Business Closed Loop: Starting with Ringback Tones to Take Down Giants

Bad news: I got yelled at.

According to Vice President Jiang, who declined to be named, this was recalled afterward.

That day, she happened to be at the department office submitting materials, and she could hear Professor Ding's voice even through the door.

"The forum is buzzing! A challenge from the Central Academy of Drama? Lyrics and music compatibility? Wang Song, you're really something!"

The core message is this: avoid saying things that are detrimental to unity in the future.

"Professor Ding, are you interested in innovation and entrepreneurship support funds?"

"You don't want to either."

"Our studio's theory on the compatibility of lyrics and music, which we talk about to the outside world, is actually stuck on a material basis."

"Hey seniors from the Central Conservatory of Music, the arrangement fee hasn't been settled yet. The silver medalist from the CCTV Young Singers Competition is doing this for us for free."

"Oh! There's also the issue of copyright. You wouldn't want your students' work to be plagiarized as soon as it leaves school, would you?"

……

The good news is: the approval has been granted and the matter has been resolved.

Three days later, the funding for innovation and entrepreneurship was approved.

The credit limit is decent, 30,000 yuan, payable in two installments.

But the moment the first payment reached the studio's public account, a suppressed cheer still erupted in the bungalow.

Jiang Yilei asked him, "So, are we still going to keep up with that forum thing?"

"Let's do it," Wang Song said matter-of-factly.

"But next time, let's put it another way. Instead of calling it a challenge by the Central Academy of Drama, let's call it a joint exchange and development of artistic talents among brother institutions."

"It's not called 'lyrics and music matching,' it's called 'exploring a differentiated creative path.'"

Jiang Yilei paused for two seconds, then slowly gave a thumbs up: "When it comes to the art of speaking, boss, you're a professional."

Efficiency is the primary driving force for a poor studio.

But more important than efficiency is firmly grasping the power to make the rules.

Wang Song was sitting in his studio, watching the video clip that Jiang Yilei had just edited, when the door was pushed open.

Yao Beina walked in carrying her violin bag, looking exhausted.

"The results are in." She placed the folder in front of Wang Song.

Instead of rushing to grab it, Wang Song first pushed over an open bottle of mineral water.

"Senior sister, you've worked hard. Have some water first and then we can talk."

Yao Beina glanced at him, took the water and drank a couple of mouthfuls before sitting down on the chair Chen Shu had brought over.

"Your method..." This was the first thing she said after catching her breath.

That's so mean.

Everyone immediately crowded around. When the folder was opened, there were only two pages, with three names on each page, followed by simple notes.

"Wait a Minute": Zhang Zhen (singer) + Li Ran (arranger)

"Decent: Chang Sisi (singer) + Zhou Tao (arranger)"

"Just two sets?"

Jiang Yilei leaned forward, "Out of the sixteen arrangers who signed up, only two were selected?"

"More wouldn't make a difference; these two sets are the best match, that's what your boss said."

Yao Beina took a breath.

"Li Ran and Zhou Tao already knew each other and were even competing with each other, so they each brought a deputy to save time and increase efficiency."

She paused, looked at Wang Song, and said with a hint of approval in her eyes, "Your two-way selection system is really something."

"The singer also received positive reviews."

Wang Song didn't respond. Instead, he took a bound document from the drawer and pushed it in front of Yao Beina:

"Senior, this is the 'Music Project Partnership Agreement,' which I mentioned to you before."

Yao Beina picked up the agreement and flipped through it quickly; the terms were clear and straightforward.

The authorship rights, revenue sharing for commercial use, scope of decision-making, and even exit mechanisms are all clearly stated.

It's definitely much more transparent than those record company contracts that are full of traps.

"I paid 500 yuan to a senior student in the law school to make a template, and I also had a senior female student in the law firm review it. It's not very professional, but it's definitely honest and reliable."

Wang Song added, "If you feel it's not appropriate, we'll stick to what we agreed before: you'll be the consultant, and you'll be paid the full amount due."

Yao Beina laughed out loud: "You've already swindled the subsidy funds, if I withdraw now, wouldn't all those nights I've spent working on be for nothing?"

She pulled a pen from the side pocket of her violin bag and signed her name deftly.

"I'll just take a gamble. At worst, the song will just flop, and I'll go back to teaching."

"Welcome to the team, Partner Yao!"

Wang Song put the agreement away and turned to Jiang Yilei, saying, "Two singers, four arrangers, have them come over tomorrow to sign the contract."

