Nerveland, the Neverland Ranch.
"Lin, are you guys... serious??"
Michael Jack stared at the group of people at the door, speechless for a moment.
Judging from the large and small bags they were carrying, they clearly had musical instruments or similar items.
"Of course I'm serious."
Lin Lixin chuckled and beckoned to the people behind him.
"These are the members of our Supernova Band: guitarist Johnny Depp, bassist Keanu, and drummer Zimmer."
"... Very creative."
Michael stared blankly at the hastily assembled team, and after a long while, he finally managed to utter this sentence.
Upon hearing this, Lin Lixin smiled even more broadly and patted him on the shoulder.
"Right? I think so too. So guess why I came to see you?"
His gaze met Michael's, a meaningful look in his eyes. Michael, in turn, stared intently at this brother he got along with quite well but could never quite figure out, trying to guess his thoughts.
"I can't do this job. My old company is now a music industry giant; my word doesn't count."
"I was thinking the same thing, so I came to ask you if you're interested in... changing jobs?"
Michael pursed his lips, not answering immediately.
After a long pause, he said in a low voice:
"Come in and speak."
Who is Michael's former employer, or rather, his financial backer?
This is not a secret; it's an answer that the whole world knows.
CBS records.
The music division of Columbia Broadcasting System. Of course, that was its former name.
CBS Records is currently undergoing what may be the most important restructuring in its history.
The new name after the reorganization is...
sme.
Sony Music Entertainment.
Sony's music entertainment company is also one of the world's most powerful music companies.
In an era when Japan conglomerates were so wealthy they could buy up the United States, Sony's financial resources enabled them to acquire Columbia Records and Columbia Pictures.
In other words, Michael is, strictly speaking, an artist under Sony.
Although he has already started preparing for his own music company and has acquired a large number of music copyrights.
But in the music industry, Michael still has to listen to Sony.
Because Michael doesn't have his own independent record label, he only has his own personal label.
This is the most challenging issue. Marketing, promotion, tablet compression, and distribution channels are all capabilities that Michael lacks, and are precisely what he desperately wants to acquire.
" Michael, don't you want real autonomy? To completely break free from your old company's control and become a truly independent music label?"
Lin Lixin sat beside him, speaking very softly.
Of course MJ wanted to, and the birth of MJJ Music has already proven that.
The problem now is how to persuade him.
"Lin, Gamenova is the undisputed leader in the gaming world, but the music industry... is a completely different ecosystem."
Gamenova's ability to wield influence in Hollywood and the music industry doesn't necessarily equate to them having sufficient control.
Those things are just "influence".
The real oligopolies have already divided up the pie.
Michael knew why Lin Lixin had chosen this time to find him and talk about this seemingly unbelievable thing.
The root of the problem must be the name Sony.
Sony wants to enter the gaming industry, and Gamenova wants to enter the music industry, but the two are incompatible and there is no possibility of cooperation. Sony is not the half-dead Sega, but another sun at its zenith, shining brightly on the other side of the earth.
The Walkman's global influence even surpasses that of the Novapocket, which defined the "handheld game console".
Not to mention, they also hold a large number of crucial consumer electronics patents, such as those for CDs, firmly in their hands.
These are the lifeblood of Gamenova.
Michael knew Lin Lixin's temperament well and knew that he would never compromise on this matter and lose the autonomy he had maintained to this day.
To put it bluntly, Gamenova is more likely to team up with Nintendo than with Sony.
While they haven't reached the point of a life-or-death conflict with 3do, they are certainly not two companies that can coexist peacefully.
There is no doubt that Lin Lixin wanted to stab Sony in the back.
"Aside from Sony, we don't have many allies we can rely on..."
Michael took a deep breath and listed out the few options as if they were his own treasures.
"As far as I know, Warner Music is probably the one closest to you, Lin..."
" Warner won't do. They're a bunch of good-for-nothings; they'll cause trouble sooner or later." Lin Lixin directly rejected this option.
Warner. has indeed collaborated with Gamenova quite a bit, after all, DC acts as a bridge between the two companies, and there was also a lot of collaboration during the Rocksmith era.
Moreover, after Atari's several counterattacks all ended in failure, Warner seems to have come to terms with reality and is gradually divesting its already dwindling Atari shares, selling them all to Commodore.
As a result, Warner. can only rely on Gamenova and EA in the gaming industry.
"Why..."
Michael sighed softly and nodded helplessly.
