Chapter 880
Digital Music Copyright
He sat up abruptly, his eyes flashing with an even brighter light—not the excitement of spotting prey, but the sharp insight into the pulse of the times!
Lu Yang recalled the chaotic yet lucrative early days of the digital music industry in his previous life!
At the dawn when MP3 hardware was just igniting the market and disrupting the consumer electronics landscape, the digital copyright field of the music content itself, the soul attached to it, was a near-wild virgin territory!
Copyright awareness is extremely weak!
Extremely distorted value perception!
The boundaries of the rules are unclear!
Countless classic songs that carry the memories of generations and countless talented musical works are in a transitional period between the old and new eras, characterized by rapid technological advancements and lagging copyright regulations. Their digital copyrights are either treated as "useless" by record companies and disposed of arbitrarily, ignored by songwriters and composers, or even brutally misappropriated by early internet platforms.
Transaction price?
It's outrageously cheap!
It's practically free!
“That’s right!” Lu Yang clenched his fist again, his knuckles unconsciously slamming heavily against the smooth mahogany table, producing a dull thud as if crowning his decision. “Now! Now is the perfect time to stockpile music copyrights! It might even be the last golden window of opportunity with low prices!”
His foresight was crystal clear, like a lighthouse piercing through the fog of the future:
Once MP3 players become widely popular, digital music downloads (whether through computer copying or, in the future, wireless transmission) will become a daily necessity for hundreds of millions of users. The value of music copyrights, especially those classic songs with beautiful melodies, high popularity, and longevity, as well as the copyrights of works by top artists, will inevitably experience an unprecedented explosive growth!
Whoever controls a vast and high-quality library of exclusive or core music copyrights will be able to seize control of their destiny in the upcoming digital music platform battle and gain supreme initiative in the future content distribution ecosystem!
This is not only a goldmine of continuous royalty income, but also the ultimate strategic resource for building a content moat and gaining control of the industry's discourse.
Its long-term value may even surpass that of hardware manufacturing itself.
Just as Lu Yang's thinking became completely clear, and the strategic puzzle of "content is king" was perfectly embedded into the MP3 empire framework, the door to the president's office was pushed open again.
Wei Shu walked in hurriedly. She had just received and digested the top order from Lu Nini to "lock in Langke and acquire it at all costs." Her face still showed that solemnity, but more than that, she was focused on waiting for the new strategic deployment.
Her keen eyes immediately caught the unusual, burning excitement in Lu Yang's eyes, as if he had discovered a new continent.
"Boss, I've clearly designated the Langke project as A+ and will personally oversee its progress. You said there's something new and important?" Wei Shu stood up and got straight to the point; efficiency was an instinct ingrained in her.
Without any preamble, Lu Yang directly presented his newly conceived strategic extension, his voice steady and powerful, carrying the determination to usher in a new era: "Sister Wei Shu, the acquisition of Langke is a crucial battle for the core hardware, and we must win it; we cannot afford to lose! But just now, in the gap between planning the flash memory acquisition, I suddenly realized that the MP3 industry empire we are building requires far more than just 'boxes' that carry music! The soul that drives this box is 'content'! It's massive amounts of high-quality content that is strictly protected by law!"
His gaze was fixed intently on Wei Shu, and he clearly articulated the core message, word by word: "Music! Song copyrights! This is the core value driving the future digital music consumption frenzy! It's the driving force behind users paying for it and becoming addicted to it! And right now..."
He emphasized the fleeting opportunity, stating, "This is the perfect strategic moment for us to massively stockpile digital music rights!"
"Copyright?" Wei Shu was slightly taken aback. This word seemed particularly prominent in the current context of MP3 projects, which are centered around hardware.
But her business acumen and strategic thinking are incredibly sharp!
Almost instantly, she accurately grasped and understood the enormous opportunity implied in Lu Yang's words.
"You mean..." Wei Shu's eyes sharpened, and she quickly confirmed, "Taking advantage of this golden window of opportunity—when digital music is just emerging, user habits haven't been formed, and most record companies, songwriters, and even industry peers have a vague understanding of the potential value of digital copyrights, a chaotic evaluation system, and a near-absence of pricing mechanisms—to buy up core copyright resources on a massive scale at the fastest speed and lowest cost?"
“Absolutely right! Sister Wei Shu, you get it right away!” Lu Yang nodded vigorously, deeply pleased with his capable assistant’s comprehension. “We must seize this fleeting window of opportunity! Act immediately! I require you to personally take charge, or appoint a core executive whose ability and loyalty are absolutely reliable, to form a special task force! There is only one mission: spare no expense, and with lightning speed, acquire as many valuable music copyrights as possible, targeting all those on the market!”
Lu Yang's words were like a pre-battle mobilization speech, resolute and decisive:
"The priorities are as follows: First, classic old songs with extremely high popularity, covering listeners of all ages; second, currently popular hits; third, works by promising newcomers or excellent works by independent musicians! The key targets are established record companies with a huge library of classic songs, and top songwriters who have created a large number of timeless masterpieces!"
