Raising a Neglected Singer-Songwriter - Chapter 47



Only Krnovel

47. Contract Conclusion

The now quite familiar MXM Entertainment headquarters.

As I got on the familiar cylindrical elevator and arrived at the familiar meeting room, I was greeted by familiar faces.

“Thank you for your hard work coming such a long way, Devoice! No, should I call you Cha Seong-jun, hahaha!”

The hot-blooded gangster boss Baek Jeong-jang, no, the CEO of MXM Entertainment, Choi Dae-heon, who shook hands heartily.

“Are you here?”

Next, the cold-blooded chief of staff in black attire, no, Chief Baek Seok, extends his hand.

And Team Leader Kim Seong-su, no, this time there was a new member of the legal team.

After a quick chat as usual, we got straight to the point.

“How about you review the contract I sent you?”

Yesterday morning, I got a call from Baek Seok.

– I just sent the contract to your email, Devoice.

There was a long list of clauses according to the standard contract.

While I was slowly reading the email, Baek-seok said.

– I don’t know how you’ll take this, but the company put a lot of thought into it. I can say for sure that no new artist has ever received a contract like this in their first contract.

We comprehensively considered the current popularity of DeVoice, etc.

Accordingly, he emphasized that he had proposed an unusual settlement ratio for a new singer.

So, with that confident statement, you can check if there are any toxic clauses, such as profit settlement and distribution, unreasonable schedules, or forcing activities against the artist’s wishes.

5th year of social life.

Cha Seong-jun is not a naive fool who believes other people’s words at face value.

But somehow, Baek Seok’s words felt strangely trustworthy.

The same was true when looking at the settlement ratio for YouTube contracts, including expensive mirrorless camera gifts.

Baek Seok’s expression ‘I took care of it’ was literally equivalent to saying ‘I treated it exceptionally well.’

This was felt in his actions, his speech, and the aura he gave off as a person.

Ah, even though he may seem cold-hearted, at least he doesn’t joke around.

However, that doesn’t mean you can just sign a contract without looking at it properly.

After the call, I spent the whole morning searching diligently for things like celebrity standard contracts and general settlement rates.

However, since this settlement ratio is confidential to each company, it was impossible to determine the standard even after looking into it.

Even if I read the standard contract, I still didn’t know what was going on.

While I was struggling alone like that, a message arrived from Seol Hye-yoon.

– Seongjun, what have you been doing since a while ago?

– Ah, that······

It was announced yesterday that they are considering signing with MXM Entertainment.

I got the contract today and explained the situation by saying that it was under review-

– You shouldn’t do it alone. You should seek advice from a legal representative!

A clear answer came back.

Then he asked if there was anyone around him who knew something about the law, hmm…

– Ah! I have a friend who will soon become a ‘wizard’ after completing 30 years of single life…

– Oh, that old man joke. Anyway, there’s none, right? Just wait a minute.

Seol Hye-yoon got up from her seat and went outside for a moment.

And a little later.

When she returned to her seat, she gave me a contact number.

– Dongsae-, no. I got it from an acquaintance who works in the entertainment industry. He’s the most famous person in that area. He’s someone who usually has a long waiting list, but my acquaintance asked him to do it for me. He said that it’s difficult to do a face-to-face consultation, but he can give me a brief help over the phone during lunchtime. Is that okay?

– Wow, sir. The wizard was not my friend, but you. This muggle will definitely repay the favor.

– Hahaha I’ll look forward to it. Oh, and I just got a call from an acquaintance again, and he told me to send him the contract in advance via text message.

– Go ahead.

After that, I had lunch and called her as Seol Hye-yoon said.

Then the lawyer quickly reviewed the contents of the contract.

Letting out an exclamation from the very first word.

– Wow. MXM Entertainment is being incredibly considerate of the artist. This isn’t the kind of settlement ratio that should be written in a new singer’s first contract.

It was consistent with what Baek Seok said.

The lawyer helped explain with an example.

– There are top-class singers in Korea. For example, Yuna. In this case, the settlement ratio is ’10:0′. The artist is 10, and the company is 0. I know that Yuna’s first rookie contract was ‘6:4’. But now, the artist-

It’s ‘7:3’.

Even if you take the name value of the device, it’s an absurd ratio for a rookie.