"Let's have a small feast tonight to celebrate Sister Yao joining us. Save room for tomorrow to welcome our new member."

A cheer immediately erupted from the bungalow.

"Alright, alright, stop flattering me." Yao Beina waved her hand and looked at Wang Song.

He asked the most crucial question: "Mr. Wang, I've brought the person here for you, and the song will be out soon."

"Next step, how to sell it?"

"There's no rush to sell; we need to let the market test the waters first and see how it goes."

Wang Song turned to Jiang Yilei, "Use your most popular account to post something."

"Cut out those two sets of adapted 30-second demos, add some text, and post them. Just admit defeat."

Jiang Yilei raised an eyebrow: "Admit defeat? We won!"

"You can only keep it if you win."

The post content is very simple.

The sincere admission of weakness was intended to explore new paths, not to provoke.

The person who challenged the organizer was a temporary outsourced worker and has already been fired.

The results will be announced, the two-way blind selection process will be briefly explained, and the universities and majors of the final two groups of members will be announced.

Here are the two demos that were selected.

He frankly stated that this was only a preliminary test.

I sincerely invite all experts, teachers, and students on this forum to offer their criticisms and suggestions.

Once the post was published, the atmosphere on the forum, which was originally waiting to see the poster get slapped in the face, suddenly became awkward.

"So... you're just admitting defeat?"

"I must say, that's a good attitude. At least they got things done, not just empty talk."

"After listening to the clips, both songs are well-made and a good match. It's quite interesting."

Soon, a seasoned user of YinYueTai published a long analysis, which quickly went viral:

"RT, putting aside the quality of the song, this is a smart move to back down."

"But the key is this selection process: a two-way selection process, prioritizing suitability. It seems simple, but it actually uproots traditional production methods!"

Someone immediately commented below: "First comment! Could someone please explain in detail?"

What was the record company model like in the past?

"The boss decides the songs, the arranger arranges them according to the requirements, and the singer sings them according to the arrangement. Whether it turns out well or not depends entirely on inspiration."

"But the model is different. When arranging a song, the singer is chosen because the arranger feels that the singer can carry the song."

"When a singer agrees with the arranger, it means they believe the arranger understands their voice. It's a two-way collaboration that maximizes the level of understanding."

"Their willingness to grant attribution rights far surpasses that of traditional record companies."

"How many people have been fooled by record companies in the past, losing their copyrights and their names, only to have their efforts go to waste?"

"Hopefully, they can continue to produce."

This post was quickly marked as a featured post.

In a recording studio at the Central Conservatory of Music, Li Ran came across this analysis and was stunned for a long time.

He turned to Zhou Tao and said, "It seems we...have gotten involved in something quite interesting?"

Zhou Tao leaned over to read it, then pushed up his glasses: "It makes some sense, proving that our efforts weren't in vain."

"Moreover, the right to authorship is clearly stated in black and white."

Li Ran added, "I've worked as a composer for free for a year, and this is the first time I've seen this stuff written so clearly in a contract."

"Will you do it or not?"

"Let's do it. At worst, it'll be the same as before, but what if it works out?"

In the girls' dormitory of the Central Conservatory of Music, Chang Sisi's phone vibrated.

It was Jiang Yilei who sent the confirmation of the signing time and location.

She took a deep breath and replied, "Received, on time."

Chang Sisi read the contract for the third time.

My roommate chimed in, "Are you really signing? The monthly salary is only eight hundred."

"sign."

Chang Sisi closed the contract. "It includes profit sharing and my name's name, so why not sign it?"

"Furthermore, I had my dad look at it, and there were no traps in the contract."

"What if the song doesn't become a hit?"

"Then it won't be popular." Chang Sisi carefully put the contract into a folder.

Zhang Zhen's reaction was exactly the same.

Lost in the cheers and din of his sons treating him to meals in the dormitory, he lost himself.

Inside the bungalow, Wang Song finished reading all the discussions on the forum.

In the studio of Senmei.

Jiang Yilei looked at him incredulously. "Boss, is that really what you think?"

"Of course," Wang Song admitted without batting an eye.

of course not.

What do you mean by going in both directions?

They are all just derivation processes of known results.

It's simply cheap and easy to use.

The results produced by these students are almost indistinguishable from those of professional music studios.

Ninety-nine percent of the listeners couldn't tell at all.

Wang Song maintained his inscrutable expression and said to Jiang Yilei:

"Therefore, Comrade Jiang, your ideological awareness needs to be improved. The task of compiling the report for the school is now assigned to you."

"I protest!! You have to give me a raise!!"