Chapter 98

This price is indeed reasonable.

People cannot be compared to people, companies cannot be compared to companies, and the situations in different regions can vary greatly.

For example, as Li Qian knows, in Hollywood's film and television industry, agents are called "Mr. Ten Percent," meaning that agents take a direct 10% cut from the artist's income, which is a common practice and standard in the market. However, in the current domestic market, because the entertainment industry has only been developing for one or two decades and is not yet fully developed, it is also not sufficiently market-oriented or regulated, so each company has its own rules, and each person has their own rules.

Take Liao Liao, for instance. She was a complete newcomer when she signed with Changsheng Records, signing a three-year agency contract and a two-album contract. The album contract was based on sales, while the agency contract had the company taking a direct 50% cut, and this agency contract also included all of Liao Liao's income outside of album sales, such as endorsements and commercial performances.

For Wuxing Wusu, since it was just a simple collaboration, to avoid unnecessary speculation, Li Qian did not ask in detail, but it was not hard to guess that a major company like Huage, facing newcomers who were not particularly outstanding in singing, would likely have even less favorable terms in their agency contracts.

But that was only because they were in a very weak position when they signed. Once they became famous, the terms would definitely change. For example, Liao Liao, who is now famous, when her contract expires, Changsheng Records would not dare to take such a large cut from her. And according to Cao Zhan, after He Runqing became famous, she did not renew her contract with Shidai Records but instead moved to Sony Records. Her new contract, besides the album contract, had the agency taking only 8%, and she had her own dedicated agent with the power to take on commercial performances. The agent's cut, it is said, was only 3%.

In the end, it all depends on who needs whom more!

The party that needs more help is definitely at a disadvantage in negotiations, and may even have no say. If the company is strong and the singer needs the company's support, then you must accept the terms. Once the singer becomes famous, whether for the company or the agent, they become strong enough to have the upper hand in negotiations. Even so, He Runqing's agent is still highly sought after because her income base is large! An agent for someone else might earn a few hundred thousand or a million a year, and taking 10% would be a hundred thousand. But as He Runqing's agent, the annual income would be in the millions, and even 3-4% is a substantial amount!

Given Li Qian's current situation, to be honest, even if he didn't find an agent and just hired someone as an assistant, it would be enough, because what he needs an agent to do is not technically difficult. Basically, anyone with a decent IQ and whom Li Qian trusts can do it.

So, offering Qi Jie a 5% commission is purely generous!

After all, with Li Qian's current fame and status in the industry, if he put out the word that he was looking for an agent, he wouldn't need 5%, even 3% or 2% would attract a large number of experienced and capable agents to apply!

And Qi Jie, for the position of agent, is just a completely inexperienced newcomer!

Regarding this, Qi Jie, of course, doesn't understand, but Liao Liao is crystal clear. So, after praising Li Qian, she quickly tugged at Qi Jie's sleeve and said, "You silly, he now starts at 200,000 per song. The album he did for Wuxing Wusu is expected to sell well, and in the industry, they say it's a tiered commission contract. If it sells well, he might earn a few million. He's also going to do an album for me. Calculate how much his annual income would be. Selling cosmetics? How many bottles would you need to sell to match his 5%?"

Li Qian laughed when he heard this.

Qi Jie looked at Liao Liao, then turned to look at Li Qian, hesitating and lacking confidence, she asked, "Do you really think... I can do it? Don't just agree with whatever Liao Liao says!"

Li Qian nodded and said, "Actually, what Liao Liao said was already very clear. Being my agent isn't really that difficult; the key is that I trust you! So, it's up to you! If you become my agent, I'll be studying for the next few years, so I won't be too busy, but I might get busier in the future! But by then, you'll have a few years of experience and should be more capable."

Qi Jie turned to look at Liao Liao again. This was all very sudden and confusing for her. She didn't even fully understand what being an agent entailed, and now she was supposed to be an agent, and for her former student at that? Was this... reliable?

Liao Liao also looked at her, giving her a flirtatious wink and saying, "Honey, hundreds of thousands a year! And you get to see handsome men every day!"

