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Posted by: Enucleation Apr 27 2010, 10:10 PM

My band got an email from this thing saying they liked one of our songs and wanted to put it on a metal compilation CD.

Has anyone heard of anything like this before? I googled it and some people say they think it is a scam but later people will argue that it is legit.


Im really excited if this is for real but... i dont want to throw away the 220 USD they are asking for.


on a side note, my bands myspace is www.myspace.com/enucleationofficial

Posted by: jafomatic Apr 27 2010, 10:13 PM

Without knowing for sure, my reaction is one of logic:

- Marketing at the scale this company is suggesting requires capital.
- Capital means they don't need money from you.

Posted by: MickeM Apr 27 2010, 10:14 PM

Why are they asking for your money if they want to use your material? Shouldn't you get paid instead or at the least run it on a "paid if income" basis?

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Apr 27 2010, 10:17 PM

I'd be careful about such things. I have never heard of them, so I can't say if they are trying to ripp you off or if they are really willing to do something, but it sounds strange to me.

Posted by: Enucleation Apr 27 2010, 10:30 PM

They gave me a phone number, I will definitely call that.

They are also listed on Itunes and Amazon etc etc...

Here is the message

"Hey,



My name is Danny Bryant, a project manager with QSP Media. We specialize in creating music-marketing campaigns and digital distribution services for small labels and independent musicians. I checked out your page and really liked “One Thousand Orcs ”, and think it would be a great fit for our Metal Mania compilation project.



The music industry is hard to break into, so we’ve designed these compilations as a way for rising musicians to take the next step, getting you some great exposure while connecting you with other artists and future partners. When we organize these compilations we use the strength of numbers to keep costs down and get your music heard, providing services otherwise unavailable or too expensive for unsigned and indie artists.



Here’s the deal:



- We will master your track and produce a retail ready album with a professional CD booklet, barcode and shrink wrapping.



- We will send the CD/Comp Card to our promotional partners at major and indie labels, mainstream, college and internet radio stations and our contacts throughout the industry.



- We will distribute the album digitally, making your music available as a single and a ringtone on over 300 different digital retailers. You get 50% of the proceeds from your track.



- We will send you 50 copies of the CD/Comp Card to sell and make a profit off of or give away to your fans and friends. By selling the CDs, you have the opportunity to make money off of your music while the other artists expose your tracks to a whole new audience.



In return, we ask for our artists to invest in the project. 225 USD covers the cost of the above services and allows you to keep all the rights to your music while we help promote you and get you moving forward with your music career. We do have a couple options to choose from as well, we can swap out the Cd’s for Comp Cards, which are basically a digital version of a Cd. Download cards are the future of the music industry, connecting artists and fans directly to digital downloads, cutting out the need for CDs which get ripped to mp3 players anyway, saving resources and setting you apart from and ahead of other bands. That option is only 99 USD. We can also do both 50 Cd’s & 50 Comp Cards for 300 USD. It’s the most bang for your buck! Let me know your thoughts.



Additionally, a portions of the profits from this album will be donated to “For a Brighter Planet” and the “Go Green Initiative” so you will not only be helping yourself as you grow as an artists, but you will be helping the planet as well!



Please give me a call or reply in email with any questions, and to let me know where you stand with the project. My direct email is Danny @ QSPMedia com , and is definitely a better way to stay in contact. Hope to hear from you soon!



Rock On,"

Posted by: MickeM Apr 27 2010, 10:39 PM

You could ask for a list of references, then call them and hear what their experience was.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Apr 27 2010, 10:45 PM

This sounds very suspicious to me. And I don't see any real benefit in doing this. You can do all that alone by yourself (pay for mastering of 1 track and duplicating on CDs) + distributing to online services. That distribution is nowadays offered everywhere including (reverbnation.com, cdbaby.com etc)...

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Apr 27 2010, 10:50 PM

if they are legit, and they got a good marketing plan, go for it!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 28 2010, 12:24 AM

Try it - you got only 225$ to loose if it's a scam

Posted by: Daniel Realpe Apr 28 2010, 02:50 AM

Why would they ask you to pay them for that?

Posted by: jdriver Apr 28 2010, 06:04 AM

Ask to see a copy of the contract before you agree to anything.

