Huang Xinquan: Music cannot be over-entertaining and it's not the Internet that beats the recording industry

Huang Xinquan said that music is partly entertaining, but it is also a spiritual product and cannot be blindly entertaining or even catering to low tastes. He believes that it is not the Internet that defeats record companies, but Internet companies. The Internet is just a technology, and it is some Internet companies that really hurt record companies.

Original title: Huang Xinquan: The recording industry must seriously think about how to use Internet technology to make music

"It is not the Internet that beats record companies, but the companies that use Internet technology. Music Internet companies are always different from what musicians think and have different goals. Therefore, the record industry should seriously think about how to use the Internet to make music." On January 20, Huang Xinquan, founder and CEO of Dingzhen Record Store, expressed his unique opinions in an interview. He said that the record industry should not regard the Internet as an enemy, but should seriously think about how to use the Internet to make music well.

It's not the Internet that beats the record industry

According to the "2015 Music Industry Development Report" data, the output value of physical records in mainland China in 2014 was approximately 615 million yuan, a decrease of approximately 5.4% from 2013. The sales volume of physical records in traditional offline channels such as Xinhua Bookstore systems and retail stores was approximately 56.622 million, down 19% year-on-year. Sales of online physical records such as Xing Wei and Jingdong were approximately 2.7104 million, a year-on-year decrease of 21.8%.

Numerous data show that the recording industry has been greatly affected in the Internet era and is gradually shrinking. Therefore, many people believe that the Internet defeated the recording industry, but Huang Xinquan expressed his disagreement. He believes that it is not the Internet that beats record companies, but Internet companies."The Internet is just a technology, and it is some Internet companies that really hurt record companies." Huang Xinquan said.

"Internet companies want traffic. Whatever can bring traffic can be used as bait. For example, use videos, games, music, etc. to attract traffic." Huang Xinquan pointed out,"Music is exactly what Internet companies have discovered. It can bring traffic and low cost bait."

"First of all, the cost of music is not as high as that of video. In addition, it can also be pirated, stolen, and robbed." Huang Xinquan went on to say that even if a copyright dispute resulted in a record company suing the Internet company, the money paid for compensation would be a drop in the bucket for the Internet company, and the cost would still be low from a business perspective.

Nowadays, with the gradual legalization of music copyright, Internet companies are also spending large amounts of money to purchase copyright. Can this prove that Internet companies have begun to respect the development of the recording industry? While many musicians saw hope, Huang Xinquan gave his different interpretation. He believed that Internet companies 'massive purchases of copyrights were not from pressure from record companies or even legal pressure from the government, but for the sake of Internet companies." Huang Xinquan said that in order to restrict each other, Internet companies snatch users and traffic, draw and encircle land, and music copyright is also the focus of competition.

The growth in sales of vinyl records shows that the form of music products is very important

. According to the "2015 Music Industry Development Report" data, the scale of physical records has gradually declined, while the sales of vinyl records have increased against the trend, like a dark horse standing out. Why is this kind of niche collectibles in the eyes of people in the past have instead grown? Huang Xinquan believes that the growth of vinyl records shows that the presentation form of music products is very important, and the entire industry should think about this issue. At the same time, he pointed out that Internet MP3 is not a music product, has no commercial nature, and has poor marketability.

Huang Xinquan pointed out that vinyl record sales have indeed rebounded a little in the past two years, but the rebound is too small to make any fundamental changes to the entire industry.

"Although it cannot explain the problem quantitatively, it can explain a problem qualitatively." Huang Xinquan saw a problem from the bucking increase in vinyl records. "What does it mean? The form of presentation of music products is very important. Records are actually a music product. This is an attribute that Internet MP3 does not have and cannot be achieved."

Huang Xinquan believes that music, like art, is an art category, a way of expressing people's emotions, a way of communication, and a very virtual or castles in the air. "Why is vinyl not dead now and still passed down? It is because people are willing to accept products in this form." Huang Xinquan believes that "vinyl will have more connotations in it. Regardless of its texture, packaging form, and usage method, everyone accepts it. Although the core inside may be music, it is not just music, but there are also many music. The surrounding emotions brought by it are in it."

Huang Xinquan believes that nowadays there are no products in the record industry. Internet MP3 is a way to type all music into raw materials and take it away casually. No one is willing to pay. "It has no commercial nature, its marketability is very poor, and without packaging, who wants to buy it? Just like the national economy, they are all primary products and raw materials that cannot be sold at a price, so our international competitiveness is not good." Huang Xinquan said this analogy.

The emergence of smart terminals has brought people back to the recording era.

"I found that with the emergence of smart terminals, we can go back to the recording era." Huang Xinquan believes that smart terminals can transmit, listen and watch, and can make some of the original things in the record more beautiful and cool.

"For example, traditional records are only printed with lyrics, but now new technical means are used to make them more dazzling, cooler, and better set off the beauty of the music." Huang Xinquan said.

"In the spread of smart terminals, we must first make an innovation in terms of product form," Huang Xinquan said. All presentations in Dingzhen Record Store appear in the form of records, but they are not traditional records, but an original record. Form.

He said that all the music is contained in this record and cannot be copied, copied, or taken out. The product is protected from a technical perspective. "And every record is different. When a user buys a record, he will look forward to the next record. He doesn't know what the next record will look like, just like when we bought a record when we were young, because you don't know what it's designed to look like. When it is always opened, there is a sense of surprise, expectation, and ceremony. It's like every taste in a box of chocolates is different." Huang Xinquan believes that this is the unique charm of music products in the intelligent era.

Music cannot be over-entertaining.

"Nowadays, when everyone mentions music and records, they think of entertainment. This is wrong." Huang Xinquan said that music is partly entertaining, but it is also a spiritual product and cannot be blindly entertaining or even catering to low tastes.

Huang Xinquan pointed out that some Internet companies have turned music into entertainment products in order to attract traffic. "Music is a cultural product and a spiritual product. After listening to it, it has a kind of excitement or emotion for people." Therefore, Huang Xinquan said that to bring music back to its authenticity, it is an art that leads an art.

In addition, Huang Xinquan believes that the so-called music ecosystem now "wants to use music, get some fans, and rely on the fan economy to sell surrounding areas." What T-shirts, hats, cups..." He believes that this is a very superficial understanding of the music ecosystem. The real ecosystem is to integrate music into human life and life.

"Using music to bring about some behavioral changes and some changes in values. This is the real music ecosystem." When asked what his ideal state was? He said that some people are willing to pay for music, and then after the musician or record company gets a reasonable income, they will continue to invest in good products and give them to people who listen to music.

"It's like a cycle, allowing this industry to develop healthily, and the cultural literacy of the entire people will improve." Huang Xinquan is looking forward to this day.

Editor: kong