Music Scams
Scams are a somewhat terrifying reality of life. You think you’re getting a good product or service then, BAM! you’re hundreds or even thousands of dollars out with little to no wat to recover your loss and no product or service. Scams like this can happen in every field, and music is, of course, no exception. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell a genuine opportunity from a scam, particularly because many scammers will go to extreme lengths to seem legitimate and win your favor (and hard-earned money). Here are a few popular music scams and how to avoid them.
The streaming scam. This one starts off innocently enough. You get a call or message from someone claiming to be an industry professional who has taken a liking to your work and, for a fee, they will get your music featured on Spotify (or something similar). A scammer may even provide examples of other artists they got to millions of streams, however, the truth is they are more than likely using bots or software designed to refresh a link to make it appear that you are getting more streams.
There are also performance scams where you pay to perform. In the music arena, this is one of the most popular scam types and depend solely on a musician’s desire for the chance to perform in front of an audience. You may be prompted to pay a fee for slot openings for a famous artist, to sell tickets (to secure your slot), or any number of things.
To avoid scams Firstly, do your research into the company that is offering you this deal. Read what others have to say about working with them. There are several red flags that will help alert you to a potential scammer. One is if you are offered a performance slot without the person having heard your music. Another red flag is if they don’t tell you the name of the company, they are working for, or if they are hesitant to answer basic questions or share what information they have. Don’t be so quick to send money or relinquish information. Take you time to find out if the person or company is legitimate.