"If we remove Warner, then we're left with only EMI and MCA."
"Hmm... none of them are quite suitable."
Lin Lixin shook his head again.
EMI is the largest besides Sony and Warner.
However, it has a very inappropriate problem: it is a United Kingdom company.
Inconvenience in every sense of the word. As for MCA...
In a few years, this will become part of Universal Group, which will be a problem no less than that of Warner. and Disney.
"So what you mean is...? Do you intend to...?"
Upon hearing Lin Lixin's answer, Michael's heart skipped a beat.
Based on his intuition and his understanding of Lin Lixin, he instinctively felt that Lin Lixin seemed to be up to something.
This is a big deal.
"Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of starting a record company from scratch."
Lin Lixin waved his hand.
Starting a record company is no easy task.
"I do have an option that interests me... Enigma Records, you know?"
The one in Santa Monica?
Michael frowned. This wasn't a good choice.
Unlike the mainstream record labels mentioned earlier, Enigma is practically a nobody.
This is a local California record label.
Enigma survived in an era where various giants had already monopolized the industry by relying on its unique musical style.
It doesn't seek out mainstream artists or superstars.
On the contrary, Enigma really enjoys helping newly debuted underground bands gain fame.
Alternative rock and metal are their specialties.
It is precisely this unique niche positioning that allows them to secure their own niche and survive.
But that's the problem.
It's so small that Sony and their team could easily crush it with a single step.
Moreover, according to Michael, Enigma is not in a healthy state right now.
The rapid expansion caused by signing numerous underground bands in the late 1980s severely impacted cash flow, resulting in a poor financial situation. Their own distribution network was also very fragile, lacking a nationwide coverage system and often relying on giants like EMI for assistance.
No matter how you look at it, this is definitely a non-performing asset.
With that in mind, Michael explained the situation to Lin Lixin.
He only felt that Lin Lixin had developed some strange bias towards Enigma because of his love for punk.
After all, Enigma's musical style and their approach to signing independent bands seem to suit Lin Lixin's taste quite well.
"You're right, Michael, but have you ever considered that what Enigma lacks is precisely what Gamenova has?"
How so?
"While Gamenova can't compare to those publicly listed giants, its cash flow is definitely enough to support a record company. As for music technology..."
As Lin Lixin spoke, he turned to look at Hans Zimmer beside him.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
technology?
How many record companies have the capability to create their own sound library, their own music workstations, and a complete music industry system? Under Hans Zimmer's management, Gamenova even possesses a mature music industry system that rivals or surpasses that of mainstream companies.
"As for distribution channels... although we at Gamenova don't have the distribution channels for records, we have something that Sony and the others can't even come close to."
He grinned, and even as he spoke, millions of dollars were burning through cash.
We can't let this money go to waste.
"Nexus, or rather, the Internet. We don't need to compete with Sony for the record market; instead, we'll release digital versions, order via email, and download them via the Internet."
"Oh my god..."
Michael's pupils contracted sharply, and he unconsciously swallowed.
"But the file size and download speed are both..."
"I've found a solution."
Michael was completely speechless.
He did not doubt the truthfulness of Lin Lixin's words. If Lin Lixin said he had found a solution, then he must have found a solution.
Considering all these factors... then a record label like Enigma is indeed a good choice.
Moreover, the headquarters is not far away, located in Santa Monica, very close to Activision, and adjacent to Gamenova's command center.
"How so? Michael, are you interested? With Gamenova as your backer, MJJ Music can truly achieve independence."
Michael Jackson held a large number of copyrights to Elvis and the Beatles. Even if we only had those three, including himself, they would be enough to support half of the pop music scene.
Not to mention that the copyrights he holds are far more than that.
MJJ Music addresses the issue of mainstream appeal, while Enigma offers its own rock and alternative music, thus satisfying both legitimacy and legitimacy.
And Gamenova... it can cover all logistical issues such as distribution and promotion, technology, and funding.
If these three parties can truly unite as one...
Michael's eyes turned serious, and his whole demeanor became solemn.
He also realized that now was not the time for carefree laughter.
It's safe to say that what he's discussing with Lin Lixin right now might be a major event that will shape the future landscape of the music industry. Beyond the three giants, if they leverage Gamenova's influence on the internet, they might actually be able to carve out a new battlefield.
Is the cake all gone?
Sorry, we baked a newer, bigger, and tastier cake ourselves.