Tang Xu'an was silent for a while, raised his right index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, and gently said a number: "30,000 boxes of albums are underwritten, we can accept it." ”

Of course, the bottom line of the audio-visual company cannot be 30,000 boxes, if it is only this number, there is no need for Tang Xu'an, the vice president, to come over to negotiate in person. But then again, it's also very risky for video companies to underwrite albums like this, so the lower the volume, the less risk they take. Tang Xu'an adheres to such a purpose and tentatively gives a number.

But he also knew that it was impossible to reach an agreement on this number.

Here, let's first explain a little bit about the concept of "album underwriting".

When a singer releases an album, what worries him the most? Needless to say, it's definitely album sales. This is something that really concerns the vital interests of singers and record companies. Of course, this interest is also closely related to the press factory, the distribution of the video company, and the video store that retails the record.

Album underwriting has little to do with tablet factories and video stores, and the most important thing is the local video and video companies that undertake distribution.

Before the album is released, the singer or record company negotiates with the audio and video company, and the audio and video company agrees to undertake the number of artist albums, such as 30,000 boxes of albums, after market research and research. At this time, the record company has to give the video company a rebate. For example, a box of albums with a retail price of 10 yuan and 8 yuan, according to the normal sales procedure, the audio-visual company should get it for about 7 yuan. After undertaking the underwriting, the price of the album in the underwriting figure will definitely be less than seven yuan, and the specific figure needs to be negotiated between the record company and the audio and video company. The more albums are underwritten, the lower the price, and the more money the video company makes.

It's inevitable, otherwise who would do such a thing as underwriting? Because once the underwriting of the album is confirmed, the money for the underwriting of the album has to be paid in advance, and then the sales of the album will depend entirely on the audio-visual company itself, and if it cannot be sold, it can only bear the loss by itself, not like normal album sales. If you can't sell it, you can return it to the record company.

That's the risk that underwriting albums takes.

This model of "underwriting albums" is a business practice that combines risks and gains, and has been stored in the album sales process for a long time in the 80s and 90s.

This model is not good or bad, but for a new singer who publishes and releases his first solo album. It's certainly a good thing to give up a little self-interest in exchange for an increase in album sales figures. The opportunity to make money, after becoming famous, there is.

But for video companies, they are more willing to underwrite famous singers. These singers have previous albums to build on. Local audio-visual companies will have a good estimate of the singer's performance, as long as there is no mistake in judgment, the sales performance can generally reach the number of underwriting, and they are of course willing to increase their sales profits. But on the contrary, those singers who have become famous often no longer need an audio and video company to underwrite their albums.

It's an interesting situation.

For a new singer like Ye Zi, Yun Province Audio and Video Company can give an underwriting figure of 30,000 boxes, which is actually not low. You must know that this is just one place in Yunnan Province, and the energy of the audio-visual company radiates to the surrounding provinces such as Tibet and Sichuan Province at most, and there is no matter how far away they are. Ye Zi's new album can underwrite 30,000 boxes in Yunnan Province alone. It's already a very good result. If you put it in other provinces, without this kind of thing being pressed down from above, it is impossible for people to talk to you about this kind of underwriting.

But Ye Zi obviously won't be satisfied.

paid the price of "joint signature" in exchange for the opportunity, not to bite a piece of meat from the Yunnan Provincial Audio and Video Company, how willing Ye Zi is.

"Mr. Tang, where's the CD album?" Ye Zi's album will be released on both CD and cassette tapes, with the CDs targeting the Hong Kong and Southeast Asian markets, and the cassette tapes targeting the mainland market.

Tang Xu'an shook his head: "The sales of CD records in the mainland are not optimistic, and they are basically in a state where no one cares about them in our cloud province. So our company thought about it...... A maximum of 200 tickets will be accepted. If you can give up the CD piece, in terms of tapes. We can increase the number of underwritten boxes by another three thousand boxes. ”

"Mr. Tang, I can give up the CD album, but the number of adding 3,000 boxes is a bit too little, 5,000 boxes is more appropriate." Thought about it a little. Ye Zi immediately made a decision.

Tang Xu'an is right, in the current mainland audio-visual market, the number of people who buy CD records is too small, it can be said that there are very few, and the mainstream market is still tape albums. This will continue for several more years, and there is no problem in abandoning the underwriting of CD albums.

