Chapter 737 - 30 Days later

The conference room at JD Records was already occupied when Dayo arrived. Valerie sat near the head of the table with Ulrich beside her, while Alice had a laptop open in front of her and Wayne was speaking quietly with two members of the digital operations team. Several department heads had also joined the meeting, each with a copy of the latest report.

It had been a month since the release of Genesis, and the company had arranged a full review of the album’s performance. They had held several meetings during the previous weeks, but this one was different. The figures had finally been consolidated, and the team was ready to examine the album’s performance across the entire reporting period.

Dayo entered with Sharon a few steps behind him. He greeted everyone before taking his seat beside Valerie, then placed the folder he had brought on the table. There was no need for a lengthy introduction. Everyone understood why they had gathered, and the expressions around the room suggested that they were already expecting a good report.

"Good morning, everyone," Valerie said, looking around the table. "I know most of us have seen parts of the figures over the last few days, but we’ve been waiting for the complete report. The numbers have now been consolidated across the platforms, and Alice has the final presentation ready."

Alice adjusted the laptop in front of her, bringing the first page of the report onto the large screen. "We’ve been monitoring the album since its release, and the performance has continued to grow. There were some very strong increases during the first few days, but what I want everyone to pay attention to today is how the album has performed throughout the entire month."

Wayne leaned back in his chair, looking towards the screen. "I’ve seen some of the updates, but I haven’t seen the final total yet. I told Alice yesterday that I wasn’t going to start celebrating until she showed us the complete figures."

Alice turned towards him with a small smile. "You were the one who kept asking me for updates every few hours."

"Because you kept telling me there was something new to see," Wayne replied. "What was I supposed to do, pretend I wasn’t interested?"

A few people laughed, and Alice returned her attention to the presentation. Dayo sat quietly, listening to the exchange while Valerie opened the printed report in front of her. He was pleased to see the team in good spirits. They had spent weeks working on the album’s release and its campaign, and the meeting gave them an opportunity to see the full result of that work.

"Let’s begin with the overall numbers," Alice said. "The first three days gave us 990 million streams before the figures started moving at a much faster rate. By the end of the first 24 hours following that initial period, the album had already added another 1.85 billion streams. From there, the performance continued across the following weeks."

She changed the slide, and the consolidated total appeared on the screen.

30.7 BILLION GLOBAL STREAMS.

For a moment, nobody spoke. Wayne leaned forward to get a better look, while Ulrich turned the page of his printed report as if he wanted to confirm that he had read the figure correctly. Valerie remained focused on the screen, taking in the total before looking towards Alice.

"Thirty point seven billion?" Wayne asked, his voice carrying more excitement than he had intended. "That’s the final figure?"

"That’s the consolidated total," Alice confirmed. "Thirty days of the Spotlight period, with the original streams from the first 72 hours included. We have checked the reports from the platforms and combined the verified figures. The total is 30.7 billion."

Wayne looked across the table at Dayo, who had begun to smile. "Dayo, do you understand what we’re looking at here? Thirty billion streams in one month. I know we’ve had big releases before, but this is something else."

Dayo smiled a little more but allowed Alice to continue. He wanted to hear the full report before responding, especially since the team had taken the time to prepare it.

Ulrich placed his copy of the report on the table. "The total is impressive, but the distribution across the platforms is worth examining as well. We shouldn’t look at the global number without understanding where those streams came from. Alice, can you take us through the breakdown?"

"Yes," she replied, moving to the next slide. "Spotify recorded the highest number, followed by YouTube and YouTube Music. Apple Music came next, and we also saw strong figures across the African, Asian and European services. The album didn’t depend on one platform or one region to reach this total."

The platform report appeared on the screen, showing the complete breakdown.

Platform One-month streams Spotify 9.21 billion YouTube and YouTube Music 6.14 billion Apple Music 5.22 billion Boomplay 2.46 billion Audiomack 1.84 billion Korean platforms 1.54 billion Japanese platforms 1.23 billion Deezer 920 million Amazon Music 740 million Other regional platforms 1.40 billion Total30.7 billion

Alice gave the room a moment to examine the figures before continuing. "Spotify alone contributed more than nine billion streams. YouTube and YouTube Music passed six billion, while Apple Music recorded more than five billion. Boomplay and Audiomack also performed very strongly, and the Korean and Japanese platforms gave us substantial numbers."

