Don’t Get Scammed By The Music Industry

Robo callers, Phone scammers, Telephone spoofers, Telephone fraudsters and more. What ever you want to call them, they are out there, in real life and online also.

Now or should I say, for a long time there have been scams on artists that make hit songs. Because let’s face it, they’re not going to scam you if you don’t have hit songs. Or WILL they?

Of course they will, and you’re their prime target because usually those that have made hit songs already, they have their antennas up already. They’ve seen the shrewd dealings in the industry. But you’d be surprised how even they can get scammed also, still.

Join me as we go through the scamming of the music industry and maybe I can keep YOU from being scammed!

I Tried To Tell You, You Were Going To Get Scammed

These things are scammy. These things are tricky. These things get in our crawl space if we let it. THEY’RE CALLED SCAMS! Sometimes they’re hard to spot because they come in as real innocent proposals, of sorts. Something that’s going to help your music career.

YEAH! Someone’s gonna help my music career we say. We even tell our friends. And it’s during these times that your friends, especially if they are already in the music industry, will tell you, Dude! I think you’re being scammed. You yell at them and tell them NO I’M NOT! You tell them, can’t you see they’re trying to help me? They told me: “I can get your music to the major record labels.”

“It’s by a Ex Big Time person in the music industry. He’s got big connections in the industry. And so he’s able to get it to the important people. The record labels,” you say.

You seen it right there on that website. It said it. So you say: “I’m going to do it!’ This online website told you to send your information and of course your hit songs. And money for their services and they would review it. And of course you send it off to The Big Wigs, the major record labels for them to review your songs.

Man looking at laptop computer on desk and drinking coffee.

You feel all good because you’re going to finally hit pay dirt and make a lot of money, because the major record labels are going to hear my music. I’m moving to prime time, now!… I’m going to have full pockets and rake in da dough you say, RIGHT?……… NO WRONG!

You got scammed!……… WHAT?…. HOW? “You ask.”

Because they will review your songs with some music label that has no real decision making power. And they will tell you your songs are BEEF! That they are “cool” but you need more development?

Men having discussion at table and taking notes.

But you won’t get signed from these “meetings.” And you won’t get discovered from these “meetings.”

And they will have taken your money from you because of their bogus, fake review of your music, because you already gave them the money upfront to them already, you payed them already.

The only thing they did for you was say a few words to you and took your money and NOTHING else.

You find out after being scammed like this, that the only way, the only real way to get noticed by real people in the record labels, is to get your music first discovered by a big fan base that likes your songs and then when the record labels see that you are having lots of crowds, lots of views, then this will raise eyebrows, raise attention from the REAL record label people. Not the ones that only stand around evaluating music all day and doing nothing else.

Why Would We Even Be Scammed By The Music Industry Anyway?

The reason why we can be scammed by the music industry is because we as artists are great at playing instruments, singing, and such but we are not good at business. The reason we are not good at business is because we’re too busy trying to learn and perfect our craft. Our music craft.

Unless we are like 50 Cent. Who we know is a very great rapper, and is very skilled at it. But he also became very skilled at business also. Also Dr Dre and Jay Z also are the same way as 50 Cent, being very skilled at both rap and business.

50 Cent made $100 million off of Vitaminwater as well as had success off his headphones line SMS Audio, which he founded. Proving himself a very great businessman.

The band KISS is also great at music but also used the popularity of their songs to sell merchandise tied to their image and their songs. Which in turn make them good businessmen. Or should I say, great businessmen.

Gene Simmons of the band KISS reportedly making millions of dollars. Over $300 million dollars, that is. “Saying that he loves being part of a rock and roll band.” Quotes it by saying: “But I love being part of a rock and roll brand.” Saying brand and band. Meaning, he knows it’s not only about the music, it’s also about the business of music.

Gene Simmons of the famous rock band KISS, with fire behind him.

If you don’t ever want to be scammed by the music industry then you’re going to have to be good at the business side of it too. Meaning, every time your not playing or singing and you’re dealing with the music industry, treat it as a business and not some fun at the park thing. Take it serious every step of the way and always be thinking and questioning everything and every contract.

Business dealings and paperwork. — Learn to get good at business in the music industry and outside the music industry

Especially contracts. “Am I going to be shorted on cash if I sign this? Am I going to be scammed if I do this or that in the music industry?” Asking yourself, “Am I being scammed on the internet, as I use this service on the internet?” Before you send any money online ask yourself, “is this a scam?”

One way to tell if something online is a scam is to search the company’s name in Google, followed by the word, “scam.”

For example type in: Is radio will play a scam?…. into Google search and you’ll see that there are websites that say they are a scam. That’s how you know that they are a scam by the lists of websites that are saying they are a scam. They are literally warning you.

NOTE: radio will play is not a real website but type into Google what you think may be a scam music site to see if it is a scam and then judge for yourself if it is a scam. You will not see any website for radio will play. I just used that for an example IF it WAS a real website.

