Supporting Ren Xianqi's Concert

"Brother Qi, to be honest, I do have plans to release a single recently."

Jiang Feng shared his thoughts with Ren Xianqi.

"A single?" Ren Xianqi asked, puzzled. "Why not just release an album?"

"Isn't it because I lack confidence in myself? Besides, an album needs at least ten songs, and I can't write that many in a short time."

"You think you can't write them? That's already four! And if you sign with a record company, they'll hire someone to write songs for you. Getting ten songs is easy."

Ren Xianqi explained the album production process to Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng then realized that there were so many intricacies involved.

"My main focus right now is acting. Singing is just a side thing. I don't want to sign with a record company yet. Besides, I'm not even a singer yet, and no record company wants me."

Jiang Feng knew that once he signed with a record company, it would be like signing a contract to sell himself into servitude, and he would no longer have the freedom he had now.

The waters here are very deep, and he can't grasp them yet.

He doesn't even have an agent, so he's being scammed without even realizing it. The company might even have taken away his song copyrights.

"If you don't want to sign a management contract, you can just sign a cooperation agreement. The record company will only be responsible for the album's production, distribution, sales, etc. Your relationship with the record company is a cooperative one, not a subordinate one..."

Ren Xianqi suggested that Jiang Feng collaborate with Xiao Chong and release a single to test the waters first.

Jiang Feng thought his suggestion was very reasonable.

His relationship with Xiaochong is pretty good, so there's no need to worry about him being scammed.

If you can't trust insects, then you can't trust strangers even more.

Ren Xianqi asked Jiang Feng, "Which single are you planning to release? 'The Gale Sweeps Across the Clouds'? Or 'The Flowers Are Too Fragrant' or 'Flying Birds'?"

"No, I want to write a new song."

Jiang Feng looked on with longing, "Ideally, it would be the kind of pop song that becomes a nationwide hit as soon as it's released, like your 'Too Softhearted'."

"..."

Ren Xianqi paused for two seconds, then laughed and scolded:

"You usually seem quite humble, but when you get arrogant, you can be really conceited. You only encounter songs like 'Too Softhearted' once in a lifetime, and I can't even surpass myself in that regard."

Jiang Feng smiled wryly: "I never thought about surpassing 'Too Softhearted,' it's impossible. I would be satisfied if I could achieve half the success of 'Too Softhearted.'"

"So even if you release a new album in the future, you don't plan to include 'Flowers are too fragrant' or 'Birds'?" Ren Xianqi asked.

"Hmm." Jiang Feng nodded. "These two songs were tailor-made for you, but they don't quite fit the style I'm looking for."

Ren Xianqi smiled.

"Since you put it that way, I'll be blunt. My new album is missing two songs. How about you sell me those two songs?"

Jiang Feng immediately and generously replied, "Brother Qi, you're being too polite. With our friendship, there's no need to talk about selling. I'll give you these two songs!"

He is not a short-sighted person who abandons morality for personal gain.

Ren Xianqi's personal connections are worth far more than the two songs.

"How can that be? Even close brothers should keep their accounts separate. Besides, this money wasn't from me; it came from my record company, Rock Records."

Ren Xianqi then explained the knowledge about song copyright to Jiang Feng.

"The copyright of a song can be divided into many types, including the right of attribution, the right of recording, the right of distribution, the right of adaptation, the right of cover performance... and the right of use in various occasions, such as theme songs for movies and TV dramas, concerts, commercial performances, endorsements, variety shows..."

Jiang Feng was completely baffled.

He never imagined that song copyrights would be so complicated.

"Haha, headache coming on?" Ren Xianqi laughed. "That's why singers have to sign with record companies. Record companies have copyright departments that specialize in handling this kind of thing. If you don't have a record company, you simply can't handle it yourself unless you find a professional agency to represent your copyrights."

"There are roughly two ways to generate revenue from song copyrights: revenue sharing and buyout. For someone like you who doesn't have a record company or a manager, buyout is the easiest option."

