Long-Term Goal (2)

“Commercial marketing approach?”

“Yeah.”

Three girls sat there with expressions that said they had no idea what he meant. Myeongjeon handed them the papers and began to speak.

“The rock band market in Korea is currently divided in two. There are bands that have entered the major scene, and bands that haven’t and remain indie. The two may seem connected, but in reality, they aren’t.”

Japan has an active rock music scene, so the major (メジャー) and indies (インディーズ) are clearly divided. People use different standards to draw the line, but generally, a band belongs to the major scene if it is signed to a famous record company, releases albums, and can make a living from music alone. Otherwise, it is called an indie band.

Korea is different. There is no clear standard, so it is difficult to distinguish between the two, but Myeongjeon tended to define a major band as “a band with enough influence to appear frequently in legacy media.” Unlike new media, which broadcasts content specifically aimed at clearly defined targets, legacy media—TV, radio, and so on—broadcasts without setting a target audience, allowing it to achieve broad public awareness.

“Either we become the kings of the indie scene or take the lowest rung of the major scene. A 2,500-seat venue is only possible if we accomplish one of those two things. And in my opinion, we’re better off moving up to the major scene than becoming the kings of indie.”

“Why? Moving up to the major scene is harder than staying indie.”

Seoha’s question carried a slightly dissatisfied tone. For Seoha, who had spent a long time in the indie scene, it may have been a little difficult to accept.

“If we’re talking purely about music, that’s obviously true.”...