It is said that the ratio is comparable to that of a mid-level popular singer.

The lawyer’s admiration did not end there.

– Plus, the artist is responsible for 100% of the music copyright fees. Haha, something like that.

Cha Sung-jun is a singer-songwriter who writes lyrics, composes, and sings.

Therefore, instead of giving him all the royalties, they will split the profits from other broadcasts, events, concerts, goods, etc. in a 7:3 ratio.

This is because MXM Entertainment judged that it would be able to generate huge profits with just the conditions presented, considering the present and future market value of DeVoice.

He said that all other provisions are set up so that A and B are equal or slightly more advantageous to the artist.

And then he said,

– I guess MXM Entertainment really wants to sign a contract with the artist. To the point of offering such ridiculous conditions.

Originally, MXM Entertainment was said to have one of the better settlement conditions compared to other entertainment companies.

However, Cha Seong-jun’s case is unusual.

After that, I briefly asked questions about things I was curious about and received answers.

Thanks to that, things related to the contract have been sorted out to some extent.

“Thank you. It was a great help. How do I pay for it?”

Before ending the call, I asked one last time about the consultation fee.

Even if it’s over the phone, it’s still a consultation.

Then the lawyer smiled and said,

“Don’t worry about it. You already paid. Haha.”

Just as I was about to ask, “Huh? Who are you?” the lawyer abruptly ended the call.

They say that consultations are backed up right after lunch hour.

And I immediately contacted Baek Seok and set up a meeting for today.

“I checked the contract. Well, it was perfect.”

“I thought you’d like it. Anyway, what you said-”

“Yes. I would like to sign with MXM Entertainment. Oh, but not right away. After I am terminated from my job.”

“I was surprised when you said not right away! That was a great decision! Hahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha!”

Choi Dae-heon, who had been startled, burst into laughter as if relieved.

Cha Seong-jun also smiled lightly.

From now on, you can leave all the bothersome stuff like music distribution, promotion, marketing, and event planning to me and just write good songs.

We also need to make good use of the power that MXM Entertainment has in the industry.

Afterwards, I discussed with the lawyer present about parts that were not mentioned in the contract.

As a result, we decided to merge the contracts we had with the existing MCN business division regarding YouTube, and also entrusted all copyright handling of songs uploaded to Soundsky to them.

And the meeting is slowly coming to an end.

Baek-seok asked.

“What will you be using as your stage name in the future? Will you use ‘D.Voice’ like you do now? Or-”

Whether to use a different stage name.

Cha Seong-jun answered.

“I’ll call it ‘Seongjun’.”

It was a decision made after much deliberation.

‘D.Voice’ will be used on YouTube and SoundSky.

As a singer-songwriter, I decided to use my real name, ‘Seongjun.’

This decision was also in line with Cha Seong-jun’s determination to reveal himself.

Upon hearing this, Choi Dae-heon and Baek Seok also responded positively.

“Hmm, nice! Two letters in Korean! Neat! Just like Yuna!”

“Yes, and the fact that Sungjun is a device user will be revealed anyway.”

Now that the contract has been concluded, the public relations team is planning to make a big announcement about the contract between MXM Entertainment and DeVoice=Sungjun.

When asked when that time would be, MXM Entertainment’s brain, Baek Seok, shared his plan.

“We have calculated the timing to maximize the impact. Therefore, we plan to proceed with the press release on the day when Sung-jun reveals that he is Devoice on ‘Who’s the King’. Until then, let’s keep it a secret for the time being.”

This was Baek Seok’s plan.

‘Device=Sungjun=Exclusive contract with MXM Entertainment’

This is literally the perfect scenario.

The topicality will create synergy and then explode.

“Then I sincerely welcome you as a member of our family.”

“I will be the one who will be counted on to take good care of you in the future. CEO, Director.”

Choi Max-heon and Cha Seong-jun shake hands firmly.

Contract concluded.

In this way, Cha Sung-jun became a member of MXM Entertainment.

*

*

*

The next day, at work.

Someone is standing right next to Cha Seong-jun, a senior employee who is about to retire.

Her true identity is Jo Ah-young, the youngest employee of the general affairs team and the only MZ employee on the team.

“Okay, Ayoung. The parking lot is where employees park their cars.”