Negotiation Strategy: If you can buy out the digital rights outright, do so! If you can't buy them outright, you must sign an exclusive licensing agreement with the longest term, broadest coverage, and exclusivity or at least priority! Remember—
He stared intently at Wei Shu, emphasizing the core principle: "Price is not the primary consideration! We must see through the current fog and focus on the explosive growth of content value over the next five to ten years! This seemingly high investment in copyright hoarding will bring returns that go beyond just huge royalties; it will be the unshakeable cornerstone of our digital content empire! It will firmly secure our core position in the future digital entertainment ecosystem! Let's act now, quickly! Quickly! Quickly!"
After deploying the core instructions of the copyright strategy, Lu Yang did not pause and immediately proceeded to divide the tasks and assign responsibilities to relevant personnel:
"Sister Wei Shu, you're in charge of headquarters, overseeing the overall situation. You're fully responsible for tackling the huge domestic music copyright market! You personally lead the special task force, utilizing all resources and connections to sweep as much of the valuable domestic music copyright library as possible into our pockets!"
"No problem!" Wei Shu agreed without hesitation, his eyes already blazing with fighting spirit. "I will personally oversee the domestic situation and make sure not a single blade is left!"
Lu Yang nodded and continued, "As for Hong Kong and Taiwan, they are the heartland of Chinese pop music, boasting numerous superstars and classic works, so we can't let them go either. This is a tough nut to crack." A glint flashed in Lu Yang's eyes, clearly indicating that he already had someone in mind. "I'll take on that! I'll personally contact the connections in Hong Kong."
Wei Shu had no objection to this arrangement. The Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry is a self-contained system with complex relationships. Having the boss personally intervene and utilize higher-level connections would likely be more efficient.
Just as Wei Shu was about to turn and leave to ignite the fierce battle for copyright acquisition, Lu Yang seemed to remember something and added in a seemingly casual tone, "Oh, right, Sister Wei Shu. When things start moving in China, you can contact Sifei Media first. Xu Siqi is an old acquaintance of yours, and she should have a lot of artist resources and song copyrights. If you can negotiate, prioritize getting them. It's easier to get things done with acquaintances."
When "Xu Siqi" and "Sifei Media" were mentioned, Wei Shu paused almost imperceptibly.
She instantly understood Lu Yang's intention: Sifei Media was indeed a leader among emerging entertainment companies in China. Xu Siqi was outstanding in ability and had abundant resources. More importantly, the complicated and tangled special relationship between her and the boss was something that she could handle herself. This would allow her to be both professional and respectful of the subtle "acquaintance" relationship. She was indeed the most suitable person to approach her.
“Of course.” Wei Shu’s face showed a knowing look, and his tone was calm and even. “Sifei Media is indeed one of the important players in the domestic music copyright industry. President Xu is also an old friend. I will arrange to make contact as soon as possible and strive to reach a cooperation that is beneficial to us.”
She skillfully avoided sensitive points about personal relationships and responded entirely from a business perspective.
Wei Shu left the office without lingering, her mind racing: the core members of the special task force, the preliminary list of target record companies and songwriters, the negotiation strategy framework, the amount of funds to be allocated... Under Lu Yang's command, this iron lady personally lit the fuse for a "land grab" surrounding the copyright of Chinese music.
The office fell silent again.
Lu Yang strolled to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the vibrant energy of Shenzhen.
Two major battles have been launched simultaneously: one for hardware (Netcore flash memory) and the other for software (music copyright).
He took out his phone, his finger hovered over the keys for a moment, and found the Hong Kong number that he had saved for a long time.
This number belongs to director Wang Jing.
The call connected, and Wang Jing's highly recognizable voice, with a hint of Hong Kong accent and the director's characteristic cheerfulness, came through: "Hello? Who's there?"
"Director Wang, it's been a long time. I'm Lu Yang." Lu Yang's voice carried a smile, but also an undeniable weight.
"Wow! Mr. Lu?! What a rare guest!" Wang Jing on the other end of the phone was clearly very surprised, and then her voice became enthusiastic, "Mr. Lu, you're such a busy person, how come you have time to call me?"
“You wouldn’t come here without a reason, Director Wang.” Lu Yang got straight to the point, his tone conveying familiarity and a hint of undeniable authority. “I have a big deal that will determine the future of the Chinese music scene, and I’d like to ask you, the ‘local bigwig’ of the Hong Kong entertainment industry, for your help. I wonder if you…would be available for a cup of tea recently?”
Wang Jing on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback.
Someone of Lu Yang's stature would personally call to discuss "big business" and "the landscape of the Chinese music scene," and ask for his help.
This amount is absolutely extraordinary!
He immediately dropped his joking tone: "Mr. Lu, if you've given the word, I, Wang Jing, would go through fire and water without a problem! Tea? Anytime! You decide the place!"
"Great! That's straightforward!" Lu Yang smiled with satisfaction. "Then let's meet tomorrow afternoon in the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong to discuss the details."
After hanging up the phone with Wang Jing, Lu Yang turned his gaze southward, as if crossing the Pengcheng River and landing on that still prosperous and dazzling Pearl of the Orient.
With core hardware in hand, content copyright strategy in place, and the keys to the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry firmly in his grasp, a digital music revolution spearheaded by him is sweeping across the world with unprecedented speed and force.
And Ranko and those underrated melodies will become the most solid foundation of this revolution. (End of Chapter)