Songs accepted for demo.....need reality check

[Unclenny]

So on a whim I sent some tunes in to a Nashville based promo company.....hey nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

So I just got back a contract to sign to have them record demos for two of those songs.

Of course, they want money for this service.

I need a reality check.

[crosscutred]

Um.... shouldn't you be the one getting paid?

[initialsBB]

Sounds kind of like the old song poem services.

[Unclenny]

yeah...that's what I figure as well......

....still, I just don't know. They say they will record a demo and shop it. For a nominal fee, of course.

[texasguitar903]

It might be off-target but I got the same kinda deal from Tate Music Group...Sounded like a scam so I didn't do it. They wanted 1500 bux! PLus its still just a demo.

[narcoman]

nah. It's bollox... forget it man. Record a song and shop it for you? No market at all for that.....

[coyotekells]

If read many times this is a common scheme, and that real publishers etc will never work this way.

[VitaEtMusica]

Ridiculous.

[Unclenny]

That about sorts it I guess......

Agreed.

Thanks, all.

[sventvkg]

scam.

[ResonantMind]

Originally Posted by Unclenny

So on a whim I sent some tunes in to a Nashville based promo company.....hey nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

So I just got back a contract to sign to have them record demos for two of those songs.

Of course, they want money for this service.

I need a reality check.

Do your research, what's their reputation like? See if they have a client list and get in contact with their previous clients and ask what their experience was. Could be a scam, but the way the industry is... there are all sorts of small companies trying new things/biz models/etc/etc (not that this is exactly innovative or anything) that aren't necessarily bad.

It sounds like they want money for the recording, nothing wrong with that. If a publishing company also runs or is affiliated with a studio, they aren't going to record people for free just because they are shopping the song after. In other scenarios a publisher/agency/label will give you money to record but that's a cash advance that you have to pay back either by working a 9-5 or ideally getting a song placed.

-Research their client list and contact previous clients.
-Go visit them first, feel them out. Pretty easy to tell when people are genuine or just a bunch of kids saying they're a publisher cause they bought a book with a bunch of industry emails in it. Some studios say they'll shop a song as if they are a publisher just to get people to come record.
-Ask them for a list of previous songs they've had placed and where, which movies, t.v. shows, radio stations, commercials etc, etc.

-put your own words in the contract, see what they'll agree to? Maybe they'll agree to giving you back some of the recording costs if they can't place the song within a year.
-Have a friend in the industry pretend to be your manager (if you don't have one) and make sure it's a friend with balls/sternness and have your "manager" call them and be overly investigative... see if they squirm.

*edit*

-And ask them why they like your songs, what ideas they have, do they have upcoming movies/tv shows on the radar they think they could get your songs in and if they actually have the connections to their ideas... they should be able to give you names or tv production teams... they just won't give you their email/number. Just see what they have in mind.


Also what's in the contract? If it's nothing crazy, put in your own terms that they have to agree to.

[Unclenny]

Yeah....looks like they just want to make some money recording.....I like how I track my own stuff. The language about how they push your music is nebulous and their reputation looks to be pretty bad as well.

They like to suck in folks who may be new at the songwriting game.....looks like they get a lot of lyrics and do music and down and dirty recording.

That's not me.

But, since I'm starting to get the bug to get all those songs of mine out there I think I'll keep looking.

I suppose there's always....Taxi.