Posted by: Santiago Diaz Garces Apr 28 2010, 06:21 AM

I know lots of "Producers" that do this. It's not always a benefit. You have to think now as a business man. You have a product (totally apart from the song) that sounds good and you think that can catch the atenttion of the people, then go and do it. If you still doubt, then, wait a little bit. If you do things right, things will appear alone

Posted by: Kristian Hyvarinen Apr 28 2010, 06:23 AM

The thing I'm wondering here is that if they're serious and honest people, why on Earth would they approach you indirectly (not a meeting): and by e-mail of all the ways possible! It's well-known that e-mail is the place for scams and yet they'd still do something like this... very suspicious.

I suggest you tip off the local police and ask them to run a check (if you trust the police, I know there are places in the world where you can't) on the company. Then you could think about their suggestion: but don't give money away unless you've met them at least once!

Posted by: OzRob Apr 28 2010, 06:28 AM

I've been researching all of this stuff at the moment.

The bottom line is....the real companies who can make things happen don't need your money. They will make the money FOR YOU.

All the rave positive comments you may have found about them are more than likely their own people posing as satisfied clients. If they like you enough to want your work, and they are legitimate, they will not require any money from you. Covering the costs and recouping it is their job. That's why real companies take a percentage of PROCEEDS.

These fluffers trawl through music social sites like myspace, soundclick etc. looking for starry-eyed, starving artists to prey on.

What they're doing is not illegal as such, they may well create a CD and send it a few places and even give you copies. But count on it that they will make it as cheaply as possible, pocket everything above the costs and you will probably never see a benefit.

If you decide to do it, go into it with a mindset that it's a $220 experience (like a skydive) and that if you get anything out of it, it's a bonus.

Ps. Sorry to be a downer. Just don't want to see anyone get burnt.

Posted by: MickeM Apr 28 2010, 10:36 AM

Just thinking; maybe they contact hundereds of bands, charge everone $200 to cover for their work but only 10 songs will make it to the record in the end.
A CD that they will promote in a way that others will do for free or just for the song-bar id cost.
You need to read and understand the contract. It could be legit to do this, 95% of the bands will feel fooled but the contract (that noone reads anyway) will likely work for their cause.

Posted by: tonymiro Apr 28 2010, 11:35 AM

AFAIK they are legit - more about what they do is http://www.quickstarproductions.com/faq.html.

Nonetheless I'm not entirely convinced of a need for this or indeed of value for money for you.

From their site they will have 15-20 tracks on a cd and charge each at 220. So they charge 3300-4400 per cd before actually receiving any income from sales.

To put that in to perspective - for 1000 CDs - and lets use 1000 as 20 groups may want 50 copies each.

A good indie mastering engineer usually charges about 1000USD to master a 10-20 track cd (you can get it mastered for a lot less, or pay even more - your choice). This includes the redbook master CDA that is sent to the replication plant. You get to chose the ME and get a say in how your work is mastered. You also get the physical master CDA disc/DDP rather than a replication.

The replication plant charges by volume and can also do all inlay cards/cd box etc. A standard charge here would be 50 cents per cd for a run of 1000. So 500 USD.

If you run independently then you have to formally register as a record label to get your ISRC and for Amazon and a few others you need the bar code as well. ISRC is a one off cost of about 60USD and the barcode about 40 - so 100USD.

So far you have spent 1600 USD for 1000 CDs.

Now you have to distribute. ALL of the distribution here is digital via iTunes/Amazon/Rhapsody download - AFAIK none of these charge to carry your product.

Marketing - (they say they distribute to radio stations and record labels etc but that doesn't seem to provide any real detail on this. Otherwise you distribute the physical copy yourself at gigs.) It's time consuming but not particularly hard to mail your cd to some suitable radio station djs and record label execs/A&R. Iif you need contact info then there is an industry 'yellow pages' type directory which costs about 50 USD - so you mail to 100 at a cost of 100 USD. Cost to market 150USD.

You've spent in total 1750USD for 1000cds and have digital distribution and some marketing.

You also got to chose the mastering engineer as the one you think is best for the job and you now have your own indie record label.

Value for money... Depends largely on whether you think them doing the mailing to radio stations/record labels and upload to itunes etc is worth it.

