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By Katie Reilly
Don't Pay to Play
These are some of the worst and most common hoaxes because
they seem so benign but they can easily cost you a lot of money without getting
you anywhere. They tend to disguise themselves in the form of some sort of
legitimate opportunity from a legitimate business whether it be getting your
song played on the radio, getting you a record deal, or letting you play
a showcase in front of a big time A&R rep. The common thread though is
that they will all ask you for money to get access. With the exception of
membership-based organizations like ASCAP or The Recording Academy, press,
marketing, or radio promotion agencies, or a qualified professional industry
consultant (determining that requires research though), there are hardly
any legitimate music businesses that will charge you in order to get access
to a career opportunity (and honestly the aforementioned companies aren't
charging you for access, they're charging for their services- but I didn't
want to confuse anyone into thinking they are not legitimate businesses because
they cost money). Many of these scams offer you what sounds like the chance
of a lifetime, and some will even go through a process of choosing only a
handful of participants to make it seem more promising, but that is not how
the music industry operates. In fact, most contracts will offer you an advance
(money in advance of any sales), not the other way around. Many people in
the music industry make money by getting a percent of the artist's earnings
based on their work together. If that is not the case it should be a serious
red flag.
Trust Your Instincts
If something doesn't feel right for whatever reason, you're probably right.
Don't risk it even if it seems like an amazing opportunity. If it seems to
good to be true, it mostly likely is.
Ask Questions
Asking questions tends to be a good way to get someone who is trying to swindle
you to start to feel nervous. If you ask too many questions they'll be more
inclined to leave you alone because they'll realize you're not going to fall
for it. Ask if you can speak to former participants. Ask them to name some
of their former success stories. Ask about what the next steps of the program
are and those thereafter. Ask them what exactly your money goes towards and
exactly what you will get in return. Ask for names of key employees, look them
up online, and ask if you can speak with them. Better yet, tell them you want
to have any legal language reviewed by an attorney.
Google It
The Internet is an amazing tool for sharing information,
including those about scams. Now, when someone has been cheated, they are
likely to take to the Internet to warn other people about it. Find as much
information as you can; search the name of the program along with the word "scam." If
you can find out names of employees, past clients, and any success stories
and look them up too to determine if they've had any real experience in the
music industry.
Get Educated
The more you know about how the music industry works, who does what, and how
they get paid, the harder it will be for someone to trick you.
See more at: http://www.internlikearockstar.com
Katie is the creator of Intern Like a Rockstar, a music industry career blog
that provides information about career options, job and internship openings,
how to find a job, how to network, etc. To find out more about how to break
into the music industry visit http://www.internlikearockstar.com.
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