Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 16



Only Krnovel

16. I will sign the contract.

– Hello, this is MXM Entertainment······

When I first read the comments on YouTube, Cha Sung-jun’s reaction was cold.

‘It’s a fake account.’

It was a reasonable doubt.

MXM himself commented on a channel that just uploaded its first cover song? And asked to collaborate? To be honest, it didn’t make sense.

So I clicked on the profile icon to see how much effort was put into this prank.

however,

“Really?!”

It’s literally the official YouTube channel of MXM Entertainment.

43 million subscribers. He was a true legend.

I was so startled that I threw my body back, barely able to keep my balance as I almost fell backwards along with the chair.

“Whew, calm down.”

After taking a short deep breath, I read the comments on the video again carefully, word by word.

So now this is all-

“This happened because of the Yuna cover song I sang?”

Of course, I thought I sang pretty well myself.

Compared to other YouTubers’ cover songs, it was objectively better.

Still, I never thought Yuna’s agency would contact me directly like this.

It was strange and amazing, dreamlike and yet reassuring.

So anyway, what should I do now?

Oh, I told you to send me an email!

After barely coming to my senses, I started writing an email.

The gist of it was that he was grateful for listening to the cover song and that he wanted to hear more detailed suggestions.

“Hello, this is D.Voice. First of all, I’m embarrassed for taking interest in my humble cover song video… This seems too humble… ”

After writing and deleting a few lines and repeating them over and over again, I finally sent the email at midnight.

*

And the next morning.

“Phew-?!”

As soon as he got to work, iced Americano spewed out of Cha Seong-jun’s nostrils.

Because an email from MXM Enter arrived in my personal mailbox.

‘What? You already got a reply?!’

I thought it would take at least three days, or at most a week, but the response was very quick.

Even though it was fast, it was so fast that the dispatch time was 1 AM.

Isn’t this almost like replying to an email right after receiving it?

When Cha Seong-jun was making a fuss, Vice President Kim Ok-sun, sitting next to him, asked.

“Seongjun, are you okay?”

“Ugh, it’s okay. But you didn’t get in trouble with the manager, did you?”

“I’m fine, but it seems like you’re all in your own keyboard? What else did you see that surprised you so much that you even stopped by? Did you win the lottery or something?”

“Hey, if that were the case, I wouldn’t have come to work this week.”

I was whining, but my heart was pounding.

Because it was a major event, comparable to winning the lottery.

After roughly wiping off the coffee stains with a tissue.

I carefully checked the contents of the email, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be spying on it.

and.

‘Ugh, my, this is crazy···!’

I swallowed back another gasp of relief.

To summarize,

‘I’m planning to do a cover song challenge to promote a new song, and you want to use my cover song in the main promotional content?’

Additionally, I was asked if I could cover Yuna’s other hit songs during the two-week challenge period.

There was also a condition that included paying for the content usage fee for this cover song, as well as for each additional cover song.

The cost suggested by MXM is 2 million won for the use of this cover song.

The additional song is-

‘You’re going to give me 500,000 won each?! Is that right?!’

If you sing 1 song, you get 50, if you sing 2 songs, you get 100, and if you sing 3 songs, you get 150.

This has to be a total money-spinner.

On the one hand, I was curious as to whether this kind of unit price could be set for a rookie YouTuber who had only just uploaded one song.

So, let’s ask Seol Shine, a former member of the marketing team and current senior YouTuber.

– Hmm~ Doesn’t that depend on the level of the channel? The really top-tier ones can get paid over a million won per song. I’ve been offered three or four times, but at the time it was 300,000 won per song. Maybe it’s because the cover song market was so minor in the beginning, but entertainment companies still treat cover song YouTubers poorly. These days, as awareness has changed, the unit price is gradually increasing. But are you already thinking about advertising? No matter what, it’s not easy for a new channel to get advertisements, right, ambitious Devoice?

The answer came back:

‘What does that mean? MXM is offering us some incredibly generous treatment right now?’

I can’t really feel it because I only saw the text in the email.