Qi Jie rolled her eyes at her, "Don't joke around. You two are just pushing me into this. I haven't even figured out what being an agent means yet! What if I can't do it? Or if I mess up Li Qian's affairs, how would that be calculated?"

Liao Liao patted her forehead in exasperation, "Honey, you're too honest! Note that 'honest' can also mean 'naive'! I recommended you, and Li Qian also approved, which means we both think you can do it! What else do you have to worry about?"

Qi Jie was still hesitant, turning to look at Li Qian again and asking cautiously, "How much do you estimate you'll earn next year?"

Li Qian smiled, stroking his chin thoughtfully, and said, "Next year, it depends on how well the Wuxing Wusu album sells and the album I'm doing for Liao Liao. I don't have any other projects lined up, and I don't plan to take on many. So, a preliminary estimate would be around 3 to 5 million."

Qi Jie blinked, her mind struggling to process the numbers, and she started counting on her fingers. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her voice rose, "So, I could earn 150,000 to 250,000 from you?"

Liao Liao chuckled, nudging her with her elbow and winking, "Feeling tempted? The thing is, it might be even higher in the future. Trust me, this is a dream job that many people would kill for!"

Qi Jie was indeed a bit tempted.

Money was just one aspect. Even if she went into brand agency, as long as she did well, she was confident she could earn 100,000 to 200,000 a year. This was not a delusion, as the cosmetics retail industry is very profitable.

But the question was, if she became Li Qian's agent, would she be able to enter the entertainment industry?

This was a bit... high-end!

Although she knew nothing about music, movies, or TV, everyone has a heart for the arts, especially since her employer would still be Li Qian!

Regardless of whether she admitted it or not, ever since she found out that the person singing on the rooftop was Li Qian, she had a good impression of him. When she learned that the songs were all his original works, her good impression grew even more. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so angry when Li Qian handed her the 20,000 yuan check.

Women are always less resistant to talented men, and if the man is also handsome, it's even harder to resist. Although this lack of resistance isn't necessarily all about romantic feelings, the subconscious desire to get closer and give the man a chance is undeniable. The stories of noble ladies and famous courtesans falling for poor scholars in plays and operas are not purely fictional; they are based on a lot of real-life examples.

At this moment, after much hesitation and deliberation, Qi Jie finally couldn't resist her restless artistic heart. She looked at Liao Liao, then at Li Qian, and said softly, "How about I... give it a try?"

Liao Liao clapped her hands and laughed heartily, "Deal!"

Li Qian smiled and said, "Then you can give it a try. If you're unhappy, you can always tell me!" After that, he stood up and walked to his bedroom.

Liao Liao laughed and said, "Suddenly feeling like a successful matchmaker!"

Qi Jie was still lost in her decision and didn't notice the ambiguity in Liao Liao's words. Before she could think more about it, Li Qian had already walked back and handed her a neatly folded piece of paper, smiling, "This should be your first payment, and I've been keeping it for you! Now you can accept it with peace of mind, right?"

Qi Jie took it, unfolded it, and indeed, it was the check she had crumpled and thrown away.

20,000 yuan.

She sighed, turning to look at Liao Liao, her expression somewhat suspicious, "Am I selling myself? Am I no longer a teacher? Am I becoming an employee?"

Liao Liao chuckled and ignored her.

But Li Qian picked up the conversation, saying, "Now you're officially on the job. Your first task is to go to Shuntian with Liao Liao when she leaves and negotiate the terms for my joining her next album with Changsheng Records!"

Mentioning this, Liao Liao suddenly perked up, "The price is negotiable. Whatever you want, I can help you negotiate. The question is, what songs do you plan to give me for the next album?"

Li Qian smiled and asked her, "What kind of direction do you want for your next album?"

At this, Liao Liao sat up straight, thinking seriously, "I know you're also good at fast songs. The fast songs you wrote for that group are all very good, but personally, I don't like fast songs. So, let's go with ballads and light rock?"

Pausing, she asked, "Do you have any ideas?" (To be continued.)