestured to the legal staff standing beside him.
The latter immediately took out a brand new contract from his briefcase and distributed it to everyone.
When Yang Du received the contract, he was delighted. Compared to the previous contract, there was a new clause: 3% producer points.
"Director Fang, so you had two backup plans after all."
"Haha, business is business."
Wang Shihui felt a little numb as he watched Yang Du successfully secure 3% of the producer points.
When Yang Du collaborated with Jinshi last time, he only received a beginner price of 2. Not long after, the producer fee has soared to 40—although the bulk of it is the licensing fee for the songs used in the movie—and he has also received producer points that many producers dream of.
After all those years of hard work and struggle, Old Wang only has 5% producer points.
The younger generation is truly formidable.
Yang Du flipped through the contract, looking at the densely packed professional terms, scope of authorization, liability for breach of contract, and other details, and felt a headache coming on.
He decisively closed the folder: "I'll take the contract back first and have a knowledgeable lawyer review it. Once I've confirmed there are no problems, I'll return it first thing tomorrow morning. You all don't mind, do you?"
This is not Yang Du being presumptuous.
When he signed the contract for "Flammable and Explosive", his primary goal was to get a ticket to the project and secure the producer position first.
The opportunity was fleeting, and there was no time to hesitate. With Tao Cheng acting as a go-between, he didn't care about the minor details and signed the contract without hesitation.
This time is different; it involves a large sum of money, so there's no room for carelessness.
Even a single punctuation mark missing in something written in black and white can cause huge losses.
Yang Du suddenly realized that as his career took off, he urgently needed a professional team to handle his problems.
The others in the office had no objection to Yang Du's caution.
Not to mention Yang Du, the director and producer also need to be taken back to the company for legal assistance to confirm.
Fang Lei smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. It's always safest to leave professional matters to professionals."
"It's settled then, see you tomorrow."