Chapter 139 – Lu Chen’s Ideas
“Tell me exactly what you think…”
Lin Zhijie asked Lu Chen, “What is your idea about the release of this album?”
After listening to the seven songs in Lu Chen’s debut album in the studio, he gave a lot of advice to Wang Jing and Wang Hui. In the end, that wasn’t enough. He took Lu Chen to the reception room and asked about the issue in the release.
Originally, Lin Zhijie made an appointment with Lu Chen to persuade him to join Flying Stone Records, but he failed to achieve his goal.
With the mindset of helping newcomers, he did not mind helping Lu Chen with a small favor.
All of a sudden, Lin Zhijie became interested in the album Lu Chen was making, so he went to this small studio to try it out. As a result, he listened to it!
As the music director of Flying Stone Records, Lin Zhijie is also a person who have experienced a lot in the industry. He is acutely aware that in addition to the quality of the work itself, Lu Chen’s album has a very unified and distinctive style, with the main theme being nostalgia.
Completely different from the most popular pop songs these days, Lu Chen’s target audience is obviously not teenage boys and girls, but pop music lovers born in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.
This is a huge group!
The domestic pop music, in the 1980s and 1990s, once had innumerable glory. After entering the new century, it was influenced by the pop trend of Europe, United States, Japan and South Korea, and finally formed the current pattern.
What’s popular nowadays? It’s new idol, young and handsome men, fast songs and dance, rap songs… The new generation of young people pursue fashion and worship stars. They are full of rebellious spirit, and don’t like the traditional way.
The parents of these young boys and girls are the backbone of society, and most of them have good economic conditions. Therefore, they are willing to spend money to pursue stars. They like to buy the peripheral products of star idols. They don’t care if they spend hundreds or thousands of money at a concert.
As a result, domestic entertainment media companies are desperately trying to cater to their tastes, introducing products from Europe, United States, Japan and South Korea to be localized, and making a lot of money by relying on the fan economy.
The competition among entertainment companies is so fierce that artists are trained in large quantities just like assembly-line products, trying their best to consume the huge market brought about by young fans.
But what about the people of the 1970s or 1980s?
They may passively accept new music and may like new idols. However, there are still many, many people who miss and adhere the classics of the past.
The most typical example is Tan Hong, who is almost retired. Last year, he held a concert at the National Stadium in Beijing. Tens of thousands of tickets was sold out in three days!
Why? Because Tan Hong still has thousands of fans who like him. They may not be longer be young any more, but the strength they have is still strong, but they are not as willing to spend money on idols as young people.
Lu Chen’s album, the seven songs that have been completed are all folk songs. With a strong taste of nostalgia, the talent and intention he showed in it moved Lin Zhijie!
So Lin Zhijie wants to help Lu Chen in terms of sales and distribution, so that this album will not be dusty.
It deserves the honor it deserves!
Lu Chen and Lu Xi looked at each other, and the former indicates that he will answer Lin Zhijie’s question himself.
Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, “Teacher Lin, it’s like this…”
Lu Chen’s idea is to make his debut album, including CD and USB, through Flying Stone Records, which is divided into three versions, namely, the regular version, the collector’s version and the deluxe version, using fans order to determine the quantity.
That is to say, fans can make as many orders. This way, they can keep the risk to a minimum.
In addition to processing, Flying Stone Records should also distribute the album through their channels.
This channel is the Xinhua Publishing House with branches all over the country! (TN: Publishing House – Book Company)
Xinhua Publishing House is a large state-owned book distribution enterprise, which has been established for 70 years. It is affiliated with the State Propaganda Department and China Publishing Group, with 15,000 sales outlets and with its headquarters in Beijing.
In the past, when everyone bought books, basically everyone went to Xinhua Publishing House to buy them, especially teaching materials and books. The country also distributed through Xinhua Publishing House. As a result, the annual sales are staggering.
However, in the new century, the state has fully liberalized the restrictions on publishing, coupled with the rise of online shopping, Xinhua Publishing House’s dominant position has been greatly impacted. Profit margins are falling year by year.
Many branches in remote areas rely on rental stores to maintain their operations, and they don’t make much money selling books.
Xinhua Publishing House is facing the same dilemma as Flying Stone Records. In recent years, the senior management of the publishing house is also seeking new changes to expand their business and make full use of their own advantages.
For example, in the past, Xinhua Publishing House sold tapes and CD, now these things are out of fashion, so there is no benefit to speak of. The publishing house has conducted in-depth cooperation with entertainment brokerage companies. Selling all kinds of peripheral products of star idols, even tickets for concerts.
Due to the influence of Xinhua Publishing House and the fact that all of them are authentic, entertainment brokerage companies are also happy to use this channel to expand the fan groups, so a set of very mature operating process has been formed early.
