Why are they suggesting that any genre will be considered? Why does the offer sound like a get-rich-quick scheme? A legit company knows exactly what music is needed and contacts their clients directly. Scammers use these opportunities to attract as many submissions as possible, pocketing the emotional financial business taylor too those submission fees along the way. I’ve heard lots of stories about consultants who charge for their services up-front and then disappear into thin air without actually doing any work. They make great promises, and appear to have the credentials and contacts to back them up.

So, if a consultant is asking you for a fee in order to bring your career to the next level, what should you do? You better do your homework before handing them a dime! First let’s classify “consultants” in three possible ways. The granddaddy of all music business scams, payola is bribery, pay-for-play, the music business equivalent of dark money. First, it was song pluggers influencing jazz-era bandleaders; then it was so-called indie promoters acting as record company bagmen.

There are no shortcuts to success, so be wary of anybody trying to sell you a service that says otherwise. These “consultants” actually have current connections, relevancy and they can help your career. They are the people everyone wants to work with, but unfortunately they are very rare. Also, they typically don’t advertise or namedrop as much, because they are already in-demand. Tahj Keeton Makes Beauty Through ChaosGeorgia artist Tahj Keeton gets real about his bubbling sound with Audiomack World.

Once a deal gets to that point, you can take it up a notch, but it’s important to learn all the details first. The International Music Business And Recording Organization, Inc. The International Recording Organization is a multi-million dollar record company. It specializes in music business, music industry contacts, music production, technology. These producers are successful but don’t share your genre and/or aesthetic.

When considering whether to hire a publicist, research their ability to generate press and help manage a publicity campaign. No publicist can guarantee anything, so don’t fall for any claims that they do. So let’s catalog the 13 insidious ways music business grifters are coming for your money . Scammers rely on ignorance and sloth, taking advantage of the uneducated and the lazy. Instead, it comes from the hard work of making great music and building your audience.

In the case that you see a lot of success stories and customer praise written on the site, you can probably disregard that completely. After all, who would put a quote on their site like, “This Guy Sucks! Paying $20 to be considered for a $10,000 synchronization license may sound like a worthwhile investment, but stop and think about it.

It’s important that you find a producer that matches your vision, vibe and market. Just because someone is talented and connected in one genre doesn’t mean that they can easily cross over to another. Sometimes a producer like this will take on your project for the right amount of money, but you should consider their motives carefully. Are they really going to help you shop your music or are they just after your cash? You have to think about all the variables here.

Payola was made illegal after a scandal in the late 1950s when DJs took bribes in return for radio airplay. It reared its ugly head again in the early 2000s and continues today, its cancer now spreading to services charging for placement on streaming service playlists. Many of these “consultants” try to dangle their former credits in hopes of luring in starry-eyed musicians.

There are a lot of websites that claim to be linked to music supervisors and influential people in the TV, film and media industries. Most of these sites have a sample job listing area and are plastered with fantastic success stories in order to lure you in. Also, some of these sites have an impressive board of directors loaded with ex-music industry execs, so they seem more legit. Again, if these services are free of charge, you have very little to lose. Unfortunately most of these sites either demand a paid membership package or are priced by the submission (song, job, etc.).