Chapter 712: JD Record is NO 1

The first signs appeared in the reports released by music-industry analysts.

At first, the figures were treated as another set of routine market updates. Analysts examined recorded-music revenue, streaming performance, catalogue strength, commercial reach, and the results achieved by the artists under different companies. Their reports compared the largest labels across several markets, taking into account both the size of their businesses and the performance of the music they released.

However, as more figures became available, the same name began appearing near the top of the comparisons.

JD Records.

The company had already been successful before the acquisition, with an established roster of artists whose releases had earned international attention. Dayo’s reputation as a producer had helped attract talented musicians, and the label had developed a record of supporting projects that performed well across different audiences. Its recent expansion, however, had changed the scale of the business considerably.

The acquisition of Michael and Silas’s former label had given JD Records access to a much larger catalogue, established artists, commercial relationships, and a network of business arrangements that had taken years to build. The acquired company already had an audience and a history of generating revenue, meaning that its value did not depend entirely on what Dayo might achieve with it in the future.

Nevertheless, the acquisition was only one part of the story.

The results from JD Records’ existing artists continued to support the company’s position, while the five-label alliance had begun producing successes of its own. The Market Resonance recommendations had helped the participating labels identify release windows that gave their artists better opportunities to reach listeners, and the outcomes were becoming difficult for the industry to ignore.

The four recent breakthrough releases were particularly important because they showed that the results were not confined to Dayo’s own roster.

Nia Rain’s R&B single had climbed towards the upper end of the Hot 100 and performed strongly on the R&B chart. Her progress had attracted attention from listeners who had not previously followed her career, while the response to the song gave her team a reason to consider more ambitious plans for her next release.

For Darius Cole, the result was especially satisfying. He had watched Nia struggle to establish herself while powerful people interfered with opportunities that should have been available to her. Now her music was reaching a wider audience, and her success was being discussed because of the response to the song rather than because of the people who had tried to control her career.

Marco Velez’s electronic release had followed a different path. The track attracted international attention, and offers began arriving from festival organisers and club promoters who wanted to include his music in their events. Its performance demonstrated that the alliance could support a release whose audience was spread across different markets rather than concentrated in one region.

Lena Cho’s pop debut had also performed strongly across streaming services and radio. Her release reached listeners through several channels, giving her team a clearer indication of the markets where she could build a following. The response encouraged the label to continue developing her career rather than treating the debut as a one-time success.

Kei Matsuda’s experimental track offered perhaps the clearest example of why Sarah Mitchell had been interested in the alliance from the beginning. The song used an unusual structure and incorporated several languages, making it difficult to fit into the categories that many commercial teams preferred. Under ordinary circumstances, some executives might have decided that the track was too difficult to promote or that its audience was too uncertain to justify the investment.

Instead, the song found listeners who appreciated its distinctive approach. It performed well enough to attract attention from people who might never have encountered Kei’s music through the usual release strategies, and its reception gave Sarah a stronger argument for supporting artists whose work did not follow familiar commercial patterns.

Each release was different, but the results had one thing in common. The artists were finding audiences without having to reshape their music into the same formula.

For the executives involved in the alliance, that was an important outcome. They had not expected every recommendation to produce the same result, nor had they assumed that a single release schedule could guarantee success. What they had seen was a series of decisions that gave artists a better opportunity to reach listeners, with the final response depending on the music, the audience, and the work done by the teams responsible for the releases.

The figures began attracting attention from analysts who had initially viewed the alliance as an interesting arrangement between several established labels.

One industry analyst reviewing the latest data pointed out that JD Records had benefited from several sources of strength at once. Its original roster continued to perform well, the acquired catalogue had increased the scale of the business, and the alliance had helped bring attention to artists working in different genres.

"People are looking at the acquisition and assuming that it explains the entire rise," the analyst said during a televised discussion. "It certainly changes the size of the company, but the performance of the roster matters as well. The recent releases show that the business is still generating results through its artists, not simply through the purchase of an existing catalogue."

The presenter asked whether JD Records could realistically take the top position in the global rankings.

"That depends on which figures you are using," the analyst replied. "A label can lead in revenue without leading in streaming performance, and catalogue value does not necessarily tell you how well its current roster is doing. You have to look at the full picture before deciding what the ranking means."

