Some people would do anything to unlock the doors to success for their music (well, except for working hard for decades😅). Realizing this, there are those out there looking to take advantage of those looking to take shortcuts with their music. It’s totally possible for a focused, hardworking musician to become ensnared in the traps these people set as well, if you’re not cautious. Here are some situations to look out for.

Record Labels

It’s not uncommon for indie artists to receive messaging from a “label A&R.” When being approached by a label, a few questions you should ask yourself…

Have I heard of this company?

Do they have a reputation you can seek out? If a simple Google search doesn’t deliver clear results on who these people are and what they do, be wary. Conversely, if the person reaching out to you claims to be with a major label be wary of that as well.

Where are they located?

Are they telling you to travel with your own money thousands of miles from your home? A legit small startup label is most likely looking to work with local talent and medium to large labels will probably fly you out or travel to you if interested.

Do I have a large fanbase, social media presence, merch & ticket sales?

These are the factors any serious label is looking for. If you’re not strong in these areas, it’s nearly impossible that a legitimate record label is reaching out to you. It is possible a local startup label may be interested in funding some records for you even if you have none of the above (it happened to me when I was 19). Just don’t forgot to ask the above questions.

What are they trying to get from me?

What’s usually at the end of one of these scammy communications is an offer to start working with you without any assessment of your qualifications just $X upfront, $X per session or $X per month.

A general word on labels:

Unless a label has large resources in several areas like promotion, distribution, tour support, booking, publishing, merch, etc. there’s little to gain by signing with them and potentially a lot to lose. Fund your own work and create your own fans before getting into debt to someone else. I’ve known plenty of musicians stuck under contracts they were unhappy with.

Custom Songwriting Scams

This seemed to crop up everywhere during the COVID pandemic. A random social media account hits you up asking if you write custom music. You go a few rounds discussing the details of what they’re looking for. A common story is they want you to write a song for their son with lyrics about things he likes. Once it’s time to talk money, any price is fine but…due to a bank error you need to pay a fee to unlock the digital check. I don’t think anyone is dumb enough to fall for this, but with this warning hopefully you can avoid wasting even 10 minutes on this total scam.

Shows

These aren’t exactly scams because it’s possible they could benefit your career, but I wouldn’t count on it. First I want to warn you against shows that have 4-5 artists on the bill and require you to sell a set number of tickets to perform. It makes sense enough that the promoter wants to ensure 20 ticket sales per band, but this never works out in the artists’ favor. For example, I once sold 75 $10 tickets (20 was their minimum) and received $90 in payment. Seems fair. Second, there’s straight up pay-to-play. This is when you pay a larger artist to open for them. This is particularly common in Rap, with many major tour promoters boosting their income by charging several local rappers to open. In theory it makes sense - open for a similar artist that has a fanbase and get new fans. In practice - do you know how difficult is to convert fans in this fashion? Opening is one of the best ways to gain new fans, if we’re talking big festival slots and opening on a bigger artist’s tour night-after-night. One exposure to another artist’s fan base is not going to net you many new fans at all. Again, these aren’t exactly scams but I think they’re bad ideas to participate in.

Here’s hoping you can avoid some snags in your career with this info.

Drew Mantia

Feel Good Music Recordings

3146264270

feelgoodmusicrecordings@gmail.com

https://feelgoodmusicrecordings.com/

1908A Sidney, St. Louis, MO 63104

Click here to read and download my free Indie Music Release Checklist ebook PDF. This 20 page guide encapsulates all my knowledge, the knowledge of every artist I've worked, and every article, book, and YouTube video I've watched on releasing music. Whatever stage you're at in your career, you'll find something useful to implement into your strategies.