Maybe, as Seol Hye-yoon said, the unit price of YouTubers may have skyrocketed along with the recent rise in prices.

But those thoughts soon blew away like fallen leaves in a gust of wind.

Because MXM’s proposal didn’t stop there.

This time, for real.

‘What, you don’t want to be an exclusive creator?!’

In other words, it meant that he would not belong to MXM.

Because it is such a large company, it seems that there is an MCN division that manages not only celebrities but also YouTubers and influencers.

I checked the attached file and there was a business card along with a copy of the contract.

The title and contact information for MXM Entertainment Marketing Team Leader is written on it.

‘If you’re sending the contract first… I think you’re being sincere and not just poking around…’

There were many things I was curious about, and I was thinking that I should probably call them myself, so I was touching the tip of my chin.

“Okay, everyone, stop what you’re doing and pay attention!”

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the team leader’s voice.

“This is what was on CB this morning…”

If it’s CB, it’s a coffee break.

It is a morning meeting attended by the chairman, executives, and team leaders.

You had to be on your guard whenever the team leader talked about CB like that.

Because in order to look good to the superiors, it was common for other teams to take on annoying tasks that everyone else avoided.

As expected, my ominous feeling came true.

“The chairman always wanted to encourage our employees for their hard work.”

“Wow, so is it a salary raise this year? Or a special bonus?”

“No, it’s much better than that.”

The team leader, who was looking around at his team members, cleared his throat and said proudly.

“The chairman wants to hold a healing concert for the employees! Early next year!”

“Concert…huh?”

“Yeah, a concert! Inviting outside lecturers to give lectures! Inviting singers to perform! Showing off talents and playing games! Just imagining it is fun, isn’t it?!”

Yeah, it wasn’t fun at all.

Why?

“······So. Which team plans and carries out this?”

When Kim Ok-soon asked.

“Which team is it? If it’s planning an in-house event, it’s obviously our general affairs team!”

At that moment, the group chat room of the general affairs team, excluding the team leader, was flooded with shit.

The reaction was that I knew this would happen.

– CB, what the fuck. I have a feeling it’s going to be really strong.

– Sigh… I’m so busy right now, when are you going to prepare for the concert?

– We’re all employees, so why do we always have to do such stupid things? Is it because we’re part of the general affairs team?

– Recruiting singers… Ugh, just thinking about it makes my teeth chatter. Also, if they don’t like it, if their superiors don’t like it, it’s expensive, it’s a loss, how much will they complain…

– Vice President Kim. No, Sister Ok-soon! How can this not be overturned? No, if it’s a concert, you can just hand it over to marketing, right?!

It was so urgent that a request was made to Vice Minister Kim Ok-soon to shoulder the gun and ask her to please turn it down.

– Would that be possible for that person’s personality…

The team leader was an old fart who rarely changed his mind once he had made up his mind.

Even if it’s something to look good in front of your superiors, how could you possibly quit?

“Anyway, let’s have a detailed meeting next week. Vice President Kim, please talk to me separately about this.”

“Yes, yes···.”

Kim Ok-sun got up from her seat weakly and followed the team leader to somewhere.

*

It was a day I don’t know how I got through thinking about the fucking men’s concert and MXM Entertainment.

After work, in the studio.

As soon as I unpacked, I immediately called the number on the business card.

Thump thump- thump thump-

A couple of beeps are heard, followed by a low voice.

-···This is MXM Marketing Team Leader Kim Seong-su.

“Hello. I’m contacting you after seeing your email.”

– What kind of email is it?

Is it because the working hours of Entersa and Nine to Six are basically the same?

Maybe it’s because he called after work hours, but his voice was quite annoying.

Well, I admit that I get a lot of work calls after work.

“Regarding the cover song on YouTube. If you have any further inquiries, please contact me by phone…”

Let’s answer carefully, with an apologetic heart.

– Yes? A cover song? Oh! Are you by any chance Devoice?!

The voice, which had been strained from fatigue, suddenly rose to a high tone as if nothing had happened.