Tang Xu'an smiled: "You just gave up the underwriting of two hundred CDs. Dare to ask me if I want to add 5,000 boxes? I've added 3,000 boxes to you, that's enough. ”

"Mr. Tang, that's not what he said." Ye Zi also smiled: "My album will be published and distributed by Xiangjiang Huaxing Records, and it will be introduced to the mainland market as a Xiangjiang album at that time." They are responsible for the CD pressing plate and tape recording, and the quality is much better than that of ordinary albums. ”

"Are you the Hong Kong version of the album?" Tang Xu'an was surprised that a mainland singer's first solo album was actually an imported album of the Xiangjiang version, which is strange.

"Yes, Mr. Tang." Ye Zi smiled faintly, confident and proud. He wasn't worried that Tang Xu'an didn't believe this, because it couldn't deceive people.

"The difference between the Hong Kong version of the album and the ordinary mainland album, I don't need to say more, right? If nothing else, you should know that the price of the Xiangjiang version has always been the highest price for cassette albums, and the profit margin is much larger than that of mainland albums. ”

"Mr. Tang, your audio-visual companies also treat them differently when they sell, and I also know this."

"So Mr. Tang, what do you think is the underwriting quantity of 35,000 boxes...... Is it appropriate? ”

Tang Xu was a little hesitant in his heart.

In this era, a Xiangjiang version of an album without any publicity can sell very well, not to mention a singer like Ye Zi who already has a good publicity foundation. This situation was really beyond his expectations, and it seemed that the idea of underwriting with the lowest amount could not be achieved.

"That'...... What are the numbers in your mind? Xiao Ye, you have to give me a solid number. Tang Xu already had an idea in his heart, but he was not in a hurry. Negotiations, just talk little by little, how can you show the bottom as soon as you come up? It's a little bit to be able to save a little.

Ye Zi smiled: "Mr. Tang, of course I insist on my own ideas. 200,000 is not a big number, and I believe that our audio-visual company has the strength. ”

"Xiao Ye, you can't say that." Tang Xu'an cried with a sad face, and called out to hit the sky: "Our Yun Province belongs to an economically backward area, how can it be as rich as your Shencheng?" A box of albums costs at least nine dollars and eight, and a few dollars for pirated copies are fine, and there are not many people who buy genuine tapes. If we underwrite 200,000 albums at once, not to mention that I, the vice president, even our general manager Zong Hanliang, can't afford this pressure. ”

"But you are the Xiangjiang version, so let's do it, I'll add a little more to you, and we'll underwrite five ...... Forget it, I'll make the decision to underwrite 60,000 albums for you. ”

"How about Xiao Ye, I'm already scared at this moment. 60,000 boxes! When I went back, I didn't know how the general manager would scold me. ”

Ye Zihe smiled and said: "Mr. Tang, don't tease me, what is the underwriting of 60,000 boxes by a manager like you?" How can it hold you down? ”

"But then again, Mr. Tang, you help me so much, I can't be too insistent. In this way, I also lose a little here, 180,000 albums. Eighteen, to be sent, it sounds very auspicious. ”

"Mr. Tang, what do you see?"

Tang Xu was really about to cry in his heart.

Although the current number is still some distance from the bottom line given by Zong Hanliang, looking at Ye Zi's posture, I am afraid that taking out the bottom line directly may not be enough to feed him. Tang Xu'an has seen so many singers before, and has negotiated with dozens of record companies about album underwriting, but none of them are as difficult as today.

In normal times, Tang Xu'an could get up and leave, waiting for the other party to bow his head. But not today, he came with a mission. Because of the Xiangjiang version of the album, Tang Xu'an has had to increase the underwriting figure, but obviously, Ye Zi's appetite is by no means limited to now.

The question is, does Ye Zi have any other hole cards in his hand that can be played? If there is, then I will have to continue to back down. What else can we talk about?

The audio-visual company, which is supposed to be a strong party, was forced to back down step by step by a young singer, and Tang Xu'an had never experienced such an aggrieved thing before.

Is the singer sitting across from him really a child under the age of twenty?

Tang Xu'an didn't feel like this at all. (To be continued.) )