Chapter 46: Leveraging Strength

[Chapter 46: Leveraging Strength]

Ryan didn't stay in Orlando. The day after his DJ performance, he returned to Nashville with Joel. Exhausted from the trip, he walked into the living room and saw a man in a short-sleeved shirt sitting on the couch.

From the kitchen, Trey's curses could still be heard.

The man stood up and greeted Ryan warmly, "You must be Ryan, right?"

Ryan smiled awkwardly, feeling like he had returned at an inopportune time, interrupting Trey's date.

Just then, Trey walked out of the kitchen. "I tried calling you earlier, but your phone was off."

She pointed at the man with a spatula. "He's from the Netherlands. He was lurking at the door earlier, saying he was looking for you."

Looking for me?

Ryan was puzzled for a moment, but then it hit him — someone from the Netherlands was likely from an electronic music label.

Sure enough, the man introduced himself as the A&R manager of Spinnin' Records.

"Tiësto recommended you to us. He really loves your music and has been playing it on his radio show, Club Life. Even I think you have incredible talent in electronic music."

Spinnin' Records? The label on the cover of his first single, Tremor? Ryan had searched for information about Spinnin' online before but found very little.

Ryan quickly invited the man to sit down. "How did you find this place?"

"I asked Deadmau5, and he told me. I apologize for dropping by unannounced," the man said with a smile, then pulled out a gift from his bag — a pair of high-end monitor headphones and a microphone.

When Ryan asked about Spinnin's intentions, the man was straightforward. Spinnin' wanted to sign Ryan, and from the sound of it, their terms were much more flexible than those of American labels.

"Compared to the big four record companies, we're just a small label. To stay competitive, we naturally have to be more flexible with our terms. Besides, your talent is enough for us to make some concessions.

Lastly, and most importantly, electronic music is built on technological advancements and represents a new era. Traditional pop music is in a saturated market, while electronic music is in a growing one. That's why we won't obsess over certain terms, like contract length, but instead focus on the future," the man said confidently.

Being in a rapidly growing market naturally changes one's perspective.

The man continued, "We could even set up a joint venture with you, provided you're ready to focus most of your activities in Europe."

"In Europe?" Ryan was taken aback.

"Of course. Americans don't really get electronic music. Only when you come to Europe will you feel true passion for it," the man added.

*Clang!* A plate fell to the floor and shattered.

Ryan turned around to see Trey, who had accidentally dropped the plate she was carrying.

"Keep talking. I'll clean this up," Trey said quickly, starting to pick up the pieces.

Ryan and the man talked for nearly three hours. Through their conversation, Ryan gained a better understanding of electronic music and the broader music market.

After dinner, Ryan walked the man to the door.

"I'll give you an answer within three days, no matter what," Ryan said.

"Please do," the man replied before closing the door.

...

Ryan returned to the dining room, where Trey was clearing the table, her brow furrowed.

"You're not allowed to go to Europe!" Trey said angrily.

"Why not?"

Trey looked up, her hair falling over her face, her expression displeased. "Who's going to take care of me when I'm old if you go to Europe?"

"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?" Ryan chuckled.

"Not at all. In any case, you're not allowed to go."

...

Ryan went back to his study and, after a long period of reflection, called the man back. "The U.S. accounts for nearly half of the global music market. I've decided to focus my efforts here."

"Completely understandable. While Spinnin' doesn't have immediate plans to expand into the U.S., given the global influence of American pop music, that day will come. We'd even be happy to see someone pioneer the electronic music market there — it would benefit us greatly," the man replied.

"Is there any chance I could sign with another label in the U.S. while handing over the European market to you?" Ryan had a sudden idea. 

"Absolutely not," the man shot down the unrealistic idea.

"Then, how about helping me with something..." Ryan made his request.

"Well..." The man hesitated. "There's no precedent for this."

"Exactly, because electronic music still has many untapped markets. As you said, you'd be happy to see someone pioneer the electronic music market in the U.S. In other words, helping me is helping yourselves."

"If this gets out, Atlantic Records' European office might not be too pleased," the man began calculating the potential fallout.

"I haven't signed with Atlantic yet. This is just normal business negotiation," Ryan reminded him.

"Alright."

"See you soon." Ryan hung up.

...

"Hello, Khaled." At Nashville Airport, the young man Ryan had ignored earlier was on the phone.

"I'm in L.A. right now. Don't you remember? Usher and I co-founded a joint venture, Raymond Braun Media Group (Usher's last name is Raymond, and Scooter's is Braun). We've set up a record label under it, and we're putting the boy in it. This is an agreement between his mother, Usher, and me. Now, I need a few old white guys from Universal Music Group and Republic Records to finalize the details."

"Dr. Ray? Forget about him. Haven't you heard Atlantic Records has already sent someone to negotiate? We have no chance with him. That's it." Scooter hung up.

He claimed to be in L.A. for negotiations with Universal Music Group executives, which had ended the day before. He had rushed to Nashville, Ryan's location, immediately after.

This was completely contrary to his earlier statements.

...

"I said the revenue from online video streams isn't part of this discussion," Ryan said confidently during another phone call with the Atlantic Records A&R representative.

"Agreed. No need to get bogged down in details," the person on the other end conceded.

She hadn't been so accommodating a few days ago in Orlando.

"Smart choice." Ryan nodded with a smile, giving Trey a "we did it" look.

It was already late at night, and Ryan and Trey were sitting in their dining room, negotiating with the record label.

"Now, let's talk about the core condition — the contract length." Ryan tapped his fingers on the table.

"I've already discussed this with the head of the A&R department and Craig Kallman (Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records). We can reduce the contract to five years and three albums, including supplementary terms."

Finally, some concessions.

But Ryan still wasn't satisfied.

"Thank you for your confidence in me. I'm truly grateful, but market trends change quickly. Five years is still too long for me. If we could make it three years and two albums, I'd be much more motivated," Ryan proposed his bottom line.

"Ryan, don't do this," the voice on the other end pleaded.

"If you agree, you can pack your bags and come to Nashville," Ryan hung up, then high-fived Trey.

"What did I tell you? Spinnin's appearance threw them off their game!" Ryan laughed.

Earlier that morning, he had posted a photo with the Spinnin' Records representative on his social media, stating that their negotiations were going well. This had completely disrupted Atlantic Records' negotiation strategy, forcing them to make several concessions.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

...

"Who's knocking this late?" Trey wondered, then got up to answer the door.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan's excitement vanished when he saw who it was.

The woman who walked in hugged Trey, then looked at Ryan, clearly here to see him.

"I've been recording all day, and honestly, I'm a bit hungry," Taylor said, noticing the untouched food on the table.

*****

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