One of the executives from digital operations turned towards the screen. "The regional figures are particularly interesting. We had expected strong performance in some of those markets, but the final numbers are higher than several of our internal projections."

"That was one of the things we wanted to examine," Ulrich said. "The album was already performing well across our established markets, but the growth wasn’t restricted to those areas. We saw continued activity in places where JD Records had less established reach."

Alice agreed. "Yes. The reports show that the album continued attracting listeners across different markets. We also saw people returning to the songs after their first listens. The activity wasn’t limited to the initial release period, and that helped keep the numbers moving throughout the month."

Wayne looked at the platform figures again. "I think people are forgetting that this is an entire album. It’s not one song carrying everything while the rest of the tracklist sits behind it. Every time I look at the reports, I see different songs performing strongly. Some tracks have their own audiences, and others keep bringing new listeners towards the album."

"That’s correct," Alice said. "The songs have different performance patterns, but the overall album activity has remained strong. Some tracks gained attention earlier, while others continued growing as more people listened to the full project. We have seen listeners move between the songs rather than stopping after one."

Valerie turned a page in her report. "What about the daily performance towards the end of the period? I want to understand whether the album was still receiving substantial activity during the final days."

Alice brought up another section of the presentation. "The daily figures changed throughout the month, but the album maintained a strong level of listening. We did see fluctuations, which are normal when tracking daily activity across different services. However, the combined figures remained high enough to keep the cumulative total growing at a very strong rate."

Ulrich studied the report for a moment before speaking. "That matters. A large opening figure is one thing, but sustaining activity across a full month requires a different kind of performance. The album continued to attract listeners well beyond its first few days."

Wayne looked towards Valerie. "And that’s what I wanted to see. I remember the meetings before release. We were discussing projections, trying to work out what the first day might look like, and everyone was careful about what they expected. Now we’re sitting here looking at thirty point seven billion."

"Those projections were useful at the time," Valerie replied. "They helped us prepare, but nobody could have planned every part of what happened after the release. The team still had to manage the campaign, monitor the markets and respond to what we were seeing."

Alice closed one section of the presentation and opened another. "There is also something else I want to mention. The performance has been broad across the album’s different markets. We haven’t had to rely on a single territory to keep the total moving. The reports show activity across our major regions, including Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas."

One of the department heads looked towards the table. "That also gives us a clearer picture of the company’s reach. We can see how the album performed in places where our existing audience was already strong, and we can compare that with markets where we had less established activity."

"Exactly," Ulrich said. "It gives us a better basis for understanding the scale of the release. We should keep the platform reports available for future planning, because the information will be useful when we review our regional operations."

Dayo listened as the discussion continued. He was pleased with the figures, but what held his attention more was the way the team discussed the work behind them. Nobody was treating the result as something that had happened without effort. They remembered the planning meetings, the campaign schedules, the reports that had arrived at different hours and the adjustments that had been made along the way.

Valerie turned towards him. "Dayo, you’ve been listening to all of this. Is there anything you want to ask about the report before we move on?"

He looked at the screen once more, then glanced around the table. "No, I think everyone has done a good job explaining it. I wanted to hear the full breakdown, and I’m happy with what we’ve seen."

Wayne gave a quiet laugh. "You’re making it sound like we’ve just finished an ordinary meeting."

"What do you want me to say?" Dayo asked, smiling. "The numbers are there. Alice has explained them, Ulrich has checked the report, and everyone has had the opportunity to look through it. I think we should be happy with the result."

"Happy is an understatement," Wayne replied. "I’m still trying to get used to the total."

The comment brought another round of laughter, although Alice was still looking through the remaining pages. She had prepared additional information about the platform distribution, and Valerie wanted to make sure there were no outstanding questions before the meeting ended.

They spent some more time discussing the figures, particularly the way the album had performed across the different services. The digital operations team explained how they had consolidated the reports, while Alice answered questions about the campaign’s performance and the activity recorded during the later part of the month. Ulrich also pointed out that the figures would be retained for the company’s internal records and future reviews.