Jiang Feng asked, "If I buy it out, does that mean the songs will no longer be my concern?"

"No, buyouts also have time limits: three years, five years, ten years... perpetual. It depends on how many years you want to sell it for, and of course, it also depends on how many years the record company wants to buy it for. After the time is up, the copyright will return to you."

"Regarding the various copyrights mentioned earlier, you can sell them all as a package, or you can sell only a portion and keep some for yourself. In short, the decision of how many copyrights to sell and for how many years is entirely in your hands."

After listening to Ren Xianqi's explanation, Jiang Feng had a general understanding of music copyright.

"Brother Qi, what copyrights do you want to buy? And for how long?"

"It's not up to me to decide; it depends on what my record company, Rock Records, says."

Ren Xianqi said earnestly:

"Regarding the copyright issue, the people in Rolling Stone's copyright department will contact you, brother. I can only guarantee that I won't cheat you, but I can't guarantee that Rolling Stone won't cheat you. After all, I'm just an employee of Rolling Stone and don't have much say. However, I will try my best to fight for more rights for you. You should also keep your eyes open when signing the copyright contract and it's best to consult a lawyer."

Jiang Feng nodded, "I understand, Brother Qi. Thank you for telling me so much."

He once again expressed his admiration for Ren Xianqi's truly good character.

If Ren Xianqi hadn't told him all this, and had instead colluded with Rolling Stone to swindle him, he wouldn't have known.

However, Ren Xianqi not only told him, but also betrayed his own boss to help him.

"Brother Qi, what brings you to the capital?"

After finishing their business, Jiang Feng and Ren Xianqi chatted casually.

"I'm here to hold a concert."

At this point, Ren Xianqi slapped his thigh.

"By the way, Jiang Feng, I can invite you to be my guest performer at my concert!"

"Aren't you planning to release a single? Why don't you come to my concert and sing your new song? That way, I can help you boost your popularity and your single will sell more."

"Is that okay?" Jiang Feng asked doubtfully. "Aren't the guest singers at concerts usually famous singers? I'm not even a singer, so I won't be of any help to your concert."

Ren Xianqi said very generously:

"It's okay, as long as I can help you, that's fine. I'll talk to the company and the organizers, there shouldn't be any problems. Just prepare well, don't embarrass me, and try your best to make a splash!"

Brother Qi is such a good person!

Jiang Feng held Ren Xianqi's hands tightly, his eyes brimming with tears of emotion.

"Brother Qi, you're like a brother to me. I won't say anything more; it's all in the drink!"

He then opened a bottle of beer and chugged it straight from the bottle.

Ren Xianqi was not to be outdone and risked his life to accompany the gentleman.

After a few bottles of beer, Ren Xianqi's face flushed red, and he hiccuped as he spoke in a slightly accented Beijing dialect:

"All...all buddies."

……

When Jiang Feng returned to the dormitory, Zhang Songwen, Zhou Yiwei, and Cui Peng were already asleep.

Zhang Songwen and Zhou Yiwei returned about two weeks ago.

Ren Xianqi's concert is on December 24th, which is Christmas Eve, so there are still ten days to go.

Thinking about being a guest performer at Ren Xianqi's concert, Jiang Feng was so excited that he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in bed like a pancake, unable to fall asleep.

He picked up the "Selected Modern Poems" given to him by Dong Xuan from the bedside table, and randomly opened a page, which happened to be Dai Wangshu's "Rainy Alley".

Holding an oil-paper umbrella, alone

Wandering in the long, long

Another desolate rain-soaked alley,

I hope every time

Like a clove

Sad girl

... "

As Jiang Feng read it carefully, inspiration suddenly struck him.

A song title automatically popped into his mind, followed by lyrics and melodies.

He immediately took a pen and wrote the poem down on the blank page.

"Lilac Flower"

You said you love lilacs the most.

Because your name is her

How melancholy the flower

A sentimental person

... "