Great Artist

Chapter 82: Music Revolution

History has proved that opportunities are everywhere, but there are only a handful of people who can see them, and even fewer who can seize them.

If history goes on, Napster loses a lawsuit with traditional labels and is ordered to shut down the site. Although Napster continued to appeal afterwards, it was still fruitless. In less than a year, Napster declined. Even at the final settlement, the website that promoted digital music failed to achieve profitability. It is very tragic.

But through Napster’s operating model, Apple discovered business opportunities, and after internal adjustment, and finally in early 2003, using iTunes as a platform, it launched a digital music business model, successfully creating a new pattern in the music market. Before Gu Luobei had a car accident in his entire life, digital music and traditional albums had already taken up half of the sky, and the Billboard charts and Grammys had also added the reference value of online digital music sales to their selection criteria.

Now, Gu Luobei, who has gained a second life, has seized the time when the five traditional record companies and Napster struggled, and when Apple has begun to set foot in the digital music market, he has decided to set off this event in advance. shares the music revolution.

The reason why Gu Luobei contacted Apple through Warner Records was of course that he hoped to use the identity of Warner Records as a lead company to get enough attention; at the same time, he also hoped to use Warner Records’ status as a giant to promote the commercialization of digital music. Process: Even if Apple approves Gu Luobei’s plan, at this point in time, the five major record companies are still entangled with Napster, and it is very difficult for record companies to stand up to support the commercialization of digital music . Therefore, Gu Luobei hopes that through this plan, Warner Records will become the first person to eat crabs.

I chose Apple because of the special status of iTunes, and it will also be the number one software in the world for digital music downloads in the future, and also because of Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market afterward; I chose Warner Music purely because of Claire Days’s presentation. Well, this crucial good impression has quietly changed history. But this opportunity, whether Apple and Warner Records can see it, and whether they can seize it, depends on this interview.

“Being able to let the leaders of Warner Records and Apple come to Cambridge in person, the charm of ‘copyright’ is really endless.” Gu Luobei’s straight-to-the-point words made the three people in front of him smile.

The difference is that Claire Days has a genuine smile, he realizes that his position in the company seems to be changing quietly; Lee Kelleher has a clear look, just a meeting, he confirms the sight in front of him. The boy is not just talking about it, no matter what the outcome of the interview is today, his appreciation for the boy will definitely rise to a higher level; Andy Rosen is dealing with Gu Luobei for the first time, and those wise brown eyes are inadvertently There was a hint of surprise.

“Good afternoon, I’m Evan Bell, a student of Harvard Medical School. I’m trying to get involved in the business field today. I really don’t know if I can succeed.” Gu Luobei introduced himself ingeniously. Especially in the sun.

“The so-called business field, in fact, often tests an idea. A good idea can make ordinary people rich overnight, and a bad idea can make a business tycoon live on the street.” Lee Kelleher chuckled softly, Dressed in a gray suit, he exudes a calm and refined air, but from the smile on the corners of his mouth and the bottom of his eyes, one can still see the passion of young people. It is no wonder that Lee Kelleher is said to be the representative figure of innovation leaders. “Mr. Bell’s idea may be worth a thousand dollars. So what does it matter whether it is a medical school or a business school?”

Andy Rosen, who was sitting next to him, calmly took a sip of his coffee. “The Hungry Student Bar” is a bar. The coffee tastes really bad, but Andy Rosen seems to be savoring the world. The top-level Blue Mountain coffee is average, and the intoxicated expression can be seen on the face. It’s just that those emerald green eyes carelessly brushed over the face of the young man across from him through the permeating aroma of coffee. Although his face was full of smiles and looked flattered, the calmness and sophistication in his eyes, and the ease of smiling at the corners of his mouth, were not enough. Revealing his inner confidence, “Is he really only eighteen years old?” Andy Rosen’s heart moved a little.

“Actually, my idea today is very simple, a proposal to legally commercialize digital music.” Negotiating with bigwigs like Lee Kelleher and Andy Rosen is skillful, and polite words are often used as well. It is necessary, but at this moment Gu Luobei is at a complete disadvantage. An independent musician with nothing, he is qualified to be an important part of this tripartite meeting. His bargaining chips are too weak and too weak, and too many polite words will make the other two parties. Take him lightly. Therefore, without any delay, Gu Luobei threw the chips heavily as soon as he came up, and then inadvertently observed the expression of the person in front of him.

Claire-Dace’s expression suddenly stiffened, confusion in her eyes, followed by suspicion, and inexplicably a hint of joy, presumably thinking of how much benefit it would bring to him as a “middleman” if the plan was feasible. Nearly middle-aged, but still lacks the experience of big scenes.