That distinction became increasingly important as the announcement approached.

The music industry had several ways to compare record labels. Some rankings focused on recorded-music revenue, while others measured market share, streaming performance, catalogue strength, or the commercial reach of the companies involved. Those measurements could produce different results, particularly when one company had a large back catalogue and another had a smaller roster of artists whose releases were performing strongly.

For the purposes of the global ranking being prepared, the organisers combined several measures, including revenue, streaming performance, catalogue strength, commercial reach, and the results of the artists under each label. The method was intended to provide a broader assessment of the companies rather than relying on a single measure that could favour one particular business model.

That approach gave JD Records a substantial advantage, although it did not guarantee the top position.

The acquisition had increased the company’s scale immediately, but the performance of its existing artists and the results achieved through the alliance helped demonstrate that the enlarged business was capable of producing results of its own. The ranking did not mean every artist under JD Records had suddenly become successful, nor did it suggest that every release from the company would perform well.

Instead, it reflected the combined strength of the business, including its catalogue, its commercial relationships, and the performance of its roster.

As the expected announcement drew closer, the industry began preparing for the result.

Inside JD Records, the management team had been following the same figures as everyone else. Felix and the other executives understood that the company had made considerable progress, but they were reluctant to treat the ranking as a certainty before it was officially released. The acquisition had created new opportunities, yet it had also introduced a larger workload and a greater number of people whose careers depended on the company’s decisions.

The employees responsible for the acquired label were still reviewing contracts and organising records. The management team had to make sure that existing artists understood the new arrangements, that employees received clear information about their positions, and that the company’s operations continued without unnecessary disruption.

The ranking mattered, but it could not replace the work that needed to be done.

"Some people are already talking as if we have won," Felix remarked during a meeting. "We have made progress, but the announcement has not happened yet. We should finish the work in front of us instead of planning around a result we have not seen."

Dayo was seated at the other end of the table, reviewing a report on the acquired label’s operations. "I know. The ranking will tell us where the business stands according to their measurements, but we still have to manage the company properly. There are artists waiting for decisions, and the employees need to know that the acquisition will not leave them uncertain about their future."

Felix agreed. He had seen how quickly excitement could turn into pressure when people began treating a successful result as proof that every decision made by a company was correct. The ranking could attract new artists and business partners, but it would also increase expectations. People would pay closer attention to JD Records, and mistakes that might once have passed unnoticed could become major stories.

Dayo was aware of that risk. He was pleased with the company’s progress, but he did not consider a position on a ranking to be the final measure of what JD Records should accomplish. The label had a responsibility to the artists who trusted it, and he wanted the company to continue supporting their work rather than becoming distracted by its public image.

Still, he could not deny that the result would matter.

If JD Records took the top position, it would become the leading company in the ranking that many industry professionals used to compare the largest labels. The announcement would change how potential artists viewed the company, how business partners approached negotiations, and how competitors planned their own releases.

The day of the announcement arrived with considerable attention from the music press.

Entertainment journalists had already gathered information about the acquisition, and financial analysts were preparing to explain how the figures had changed. Executives at competing labels were waiting for the results, while artists and producers discussed the possibility that JD Records might have moved higher than expected.

Some believed the acquisition would push the company into the top three. Others thought it had a chance of taking first place, although several executives were reluctant to say so publicly. They understood that the acquired catalogue gave JD Records an advantage, but they also knew that the established leaders had their own sources of revenue and considerable international reach.

At JD Records, the announcement was being followed by members of the management team and several employees who had helped handle the acquisition. Some artists had joined them, while others were watching from their own offices or waiting for updates from their managers.

The ranking appeared on the official industry platform, listing the major companies in order according to the combined measurements.

For a few moments, the people watching concentrated on the figures rather than the names. The positions appeared one after another, and the discussion in the room grew quieter as the list approached the top.

Then JD Records appeared in first place.

The announcement confirmed that JD Records was number one in the world according to the ranking.

For several seconds, the room was filled with the sound of people reacting at once. Some of the employees exchanged congratulations, while others turned towards the screen to make sure they had read the result correctly. Members of the management team began checking the accompanying figures, looking at the company’s position across the different categories and comparing them with the previous rankings.