Let me tell you a story. Although this is not totally related to the music industry but the method in which a lady was scammed online does. A online company told the lady to send them $800 dollars and she in turn would be rewarded the man that she liked online, as he was to show up at her house and they of course would fall in love.

He, her online man she seen through pics on the website never shows up. Online company keeps $800 dollars. She loses $800 dollars because of it and is devastated because $800 dollars is a lot of money to her. And this all could have been avoided had she just typed in the name of the online company first, followed by the word, “scam,” at the end of the website name.

One website I visited said Google the Sh*t out of them on ALL your business dealings with the music industry to insure that you don’t get scammed. Do everything and anything to avoid getting scammed, Always have your antennas up.

Eyes with internet colors in them, red, yellow, blue, green, shining ever so brightly. — Google…

Thee ol Email Me Back Scam, Huh?

Maybe you got good a little bit good at music or maybe a lot. Maybe you’re the bomb or you’re purrty goood at music you say. Or maybe you haven’t arrived at a level of great talents yet. But whatever talents you have now. You are now open to thee ol email scam,…..it goes like this:

Dear Justin Miller,
Ken Morton from Real Radio Los Angeles!
I recently came across your music online and I really liked what I heard! I’m the New Music Coordinator for a station that has over 200,000 unique listeners every month.
I find music artists that I think have potential and get them in rotation on our station. If you would like, please send over the link of your song, for your latest single, using whatever music sharing service you prefer to send it. I’ll forward it to Stephen Matt’s our program director here at Real Radio to see if he’s interested in putting it in rotation.
Also, what kind of support campaign do you have going on for your single? (Like press, video, licensing, etc?) I’m asking because we are connected to an artist development firm that can also get you onto 150 radio stations worldwide and provide help and support for press, video, retail and licensing. What is great is, if they really like your music, they’ll cover all marketing expenses. You can check them out at ArtistsGatewayExcel.com.
Please let them know Ken Morton referred you and you should be in.
Let me know what you think and be sure to send me that link of your song!
Regards,
Ken

Getting a email like that causes you to say, “Well look at me ain’t I something! I’ve worked hard, I’ve paid my dues, I’m ready to showcase my talents, “alright, already!” You say. But you’re wise to the tricks of the trade, so you know what’s up! But then the email after a while begins to grate on you. “Hey!” You say, “What if it is true?”, Though.” So how do you know if it’s true? How do you know if it’s real?….. This is how:

Person looking at emails, sitting down with laptop on his leg, with dog next to him.

How To Tell If A Music Promotion Email Is True Or Real

If they send you a email that says how many plays you had on SoundCloud and they tell you the exact number of plays you had and it matches up with the date, meaning they said you had 2,000 plays on November 22, 2018 and you did have that many plays on that exact date, then you know it’s more likely to be true.
If you can find them on the internet or through Google, whether it be a website, a Facebook page, even a listing with the BBB, then there’s a chance they may be legitimate and true. Also look online for there company reviews; whether positive or negative, they will be able to verify if it’s real and genuine, just by reading the reviews.
Go to LinkedIn and search for the person who emailed you. Investigate his or her resume, contacts, past jobs — basically anything and everything on his or her page. You should be able to see if the person who emailed you is real or not.
If you can call them and get them on the phone then you will know it’s real, but you will have to know if what they are saying is true or not. Which maybe hard to tell. But if they act like they don’t know about you as a artist and don’t know specific information about you, how much music you produced and how much plays you have on SoundCloud and such then you know they are fake. Because if they were real then they should know SOMETHING specific about you. At least one or more specific things about you.

Red Flags To Tell If A Music Promotion Email Is Fake

1. They Ask For Money Upfront

Danger, High Voltage, Keep Out, sign, hanging on a chain link fence.

If someone asks for money upfront, let them antennas on your head go up and be alert that you-s about to get scammed. Come on! Some virtual person on the internet’s gonna ask you for money off of ONE email? You know somethings up. Especially if they don’t have you sign a contract, or negotiate with you on a contract and it’s rushed all at the same time. And it’s all being done online with no eventual face to face meet up? Then you know somethings fishy.

Come on! If your friend came up and asked for a lot money upfront or even a stranger, you know darn well you wouldn’t give them no money, especially if they don’t know what you’ve been doing and you don’t know what they’ve been doing whether they would deliver on their promise of what they have to offer you in return for that upfront money. So why not throw caution to the wind, especially to people online that we darn sure don’t know.

If someone asks for money upfront, let them antennas on your head go up and be alert that you-s about to get scammed.

Remember if it moves to quick like, click this button and in ONE click we’re going to get your song playing on the radio for the next 60 days if you pay us a low fee of 39.99, then you know it’s fake because it’s moving to fast. If it was real they would at least call you on the phone and talk to you first or meet you in real life, face to face. Especially if you don’t know if they are ever going to hear your song or not.

2. Incorrect Details Inside The Email

If the details in the email are not correct. If you’re a great musician or a budding musician and they don’t even tell you that: ….. “Yes we know you’re extremely talented or we noticed your just starting out” or anything else specific to how you are, then you know it barks with fakeness.

