The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1255 The sky is the limit
Matt took office, but it was not as glorious as he had imagined. In fact, he was burdened with an important task. He had to solve a problem that his predecessors had never faced.

How to adapt to the era of widespread popularization of digital audio sources, grasp the pulse of the times, and stay ahead of others?

What is Matt going to do?

A simple and crude way:

By inviting more musicians to exclusively join iTunes, relying on the appeal of these musicians to sell more Apple devices, and allowing more and more listeners to bind to iTunes and then get accustomed to the existence of iTunes.

To give a simple example, if you like Beyonce, but the digital version of her new album is only available on iTunes, what would you do?
The answer comes naturally: either buy the physical album or log on to iTunes to buy it.

This method is highly praised within Apple. It not only promotes iTunes, but also helps sell more Apple devices.

This is also a soft promotion.

And, as Matt said, they are not in competition with the record companies, at least not in direct competition. The record companies are responsible for selling physical albums, while iTunes targets digital music sources. Although there is the possibility of competition for diversion, the two sides can completely cooperate for mutual benefit.

Matt is also trying to convince Warner Music and iTunes to sign a comprehensive partnership agreement.

Currently, Universal Music is the record company with the highest market share in the global music market. It is the only dominant player and is arrogant. It refuses to negotiate with Apple. Sony Music owns the world's largest copyright library. They are developing their own digital music platform and have no interest in cooperating with iTunes.

Obviously, Warner Music is the best partner——

They tried to grab market share from Universal Music and become a disruptor in the global record market, which was why they signed a contract with August 31st and why Matt targeted them.

It was in this context that Matt fell in love with Anson.

Last night, during the Grammy Awards live broadcast, when Matt was enjoying the performance of the band August 31st, this thought came to his mind:

What if Anson and August 31st were given exclusive rights to be on iTunes?

Putting aside Anson's personal influence for the moment, and speaking objectively, August 31st's performance accurately grasped the lifeline. When the global music industry was in a downturn and dark predicament, the band's sudden emergence was a reflection of dreams becoming reality.

Rising from the streets of Manhattan and going through the test of European street tours, "Ho Ho" completed an incredible comeback without any publicity or promotion, and created the miracle of five million album sales relying solely on word of mouth. The first official performance of their career was at the Grammy Awards ceremony, and on such an important stage, they broke the rules and broke the framework to return to music.

Everything is perfect.

Just like Linkin Park, Evanescence, and Norah Jones, August 31st has proven with its actions:

Good music will eventually be heard.

So, when Anson said, please continue to believe in your dreams, countless independent musicians rekindled their hope.

The subsequent impact of this Grammy Award and this performance far exceeded imagination.

Especially the song "Another Light" is included.

At this time, no one knows the story behind the scenes, and Matt doesn't know either, but independent musicians are willing to believe that this is the song dedicated to them by the August 31st band -

Even the faintest ray of light is crucial.

Later, after the story of the red carpet spread, not only did it not dampen the enthusiasm of independent and underground musicians, but Archie's story further stimulated their passion and fighting spirit.

Thanks to this performance and this song, August 31st has earned itself an incredible position in the industry.

Everything is just like when the Beatles emerged.

Matt had a keen eye and saw the potential of Another Light.

When he learned that the song was a new song that had not yet been released, Matt fell off the sofa, unable to control his excitement. After all, who could refuse Anson Wood?
Taking everything into consideration, plus the name "Anson Wood", Matt could already imagine what would happen next.

Therefore, we must hurry up, we must hurry up, and we must firmly grasp the opportunity before things change.

This is far more than just a song, or even 10 billion or 100 billion, but they are keeping up with the times and completing the layout first.

Imagine that the global record industry's profits fell by $4 billion in just four years, in pure profit; what would it mean if half of this $4 billion went into iTunes' pocket?
An Anson might allow iTunes and Apple to gain an advantage over other companies.

No wonder Matt took action personally and was so anxious.

However, this is often the case.

In my mind, the plan seems perfect, full of confidence and ambition; however, when it comes to actually implementing it, it is full of surprises, twists and turns, setbacks and frustrations.

Matt stayed up all night, forcing himself to calm down. He took all aspects into consideration and convened an emergency meeting of the Los Angeles and New York offices on both coasts at three in the morning.

He needed to ensure that he was confident when he appeared in front of Anson.

After actually meeting, Matt admitted that he was still a little surprised——

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Anson is more charming than you might think.

Now Matt finally understood why Anson was able to climb to the top of the pyramid in just three years. It was definitely not just luck.

At the same time, this also made Matt more confident in his plan. They needed to catch Anson.

"…I believe that the cooperation between August 31st and iTunes is a win-win situation. This is an opportunity to show the possibilities of music to the general public."

"It is also an opportunity for the band to once again be at the forefront of the times. You have bravely integrated classical music into rock music. We never knew that the cello could be so charming."

"The same is true for digital audio sources. This is the process of the times and it is irreversible. We should not continue to cling to the past, but keep up with the times."

"I believe you have such vision and courage."

Flourishing and magnificent——

Obviously, Matt came prepared.

Even though it had been less than twelve hours since the Grammy Awards, and even though Matt had been up all night and now had caffeine coursing through his veins, Matt appeared calm and composed. He had already detailed a grand blueprint for the next five or even ten years in his mind, and he could complete a long speech without a draft.

Anson listened attentively the whole time, with great concentration and seriousness.

However, someone spoke up and interrupted Matt's impassioned monologue.

"How can we achieve a win-win situation?"

Matt looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was Edgar.

Although he was at a disadvantage in every aspect this morning and Matt completely took the initiative, Edgar was not discouraged. He focused his attention and brought up the topic at the right time, once again demonstrating his style as an agent.

"I know that iTunes needs Anson, but why does Anson need iTunes?"

"I guess if Anson is interested, he has a ton of options now, so why iTunes?"

(End of this chapter)