Dayo did not interrupt unless someone directed a question towards him. He let the executives discuss the results and gave them room to enjoy what they had accomplished. There had been plenty of pressure before the release, and the first few days had demanded close attention from several departments. Even after the initial results came in, the team had continued working, checking reports and making sure the company’s operations could keep up with the scale of the release.

When the final section of the presentation ended, Valerie closed her folder and looked around the table.

"I think that covers the streaming report," she said. "Thirty days have passed, and we’ve recorded 30.7 billion global streams. Everyone here understands how much work went into getting the album released and managing everything that followed. The result speaks for itself, but I don’t want us to forget the people who contributed to it."

She looked towards Dayo, leaving him room to speak.

Dayo placed his hands on the table and looked around the room. Alice was still seated beside her laptop, Wayne had turned towards him, and the other executives were waiting to hear what he wanted to say. He took a moment before beginning, choosing to keep his words simple.

"I want to thank everyone," he said. "I know how much work went into this album, and I know it wasn’t always easy. There were long days, difficult decisions and plenty of things that needed attention before and after the release. Some of you had to deal with pressure from different departments, while others were working behind the scenes to make sure everything went as planned."

His attention moved towards Valerie and Ulrich before settling on Alice and Wayne. "Valerie, thank you for leading the team and making sure everyone stayed focused. Ulrich, I appreciate the work you’ve put into the operations and the decisions we’ve had to make along the way. Alice, the marketing team did a very good job with the campaign, and I know how much effort went into it. Wayne, you already know how much I appreciate having you around, especially when it comes to the music and everything connected to it."

Wayne smiled at the mention of his name, but he allowed Dayo to continue.

"I also want to thank the people who aren’t always in these meetings. The digital operations team, distribution, finance, production, the regional departments and everyone else who worked on the release. I may not have seen every single thing that happened, but I know people put in a lot of effort to make sure we got here. I appreciate all of it, and I don’t take anyone’s contribution for granted."

The room became quieter as he finished speaking. Valerie looked towards the others, then returned her attention to Dayo.

"Thank you, Dayo. I know the team will appreciate hearing that, especially after the amount of work everyone has put in over the last few weeks."

"They deserve it," Dayo replied. "The result belongs to all of us. Everyone had a part to play, and I want people to understand that their work matters."

Alice closed her laptop and rested her hands on the table. "Thank you. The marketing team will be happy to hear that. We knew the release was going to be demanding, but everyone stayed committed to the work."

Wayne turned towards Dayo. "I appreciate that too. We’ve been working together for years, so you already know how much I care about the music. Seeing the album reach this level is something I’m proud of, and I’m glad the whole team can share the moment."

Ulrich gathered the pages in front of him. "The figures have been recorded, and we’ll keep the consolidated report available. There will be more reviews as we continue monitoring the album, but everyone should take a moment to appreciate what has been achieved."

Valerie agreed, bringing the meeting towards its end. She thanked the department heads for attending and reminded them to pass Dayo’s appreciation on to the teams who had worked behind the scenes. Several people began closing their folders, while others exchanged a few comments about the result before leaving their seats.

Dayo remained at the table for a little longer, speaking with Valerie and Wayne as the room gradually emptied. Alice stopped briefly to collect her laptop, and he thanked her again for preparing the report. She assured him that the team would continue keeping the records updated, then left with the other executives.

Wayne was among the last to leave. Before heading out, he looked back at the large screen, where the final figure was still displayed.

"Thirty point seven billion," he said, almost to himself. "I don’t think I’m going to get tired of seeing that."

Dayo laughed quietly. "You were already excited before we started the meeting."

"Because I knew it was going to be good. I just didn’t know it would be this good," Wayne replied. He picked up his folder and headed towards the door, leaving Dayo with Valerie and Ulrich.

The three of them exchanged a few final words before the meeting room was cleared. Dayo stood, collected his folder and thanked Valerie once more for the work she had done. She told him the team was pleased with the result, and he smiled as he made his way out.

For the first time in several weeks, the review of Genesis had been completed without anyone having to rush back to another presentation or wait for another platform report. The album had recorded 30.7 billion global streams during its first month, and the people responsible for its release had finally had the chance to sit together and appreciate the result.

Dayo left the conference room with a smile, satisfied with the work his team had done and grateful for everyone who had helped bring the album to the world.