Felix allowed himself a brief smile before returning his attention to the data. He had expected the acquisition to improve the company’s position, but seeing JD Records take the top spot was still a significant moment for the people who had worked to make it happen.

Dayo remained seated as the announcement spread across the room. He was pleased with the result, but his first instinct was to understand the figures behind it. The ranking confirmed that the combined business had reached the leading position under the stated method, and he wanted to know how the different parts of the company had contributed to the outcome.

Felix approached him with a copy of the report. "We have it. JD Records is officially at the top of the ranking."

Dayo examined the document before replying. "Then we should make sure we can maintain the business properly. The acquisition has given us more responsibility, and the artists need to see that we are serious about their careers. We cannot spend all our time celebrating a position while neglecting the work that got us here."

"We will handle it," Felix said. "The team has already started organising the integration, and we can continue working through the outstanding contracts. There is still plenty to do, but we have a clear picture of where we stand."

Dayo placed the report on the table. "Good. We should acknowledge the achievement, but the announcement needs to recognise the people who made it possible. The artists did the work, the staff managed the business, and the teams behind the releases helped the music reach its audience. The company did not get here through one person’s efforts alone."

Valery the CEO was smiling like never before same thing with Ulrich and Wayne they all bundled together laughing they were happy beyond measured after all they were with Dayo from the very first time he started the label so seeing how far the label has come within five years.

The management team began preparing the company’s response lead by the all ever smiling Valery. They would acknowledge the ranking, thank the artists and employees, and explain that the company intended to continue giving its roster room to develop. Dayo did not want to make grand promises about dominating every part of the industry, nor did he intend to make any big ambitions but he intend to keep it low and quite for now.

He was prepared to recognize the result without turning it into a declaration that the competition was over.

Outside JD Records, the reaction was immediate.

Music journalists began comparing the new figures with previous rankings, trying to determine how much of the rise came from the acquisition and how much came from the performance of the company’s existing roster. Financial analysts examined the catalogue and commercial relationships that had transferred to JD Records, while other commentators focused on the four breakthrough releases and the results produced by the five-label alliance.

The announcement gave the conspiracy theories another subject to discuss.

Some commentators argued that the acquisition explained the entire rise, pointing out that JD Records had taken control of an established business with a substantial catalogue and existing audiences. Others questioned how the company had prepared for the transaction so quickly, repeating the same questions that had circulated after Michael and Silas fell.

A few insisted that Dayo must have known what was coming and had positioned himself to take advantage of it. Others suggested that the speed of the acquisition was evidence of a plan that had been prepared long before the convictions.

Yet none of the new reports established that Dayo had caused Michael and Silas’s downfall. The ranking confirmed JD Records’ position under the stated measurements, but it did not prove any of the rumours about the acquisition. The speculation remained speculation, driven by the timing of events and the industry’s difficulty in accepting how quickly the balance of power had changed.

A few focused more on the business’ stating that regardless of whether JD label acquired MK label that they were going to sky rocket after all the stats didn’t lie as Dayo’s artist had a very low rate of flop under the JD Record and he was already catching up on the race so it just needed at most two years and he would have taken over so it was just a a speed up.

For Dayo, the distinction was important. He could not prevent people from questioning the transaction, but he could ensure that the company continued to operate according to its responsibilities. He had no intention of allowing unproven allegations to dictate his decisions, and he would not disclose private information merely to satisfy people who had already formed their own opinions.

Meanwhile, artists across the industry began discussing the announcement.

In recording studios, producers checked the ranking on their phones between sessions. Managers contacted colleagues to ask what the result might mean for future negotiations, while artists who had previously considered JD Records an ambitious but smaller competitor began paying closer attention to the company’s offers.

Some were interested in the acquired label’s catalogue and the opportunities it could create for collaborations. Others were drawn by the recent success of the artists involved in the Market Resonance alliance. The fact that Nia Rain, Marco Velez, Lena Cho, and Kei Matsuda had achieved strong results with very different kinds of music gave potential signings a reason to consider what the company might offer them.

Their successes did not guarantee that every artist would achieve the same outcome, but they suggested that JD Records and its partners were willing to work with music that did not always fit the most familiar commercial patterns.

