[Chapter 2: Signing with Universal Music]
After selecting the songs, Linton needed to think about how to promote them. This was the 90s in America, where copyright laws were well established, and the entertainment industry was thriving.
Major record labels included Universal, Warner, Sony Columbia, Motown, Polygram, and Bertelsmann, with countless subsidiaries under them. The ability to promote songs, artist revenue shares, and bargaining power varied significantly across different labels.
Linton's main goal was the capacity to promote his songs, helping him gain fame quickly, while other considerations could take a backseat. Therefore, his targets were the big six record labels; he disregarded smaller ones. Considering his future movie projects, he prioritized Universal, Warner, and Sony Columbia.
Of course, as a newcomer, whether they would take an interest in him remained uncertain. However, Linton believed that with the three songs he presented, he could negotiate a favorable contract with a record company.
At this point, he needed the help of an agent. As a senior at USC's School of Cinema-Television, he had already received outreach from several talent agencies, including William Morris Agency (WMA), Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and International Creative Management (ICM).
CAA was the most well-known and had the most resources, but it also had a strong controlling influence over its artists. Especially with the bundled services they offered in recent years, it would hinder his future endeavors in filmmaking. In other words, with Linton's conditions, an agent would only serve in a minimal capacity, which didn't align with CAA's usual approach.
In comparison, WMA had much less desire to control its artists, primarily offering services that positioned them more as facilitators. They provided enhanced bundled services, including full service and partial support. ICM lagged behind in this regard.
Ultimately, it depended on specific conditions, but given similar situations, WMA was his first choice. According to the law, a first-time agent contract for newcomers could only last one year; if things didn't work out, he could always switch.
...
Driving his used Ford back to school, Linton retrieved the business card of WMA agent Mira Cecchi and scheduled a meeting at a cafe near the campus.
Sitting at a window seat in the cafe, he ordered a cup of coffee from the waitress. Soon enough, he saw a young woman enter, dressed in a professional suit with a pencil skirt, nude tights, and black heels. Her long, dark brown hair framed a face that had a touch of Italian elegance. She walked over, asked the waitress for a soda, and introduced herself, saying, "Hi, Mr. Anderson, I'm Mira Cecchi, the agent from WMA."
She had just come out of the mailroom at WMA and didn't have any clients of her own yet, but she had a good feeling about Linton.
With both sides expressing interest, they quickly reached a cooperative understanding based on newcomer terms, with a commission split of 10% and a contract duration of one year.
After settling the basic terms, Mira said to Linton seriously, "Before we officially partner up, there are some things we need to clarify.
Every artist trying to make it in Hollywood dreams of becoming a big star. Yet, those Hollywood icons all have two faces. No matter what kind of person you are, the public image you project must be glamorous. If you join Hollywood, you need to be mentally prepared to embrace falsehoods for life."
Having some experience in the entertainment industry in his previous life, Linton paused for a moment, then replied, "I'm okay with that."
"Great."
"Now for the second point, what does an agent do? Every newcomer dreams of stardom, and an agent is the person who helps you shape, promote, and package your image, assisting in making your dreams a reality. Throughout this process, the agent's management and services are all-encompassing, from the minutia of your lifestyle to your romantic relationships. Are you sure you can accept this level of management?"
"Mira, I think I understand," Linton said, "I aspire to be a star, and I'll follow your guidance. Of course, I hope you'll also respect my opinions."
"It sounds like we've come to a consensus."
"Furthermore, I must caution you, in Hollywood, you can date women, drink excessively, and even use drugs. Naturally, these actions are best avoided, but if they happen, it's not a major issue. However, there are three taboos: one is sexual assault and abuse of minors. Another is timely and full tax payments; you can hire an accountant to help with tax avoidance, but tax evasion is a no-go. The last one is racial discrimination; even if you harbor some racist sentiments, you must never show it publicly. These three rules are absolute; violating them could ruin you, so always remember that."
"Thank you for the warning. I won't touch any of those things."
---
The next morning, at the WMA office in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Linton signed the agent contract with WMA in the presence of a lawyer. Before signing, Mira even introduced him to WMA's Vice President, Logan Donovan. Logan, a friendly older white man, didn't say much but encouraged Linton to work hard, assuring him that WMA would provide substantial support and work opportunities soon.
After signing the contract, Mira brought him in for a complete image overhaul, and Linton looked notably sharper. She then took him shopping for some clothes while reminding him that he could no longer dress as casually as he did in school; he needed to maintain a basic public image.