– Hello, Devoice! Nice to meet you! My name is Kim Seong-su, the head of the MXM Entertainment Marketing Team. You called after reading the email we sent you.

The answer was met with a resounding ‘Yes~!’

Why are you so excited?

Well, anyway, I said I had a question and got straight to the point.

“Does the number of cover songs matter?”

– Oh, I know that uploading one song a week is common among cover song YouTubers. So at least two songs-

“More?”

– yes?

“You said you’d pay for each cover song. If I sing five songs, I get paid for five songs. If I sing ten songs, I get paid for all ten songs?”

– Oh, yes, yes… For now, that’s right. However, you must maintain the current quality. Also, you must send us the finished version before uploading.

“Are you saying that you need confirmation?”

– Yes, as you know, this is a contractual-

“No problem, I will sign the contract.”

He answered without even listening.

I’m saying that the current quality is sufficient.

For Cha Seong-jun, whose stats rise every day, the quality at the moment was the lowest.

Of course, it is practically impossible to produce several songs in one day, as a certain amount of song analysis and practice is required.

Still, I think I can handle about three songs a week without any problems.

So when I did the math,

If you sing three songs a week for two weeks, that’s 50 times 3, then times 2 again. That’s 3 million won. That’s a month’s salary!

Meanwhile, Team Leader Kim Seong-su, who had applauded the quick answer, asked about the next agenda item first.

– That’s refreshing! Oh, then have you ever thought about the exclusive creator thing?

Exclusive creator contract.

In fact, this was more the core of this email than the cover song.

I was thinking about it this afternoon anyway…

“Yes, I appreciate the offer, but it seems difficult.”

– ah······.

A small sigh escapes his lips at those words.

It was a sigh that was somehow filled with regret.

– If you don’t mind, do you already have a company?

“No, that’s not it. It’s just personal reasons.”

He was not affiliated with an MCN company, but was already working at a regular job.

Therefore, the moment you become an exclusive creator, you are in violation of the company’s terms and conditions as a ‘part-time job’.

There will be disciplinary action… or even more serious problems. For example, a salary cut or, in severe cases, being fired from the company?

‘My goal isn’t to become a YouTuber, and I don’t have any solid income as a singer-songwriter, so it’s too early to become unemployed.’

So I just wanted to proceed with a single contract.

I looked it up and they said there wasn’t a problem with that.

– Yes, I understand. Then, our MXM legal team will send you an electronic contract by tomorrow morning. Please read it carefully and sign it. If you have any questions after reading it, please feel free to contact us. Once the contract is confirmed, we will set a meeting date right away. The location will be…

With those words, I ended my call with the marketing manager.

“Wow···.”

Cha Seong-jun puts down his phone and lets out the breath he had been holding during the call.

I pretended to be calm, but inside I was so nervous that I almost hiccupped.

Of course, it was a call with MXM, one of the top 3 entertainment companies in Korea, so how could it be foolish?

Moreover, I was also nervous because this contract was my first contract in the music field, which I had longed for so much.

“Are we going to have a meeting soon? At the MXM Entertainment headquarters at that.”

It was expected that they would first list the songs to be covered or order various requests.

Well, whatever. I can see the MXM Entertainment headquarters, and if I’m lucky, I can even see some celebrities!

Anyway, I thought I should take a day off, so I visited the MXM Entertainment homepage.

It was to find the location of the headquarters.

however,

“what’s this?”

A large pop-up window obscures the screen.

[No matter gender, age, or nationality!

Any singer-songwriter can participate!

Who will be the king of the new era!

[Listen to your song now!]

The first thing that appeared on the home screen was an advertisement written in large letters.

MXM and Flexnet are collaborating to hold a global audition.

“Wow, MXM is doing well. They’re even joining hands with Flexnet.”

Just as I was about to close the window in admiration.

“?!”

Cha Seong-jun’s fingers stop.

Then I looked closely at the phrase hanging at the end of my line of sight.

The recruitment field for this audition is···

“A singer-songwriter?!”

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