For smaller artists, that possibility mattered. Many had spent years trying to secure opportunities with companies that preferred performers who already had established audiences or music that followed predictable formulas. Watching an experimental track find listeners, or an emerging artist climb the charts, gave them a reason to believe that a less conventional path might still lead to a successful career.

The five executives who had maintained their alliance with Dayo also paid attention to the announcement.

Helena understood that JD Records’ new position would give it greater influence in negotiations, but she remained committed to protecting Vanguard’s independence. She had no intention of treating Dayo as an enemy simply because his company had become number one, and she saw no reason to abandon an arrangement that had already benefited her artists.

Darius was more interested in what the result meant for Nia and the other artists who had struggled under Michael’s influence. He wanted the new opportunities to continue, and he hoped the industry’s changing balance would make it harder for powerful executives to block artists for personal reasons.

Paolo saw the ranking as confirmation that the alliance had commercial value. He was already thinking about the collaborations and release schedules that might become possible now that the old restrictions had weakened. His enthusiasm remained strong, although he understood that the company still had to examine each opportunity before committing resources.

Tom continued studying the figures, paying attention to the way the ranking combined revenue, streaming performance, catalogue strength, commercial reach, and roster results. He was satisfied that the announcement reflected the enlarged company’s position under the stated method, but he remained interested in how the business would perform over the coming months.

Sarah was pleased that the recent releases had helped demonstrate the value of supporting different kinds of music. Kei’s success was particularly encouraging because it showed that an unusual track could find an audience without being forced into a more conventional structure. She wanted the alliance to keep providing opportunities for artists whose work might otherwise be overlooked.

Their companies would continue competing in areas where their interests differed, but none of them saw a reason to start a direct campaign against JD Records. They could pursue their own ambitions while cooperating on projects that benefited their artists, and they could use the alliance to find opportunities without surrendering control of their businesses.

The announcement had changed the industry, but it had not erased the differences between the companies involved.

At JD Records, the celebration gradually gave way to the ordinary work of running a large music business. Employees returned to their tasks, executives resumed their meetings, and the management team continued examining the acquired label’s contracts and operations. The ranking had brought attention to the company, but it had not resolved every question surrounding the acquisition or removed the need to integrate the two businesses carefully.

Dayo returned to his office later that day and looked through the reports that had accumulated while the announcement was spreading. Several messages congratulated him on the result, while others asked for comments about the acquisition and the rumours surrounding Michael and Silas’s downfall. He reviewed the requests before setting most of them aside, choosing to focus on the decisions that required his attention.

JD Records was now number one in the world according to the ranking, and he understood what that position meant for the company. More artists would consider signing with them, more business partners would want to negotiate, and more competitors would examine their decisions. The company would have to work harder to maintain the confidence it had earned, particularly as the acquired label became part of its daily operations.

The result was satisfying, but it did not give him a reason to become careless.

He had built JD Records through years of work, and the acquisition had increased both its reach and its responsibilities. The artists still needed good music, the employees needed a stable working environment, and the management team needed to make decisions that would keep the company operating properly.

Outside the office, the announcement continued spreading. Fans debated the ranking online, producers discussed it in studios, and executives who had once dismissed JD Records began reconsidering their positions. Some focused on the catalogue and revenue figures, while others were more interested in the success of the artists whose releases had helped demonstrate the company’s strength.

The questions about the acquisition did not disappear, and neither did the rumours about Dayo. The industry would continue discussing the timing of Michael and Silas’s downfall, the speed of the transaction, and the sudden rise of JD Records. Those conversations would become part of the company’s public image, whether Dayo chose to participate in them or not.

For now, he had no intention of allowing speculation to distract him from the work ahead.

The ranking had confirmed that JD Records stood at the top of the global list, while the alliance with the other five labels remained intact. The company had acquired a major catalogue, its existing roster continued to perform, and the recent releases had shown that artists with very different styles could find their audiences when given a fair opportunity.

Dayo closed the last report and returned to the day’s schedule. There were contracts to review, artists waiting for decisions, and employees who needed direction as the acquired business became part of JD Records. The company had reached the position many executives spent their careers pursuing, but its future would depend on what it did after the announcement.

JD Records was number one in the world, and the next task was to prove that it could remain there without becoming the kind of company Dayo had spent years fighting against.