Flying Stone Records is one of the partners of Xinhua Publishing House.
Lin Zhijie understood: “Do you want to pre-sell online first, and then put it in Xinhua Publishing House?”
This kind of sales method has existed for a long time. Fans order the star’s peripherals products on the official website, obtain the corresponding authentication code, and then take their mobile phones to the local sales outlets of Xinhua Publishing House to scan, and then they can get the products.
For entertainment brokerage companies, this kind of sales method greatly reduces their pressure. They only need to hand over all the products they have made to Xinhua Publishing House, and then use the latter’s powerful logistics system and huge sales network to ship.
Added with the website direct sales, a perfect sales system has been formed, and the cost has also been reduced to a reasonable level.
Lu Chen smiled and said, “Yes!”
He actually has a different sales plan, which is inspired from the dream world.
It’s just that it’s not easy to tell Lin Zhijie right now.
Lin Zhijie nodded in approval.
Lu Chen obviously did a lot of homework in advance. He has a basic understanding of the distribution process. Choosing Flying Stone Records for cooperation is definitely not a temporary idea. It’s obviously well thought out.
But this doesn’t mean that Lin Zhijie is very optimistic about the album’s sales prospects.
After all, Lu Chen is still a newcomer. Although he had gained a lot of popularity after winning the championship in “Singing China”, it is not a simple thing to turn popularity into real benefits.
Lu Chen’s biggest problem is that he doesn’t have a complete and experienced team to support him behind the scenes, lack of personal connection, and only rely on the impulsive consumption of a few fans, which is doomed to be unable to go very far.
Lin Zhijie really doesn’t want to pour cold water on Lu Chen. Moreover, it’s not purely a bad thing for young people to suffer some setbacks.
So, he didn’t say anything more.
“Then hurry up and finish the album. I should be able to help on the Flying Stone Record side.”
Lu Chen was grateful: “Thank you, Teacher Lin!”
With the help of the music director of Flying Stone Records, it’s really easy for him to release the album there!
Lin Zhijie said seriously: “Remember to pay attention to quality and you can’t be sloppy in details. In addition…”
He asked, “Did you let Wang Jing do your arrangement?”
Lu Chen replied, “Yes.”
Lin Zhijie pondered for a moment and reminded: “You have to strengthen in this respect, with your talent, only by participating in the arrangement yourself, can you fully express the essence of the work to the greatest extent.”
The really excellent singer can write songs and compose music. Of course, it is not necessary to know how to arrange music, but both of them will undoubtedly improve the work.
After all, others may not be able to fully understand the intention of the creator, there are also the obstacles in communication.
Lu Chen is not a professional. His ability to arrange music is very weak and average.
Lin Zhijie hopes that he can make up for the shortcomings in this respect.
Lu Chen blushed: “I’ve thought about it. I wanted to attend a lecture at Beijing or Northern Conservatory of Music, but I heard that it is difficult to get a license to attend.”
Lu Chen had this idea a long time ago, but he asked Wang Jing and knew that whether it was Beijing or Northern Conservatory of Music, it was difficult to get a hold of a license to attend. The college was very strict in controlling it, and only a few of them were given out in a year.
As for other private organizations that allow others to go in freely with money… It’s better to save the money.
Lin Zhijie said with a smile: “It’s good to have a learning spirit. I know two professors of Beijing Conservatory of Music. I may be able to help you get a license to attend, but I can’t guarantee it.”
Even if it’s not guaranteed, he was still pleasantly surprised!
Lu Chen hurriedly said, “Thank you, Teacher Lin!”
“You’ve thanked me many times today…”
Lin Zhijie waved his hand and said, “Since you call me teacher, it is also our fate. I am willing to help if I can.”
“The key is to work hard on your own!”
As long as it doesn’t affect his own interests and the company’s interests, Lin Zhijie is willing to help the promising young man in front of him. What he saw in Lu Chen was a different quality from others.
Why not do a little favor and make a good karma?
Lu Chen nodded hard. He knew that he really owed a favor and would have to return it if he had the chance in the future.
Lu Chen is undoubtedly lucky. On this star road to success, he has encountered Zhao Deping, Jin Hongwei, and Zhuang Hao such obstruction, but also met Chen Jianhao, Tan Hong, and Lin Zhijie such guide!
Lu Chen and Lu Xi sent Lin Zhijie and his party away.
Back in his studio, Lu Xi pulled out her notepad and said to him, “At 2 o’clock this afternoon, you are going to EMI Cultural Brokerage Company. I have made an agreement with Wen Zhiyuan, the director of the brokerage department over there. He will arrange artists to meet with you for a voice test.”
Lu Chen said without hesitation, “All right.”
He wants to make money, make a lot of money!
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