To facilitate work, Mira recommended that Linton rent an apartment or a small villa near Hollywood. As February had rolled around, Linton had already earned enough credits and was just waiting to graduate and receive his diploma at the end of May; thus, it didn't matter whether he lived on campus.
With about $105,000 available on his card, he felt confident about his impending fame and decided to have Mira help him find a small villa, emphasizing the importance of security and privacy.
...
After sorting those matters out, Linton told Mira he had written three songs and asked her to connect him with a music studio to record demos and handle copyright registration.
Mira was dismissive, thinking since he was studying film and television production, he should be leaning toward directing rather than trying to become a singer. However, she didn't voice her objections and quickly reached out to a music studio called Deep Sea, scheduling for them to go there the next morning at a rate of $1,500 for one day, with the studio providing all necessary services.
...
The next morning, Linton and Mira arrived at Deep Sea Music Studio, first agreeing on the price discussed previously as a preventative measure against potential legal conflicts. They paid $1,000 upfront and planned to settle the rest after the session.
It was a blessing that Linton still had a decent singing ability; within the few days following his resurgence, he'd practiced whenever possible. Furthermore, having reached an improved fitness level, his vocal range and timbre also reflected the enhancements.
With the three songs not being overly challenging, after a day of effort, Linton completed the demo recordings. After making the final payment, Mira was genuinely impressed, filled with newfound confidence in Linton's singing career.
...
Upon leaving Deep Sea Music Studio, they arranged for Mira to register the songs with BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) the next day.
Typically, the BMI agency only provided services for its members, and newcomers had to have publicly performed works to join. This was where the advantage of a veteran agency came into play; leveraging WMA's resources, Mira paid the membership fee the following day and secured Linton's membership in the association.
After thorough song verification, confirming they were original works, she finalized the copyright registration for the three songs. Mira then took the songs and demos to negotiate terms with record companies.
...
Based on Linton's preferences, Mira arranged meetings with Universal, Warner, and Sony Columbia.
Upon reviewing the songs, all three record companies expressed substantial interest, recognizing the potential of his music. They were also quite pleased with Linton's appearance; after testing his basic skills, they each provided him with an A- overall score, including A+ for looks, B- for vocal technique, A- for vocal range, A for clarity, and A- for stage presence.
This indicated significant potential, and all offered decent contract terms. Notably, a senior executive from Sony Columbia named Maura privately contacted Linton and Mira, indicating they were willing to purchase the rights to Believer for $1 million, which left Mira thrilled and reinforced her confidence in Linton.
Unexpectedly, Linton blocked Sony Columbia's communication. Mira, not being a music industry professional, wasn't aware, but record label executives should have known better. Linton thought it unreasonable to think they could buy the rights for $1 million, seeing it as taking advantage of a newcomer.
He informed Mira that they should focus on negotiating with Universal and Warner, disregarding Sony Columbia, and stipulated that the contract should not exceed three years.
After seven days of discussions, both record companies presented revised offers: a three-year contract with two albums, a signing fee of $500,000, and a split of 6% for songwriting and 6% for lyric credits.
These were standard practices, yet the key was the significant disparity in artist shares. Typically, for newcomers signed to large firms, artist shares could be as low as 5%, while top-tier artists could attain 20%. However, both companies offered a 10% share for him, which wasn't too shabby.
There were also commitments from the companies to provide training and maintain conditions for recording, distribution, and promotional resources; overall, the offers were quite similar. The early termination penalty was steep too, with both companies asking for up to $30 million in the event of a breach.
Interestingly, the contract didn't specify restrictions on Linton writing songs for other artists, but considering Warner's tendency to meddle in film productions, he ultimately opted for Universal.
Of course, choosing Universal for a music contract didn't imply that he would exclusively collaborate with them for future films; it was merely a primary option at this juncture.
Choosing Universal also stemmed from the fact that, strictly speaking, Universal Records was still somewhat behind Warner Music at this time, especially concerning top talent and song rights. Despite not having any true superstars, their marketing and distribution capabilities were solid.
This suited Linton, as it meant that as long as he demonstrated his talent and worth, he could secure more resources, unlike in Warner where top resources would undoubtedly go to Madonna, Cher, and other leading artists.
The following day, with Mira and a lawyer present, Linton officially signed the recording contract with Universal Music, and after the signing, they arranged for the transfer of the $500,000 signing fee to Linton.
*****
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