“Wow, really? This is amazing.”

Yes, the two are in the process of handing over power.

In Jo Ah-young’s hand was a thick bundle of paper, the front of which had the words ‘Handover Document’ written in large letters the size of a door.

This is the handover document that Cha Seong-jun wrote in his spare time, knowing that a day like this would come.

If you are well-versed in Hunminjeongeum, you should have written it with all your heart so that you can understand it just by reading it.

Thanks to this, the handover went smoothly.

Jo Ah-young seems to understand well, and I think the handover will be almost finished next week.

At this point, I don’t think I’ll get cursed at when I quit my job.

In the future, he will move forward as the singer ‘Sungjun’.

So, as a company employee, I also want to have a beautiful ending, a beautiful ending.

And at 2pm, a little after lunch time.

The entire general affairs team gathered in the conference room.

The topic of the meeting was the healing concert, which was a hot topic within the team.

I’m going to do this shit eventually.

“···This is the content that the team leader and I have sorted out, but does anyone have any questions?”

Vice President Kim Ok-soon looked around at her team members with gloomy expressions and asked.

The team leader who had actually organized this annoying event was away on an external schedule, so she, the most senior employee, was leading the meeting.

Well, anyway.

“······.”

Since it was only a rough outline of the event, there weren’t really any questions.

In addition, Kim Ok-soon’s explanation was smart, and at the same time, I still wanted to deny reality.

“Everyone’s faces look like they’re dying. I understand that, but let’s not show that we don’t like it too much. If we can’t avoid it, we should enjoy it. Right? Since we’re already in charge, let’s make it fun. Come on, everyone, cheer up! Starting with Manager Park!”

“The manager is right. What can I do about this! I’ll make a killer concert and then go get the boss a gold medal!”

“No! Then let’s have another concert next year!”

“I don’t know. I’m going to submit a leave of absence.”

Starting with the fighting spirit of the most senior member, Ok-soon Kim.

The tense atmosphere revives thanks to the banter between Manager Park and Assistant Manager Oh.

The team atmosphere is this good without a team leader.

Ah, Cha Seong-jun was originally in a good mood.

I just attended the meeting, I’m going to quit the company soon anyway.

The moment it’s not my job, people tend to go into observation mode.

After having a good laugh like that, the general affairs team returned to focusing on the meeting.

Team members who exchange opinions more actively than before.

Through brainstorming, the details of the rough plan are gradually filled in.

And finally, there is only one agenda item left.

The key and flower of this healing concert is the invitation of invited singers.

“This is practically the main part of the concert.”

All the previous events or activities are just side events or extras.

Anyway, none of the Saudis care at all. Unless it’s a gift raffle.

On the other hand, the audience’s ultimate goal and interest is the performance of the invited singers.

In other words, if you can properly hire just one singer, the corporate event can be considered a huge success.

“You absolutely have to call a girl group. The response is different. Let’s go with ‘Sisters’.”

“Hey, it’s the Unjeot Sisters, Manager. These days, ‘I-G’ is the trend. I vote for I-G.”

“What? Are you ignoring the sisters, you idiot!”

“It’s not that I’m ignoring you, it’s just a little old-fashioned. Ask Ayoung. Who’s popular these days?”

“Yes. Our team’s youngest, the only MZ generation member, Jo Ah-young. Which of the two do you think is more popular? You probably know since you always have one earphone plugged in and listen to music while working.”

“I am ‘Monsta Z’.”

“No, which one is more popular, Sisters or IG?”

“It’s ‘Monsta Z’.”

The team members each bring up their favorite groups with a smile on their face at the thought of hiring a singer.

However, there was one thing they overlooked.

“How much is the budget?”

When Seol Hye-yoon, who had been silent, asked, everyone’s eyes were focused on Kim Ok-soon.

Kim Ok-soon answers with a small sigh.

“First of all, the maximum is expected to be 1,000. On the condition that at least 3 songs are sung.”

“Three songs in a thousand. It’s tight.”

“And you know what? Our company is obsessed with celebrity status. We have to take that into consideration too.”

You can never get an A-list singer with just 10 million won. No, it’s hard to even get a B-list singer.

Sisters, IZO, and Monsta Z are all leaving. In an instant, cold water was poured on them.