For example if it says you’re a hip-hop artist and you’re a straight up rock star…. then you know it’s….. say it with me…. FAKE!

3. Lack Of Personalization

If the email begins with any of these greetings that I’m about to list, then you know to pay it no mind:

Dear sir/madam/artist/musician/gifted songwriter or any other kind of generic heading which sounds like a mass email.
Hi, Jake! When your name is Mark, or David, or Kevin, or Sarah —- basically, if the email starts with the wrong name, it’s fake.
Hi, Jake Sanders! No one will ever greet you by your full name. This should be your first tip-off.

Them saying, “I found you on the internet” is not good enough. It should on the email body indicate somehow, how this person discovered you and your music. It should say something like, “I heard your two songs, titled, “Jillian’s Jam” and “Zero Hero” and I really enjoyed them,” for you to know if they really heard your songs. If them are your songs.

Also, if they say something they liked in your bio or cover art and it really matches what’s in your bio or cover art, then you know, it will more likely be legit.

So if and when you get a email from the music industry, remember to always question all emails, not some of them but all of them. Always look at each email and figure out if it is real, fake or [real fake]. And ask if it is legit. If your antennas go up that something ain’t right, bounce right off the email and run like crazy…. it’s your music that’s at stake. REMEMBER: IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!

Other Pretty Good Scams Or Pretty Bad Scams!

One pretty good or bad scam is…..

Thee ol Fake Music Agency Scam

Ah! Thee ol fake music agency scam. This is a pretty good one, er bad one, where they fly you, yes you or your band to Detroit or wherever the agency is, be it California, Seattle, Atlanta, Nashville. Anywhere they can steal your money.

How it works is they fly you out to, let’s say Detroit, under the assumption you will be signing a contract for a record deal. They ask you to front a fraction of the money, which is always a very high dollar amount like Five thousand dollars. Then the next time you go to there office, they are no longer there. They have jumped ship. They have left.

Business buildings in the city. — The scammers leave you high and dry. When you go back to their office, they have moved out

It was just a office they rented out long enough to have duped and fooled you and other people by telling them “success stories” of other people they have made famous and made A LOT of money for and the like. After they get a lot amount of money from a couple of bands and people, they just close down the shop and you can’t find them anymore. They ghost you and you can’t even reach them on their cellphones anymore. You find no way of even contacting them. You don’t know where they are. You’ve been duped, you’ve been scammed.

So PLEASE make sure who you are dealing with is really who they say they are. Because there are people that look very legit, they look and talk like they are from the music industry but they are not who they appear to be. They are just looking for the BIG PAY OFF! From you, of course.

If they were REAL music industry people, if they were a REAL music agency, they should be giving YOU money and not you giving them money. Think about it. If you’re REALLY that good, the popularity that you have or will have should be enough to hold its own, in that you should see great payoff for your songs and effort and fans.

They and you would know, if you’re gonna blow up on the music scene and make THEM a lot of money. To a REAL music agency or to music industry people, that is. They should be bowing at YOUR feet. You know what I mean?

Look at 50 Cent, who wasn’t known by anybody in the rap world yet, at least on a very large scale, until EMINEM and Dr. Dre discovered him. You think EMINEM and Dr. Dre told 50 Cent to give us $20,000 dollars first before we make you popular? No! I think not.

You’re best bet is to deal only with companies that don’t need a fraction of your money to begin with them. Deal with companies that are going to give YOU money if you deal with them.

A silver case full of money of one hundred dollar bills. One hundred dollar bills outside of it also.

Now I’m not saying every company you deal with, that asks you for money is not legit and are scammers but you ought to get your senses going and figure out for sure if the person you’re dealing with is the real deal and not some scam.

Another pretty good or bad scam is…..

The Great!… : Pay-To-Perform, Scam

Pay-to-perform scams are used a lot in the music industry. And you need to watch out for them. They use this scam a lot because it works. Often because musicians are desperate to be heard. So they want to get on stage and they are willing to pay for it.

Some musicians take the bait and fork out money to be heard. They give their money to these venues so that judges and A&R reps can hear them and then they (the judges and A&R reps) can put your music in the hands of someone willing to offer you a contract. It doesn’t. And all you did was just pay the judges appearance fee, you play, and then the show’s over.

Huge crowd watching the performance. — The crowds come to watch you play…

Cleaning up after a rock concert, in a huge outdoor stadium. With a girl looking. — The crowds come to watch you play…

You also may be asked to pay, yes give money to pay for a slot opening for a major artist — the artists don’t even know how the opening acts are chosen and don’t even have much interactions or no interactions with them.

Festivals also will try to get as much money out of you and charge you a performance fee and then pack and fill their stages, this gives them a reason to charge you.

But they shouldn’t charge you if you’re the type of person who would attract a lot of ticket sales and crowds for them, thus making them a lot of money. Not you paying them money.