The facial expressions of Lee Kelleher and Andy Rosen have hardly changed. The only difference is that the smile at the corner of Lee Kelleher’s mouth twitched slightly, and Andy Rosen was holding the coffee cup. His hand paused slightly in the air. Such subtle changes, Gu Luobei’s eyes are not so easy to see, but he is sensitive to find that the atmosphere has frozen a little, and then returned to normal. When he looked at the three people in front of him again, there was a look of “all ears” in his eyes. Gu Luobei knew that his first step was a success, at least he attracted the attention of the other party.

Speaking of which, Gu Luobei stopped instead, took a sip of coffee, but was burnt because he was in a hurry, looking frizzy. At the negotiating table, frizz means inexperience, inexperience, disadvantage, and even deceit. But Gu Luobei looked through his thick eyelashes, but did not find any contemptuous expressions of the three people in front of him, including Claire Days. Gu Luobei’s deliberate action proves that at least he is heavy enough at the moment to get the other party’s attention.

“If consumers can download music for free from the Internet, they won’t pay for records; if consumers can download music from the Internet for free, they won’t be so foolish to pay for digital music on the Internet .” Gu Luobei put the coffee cup on the table, a pair of azure blue eyes slowly glanced at the faces of the three successful people in front of him, and finally settled on Li-Kelleher’s face, “I think, This is the idea of Warner Records. To be precise, it should be the idea of all traditional record companies, including Apple.” Although Apple does not have a record department, they have launched a portable music player that is loaded with digital music. Music, you can also see their attitude.

Li-Kelleher didn’t answer, he still squinted his eyes with a smile. Clerk-Daisy saw the corner of his boss’s eyes and nodded, as he answered Gu Luobei’s question. There is no need to deny this. The lawsuit between the five major record companies and Napster has long been known, and it is not a secret.

“Actually, we have experienced this kind of logic several times.” Gu Luobei’s speaking speed is not fast. This peaceful rhythm, combined with Gu Luobei’s deliberately lowered voice, is calm and smooth, making the listeners involuntarily Nodding in agreement, “When the public library came along, publishers feared that the number of people buying books would be greatly reduced; the appearance of the photocopier was once thought to be the demise of the publishing industry; when the home video recorder came out, the death knell for Hollywood seemed to have sounded. ; When the radio came along, the record industry was in a state of panic.”

These events are very prominent events in history, and ordinary people may not have a deep understanding of them, but as leaders, Lee Kelleher and Andy Rosen know it all too well.

“But what about the truth?” Gu Luobei’s mouth curled into a smile, his confident expression matched the irrefutable facts, and his persuasive power immediately soared, “Public libraries killed the old publishing model, but created a new public Book publishing is also a model; copiers have increased society’s demand for printed content; home video recorders have spawned the rental and sale of video tapes, becoming a new source of income for the film industry; radios have allowed more music works to be widely circulated~www .readwn.com~ The record company’s financial resources are rolling. The new product and the old product are not necessarily a life-and-death situation, but have become a complementary relationship.”

At this time, even an idiot knows that Gu Luobei is about to introduce the relationship between digital music and traditional records, but the question is, can digital music and traditional records also become interdependent? The small square table with four people gathered seemed a little quiet at this time. Only Gu Luobei’s low voice was making a sound. The sunlight penetrated the glass and illuminated the dust in the air, as if you could hear the time machine shaking gently in your ears .

“Let’s talk about the relationship between digital music and traditional records first. Digital music will inevitably seize the market of traditional records. There is no way to control it.” At this point, Gu Luobei raised his right hand and raised two fingers, indicating Expounding from two aspects, the three men in front of them subconsciously focused their attention on Gu Luobei’s fingers, “But at the same time, the sales of digital music can become a new profit method for record companies, so that copyright can also be used on the Internet. Playing a corresponding role, it is still unknown whether this part of the cost can exceed the income of records, but it will certainly not make traditional records disappear; on the other hand, digital music uses the huge platform of the Internet, and the publicity effect must not be underestimated. Downloading digital music online can increase consumers’ awareness of records, thereby promoting the demand for records, and then the network effect of media communication will be maximized. I don’t think I, a medical student, will settle this account for you. Right.”

Gu Luobei’s words made Li-Kelleher chuckle softly. But Andy Rosen didn’t laugh. He pondered for a while, and said the first sentence after introducing himself today, “What about the free and charged issue?”

Second update today. Thanks for the tip, oh yeah!