“Ugh. This is a disaster. I’ll have to look into hiring a newbie to fit the budget.”

“Groups are difficult too. You have to look at them as soloists.”

“If you just sign a contract with an agency, they’ll give you a quote and put up a listing.”

“Or can’t Seongjun call me?”

“Don’t tell me I’m leaving the car company, Mr. Oh.”

“I just tried it. I just tried it.”

Before I knew it, my tone of voice, which had been full of anticipation, had changed to a business-like tone.

This healing concert meant that the work I was doing had returned from being something I wanted to enjoy to something I was just doing because I had to.

“Ahh~ He’s still a rookie, so how can you know in advance which singer will become a big hit in the future?”

That was when the deputy manager started to complain.

“Huh? Then how about someone like a contestant on an audition program?”

It was Jo Ah-young who first came up with the idea.

She was usually the type to say things that were out of the blue, but this time, her words sounded quite refreshing.

Kim Ok-soon asked back.

“Audition contestant?”

“Yes. Our Monsta Z’s Jiwoong oppa is going to be a judge on an audition show called ‘Who’s the King’. I think they’re picking singer-songwriters or something. If there’s anyone who does well and seems like they’ll become famous-”

“Oh, I have a feeling now. So, let’s just watch the show at the beginning and recruit the cast that will be popular in advance? It’ll be cheap since they haven’t set the unit price yet. Did I understand correctly?”

“Oh, yes! Something like that!”

Jo Ah-young nods.

All the team members look at Jo Ah-young with a ‘whoa’ expression.

Is this the creative thinking of the MZ generation?

It was obvious that it was just a random thought that occurred to me while I was thinking about idols, like accidentally catching a rat while walking backwards.

In any case, it was a moment when Jo Ah-young’s quick wit was reevaluated.

the other side,

‘Huh? ‘Who’s the King’ is suddenly appearing?!’

Cha Seong-jun, who had been listening without thinking, turned into a rabbit’s eyes.

When I turned my head, Seol Hye-yoon, who knew about Cha Sung-jun’s participation in ‘Who’s the King’, was also looking this way.

As the two people were blinking, Kim Ok-soon asked.

“What do you think, Agent Seol? The marketing team that Agent Seol worked for before knows the most about recruiting celebrities and influencers. Is it possible to do something like Ayoung said?”

Seol Hye-yoon looks momentarily flustered when a question is suddenly asked of her.

But soon he calmly answered, fiddling with his glasses.

“···Yes, I think it’s possible. In fact, there are many PPL proposals made in that way.”

“How did you mainly contact the cast?”

“I contacted the production team of the program and obtained their consent.”

After that, Seol Hye-yoon talks about similar cases, recruitment procedures, costs, etc.

As the clear and coherent explanation ended, exclamations erupted.

“Wow~ As expected, Manager Seol. You’re from the marketing team, so you’re different, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry. I was the one who first came up with the audition idea-”

“Manager Seol, you smart-alecky brat! You’re so pretty! Unlike those people who only talk about girl groups.”

“Sir, it’s not that we’re lacking. It’s that Manager Seol is outstanding.”

“Eww~ You’re bragging~ Anyway, if everyone agrees, let’s put this idea up as plan 1, and then let’s think about plans 2 and 3 as well.”

After that, a friendly meeting followed.

Except for three people.

Jo Ah-young was robbed of praise even though it was her own idea.

Seol Hye-yoon was surprised to receive a compliment, but she was worried that Cha Seong-jun might be flustered.

And, Cha Sung-jun, a contestant (or former contestant) of ‘Who’s the King’, is in confusion.

‘If this continues, it would be faster to go on a broadcast than to quit my job···.’

Next Saturday, the first episode of ‘Who’s the King’.

I just sincerely hope that my resignation is processed before then.

And fortunately, Cha Seong-jun’s wish came true.

“Seongjun, come to your seat for a moment.”

The team leader who returned from an external meeting called Cha Seong-jun.

“You’re quitting, are you still of the same mind?”

“yes.”

After completing the final check, he relayed the personnel transfer plan.

“Your resignation will be processed as of next Friday.”

The day before the first episode of ‘Who’s the King’ aired.

Cha Seong-jun’s resignation date has been decided.

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