Posted by: ItsMe Apr 28 2010, 01:42 PM

No scam

Hi there ,

its not a scam, they do what they advertise. I had one of my songs published on one of their compilations http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alone-In-Boston/dp/B002U70LUA . However what they do is making money not trying to help you with your career. You get some mastering of your track, they put it online on emusic, itunes and what not and they give you a number of CDs. Thats an ok value. I did it because as a rather talent free guy I wanted to have one published song in my live so I was thinking: wooow coool.
Anyway be aware that this is no big favour they do you. They simply want your money. And you could take a song, upload it on a self marketing platform and pay a few bucs to get it on itunes, emusic etc. too. You could even print some CDs for that money. Anyway what they offer you, is to be on a compi with other bands and there seem to be people that buy their compis. I got some feedback from people that bought the compi I am on. That means that you might reach someone. So think about it. If you have money to spare, go ahead. If not, use the self marketing tools on the net and get similar value for way less money.

Posted by: jstcrsn Apr 28 2010, 02:28 PM

IMO this is not the right state of mind.
We see Idol shows and think that it will be an over night success, but in reality it is the longevity of the band.
will this help promote your name and will you last long enough to be around?
i don't mean to bring you down ,but most bands are together on average seven years before they break through
Thats the hard part staying married to the band for long enough
if 225 doesn't hurt, do everything to get your name out as often as you can- but stay together

Posted by: purple hayes Apr 28 2010, 03:25 PM

@tonymiro - I think a good analogy is that you can mow your lawn yourself and invest your time to save money or you can pay someone else to mow your lawn, thus saving your time. In the end, you grass still gets cut.

Posted by: ItsMe Apr 28 2010, 06:43 PM

They really put everyone on the CD. They don't rip people off.
The question is if it makes sense on some compilation like this one.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 28 2010, 09:30 PM

Even if it is not a scam, they earn money from it, their goal is certainly not to invest in all the bands they contact, or to give everything to charity. Their goal is to take original author material and financial means, create something in return (that they are capable of, and doesn't require that much money on their side, they are probably in the business anyway), and they take percentage. Nothing wrong with that, you just have to see if their service is worth that much money.

Posted by: Staffy Apr 28 2010, 09:50 PM

+1 I definitely agree to this - it must be set in comparison what time and effort You have to put in Yourself to get the same result, and what that will cost You in time and loss of money - hence if You can work instead for twice as much as it cost to buy their services on a per/hour basis - then its worth it. Personally I dont mow the lawn, I dont do any snow in the winter, I have people clean my house etc. , since it will cost me more to do it by myself than having other people do it....

//Staffay

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Apr 29 2010, 12:29 AM

It doesn't sound like scam to me at all. For the price they are asking and things that they offer in return, it definitely makes sense to me. You are paying them to put your music on compilation CD that people will (one way or the other) hear and (perhaps) notice your music. So what you are essentially getting is the chance to get your music out there (in right places with all the marketing and distribution done for you!!!) for OK price. Think about it. If I had a band that had original music to offer, I would do that 100%, I am positive. Self marketing via social networking sites can only take you so far, plus it is very much time consuming. It is good to have somebody to do all those things for you and you can then just worry about playing, composing, performance and enjoy the music you play!

Posted by: OzRob Apr 29 2010, 01:46 AM

http://business.songstuff.com/articles.php?selected=80
http://www.ehow.com/how_4494905_avoid-music-business-scams.html


Now, on the positive and constructive side, there is a wealth of info here...

http://www.starpolish.com/advice/

Posted by: tonymiro Apr 29 2010, 11:42 AM

- says nice and succinctly and without the numbers what I tried to

Also reminds me of the Zappa song - Watermelon in Easter Hay - it had the lyric, 'He used to be such a very nice boy. He used to cut my grass'

Oh and by the way rather like the sceptical articles that Rob links above I was gently trying to point out that the chance of making back the 225 dollars is very low. Companies like this make most of their money from the groups/musicians paying them to be included on the cd and not from the digital sales of the content.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Apr 30 2010, 01:35 AM

Generally I have seen on lots of social groups possibilities to be included on some compilation cds (free of charge of course). Maybe you should scan a little bit myspace,facebook for such opportunities and then apply. This (since its not scam) can be a nice opportunity to have your song featured on a compilation cd (and to get some free cds of it to give away)...If you've got the money you can do it. I wouldn't expect any real offers from record labels,radio stations play or something from it but you never know with music what can come up.

Posted by: Enucleation Apr 30 2010, 03:47 AM

Haha, I'm not expecting any record deals. I like to think of myself as a realist when it comes to success in music.

I'm just happy that someone might have liked a song I wrote xD But we are going to talk about it this saturday to decide if we are going to spend the cash or not.

Posted by: OzRob Apr 30 2010, 04:39 AM

Good luck whatever you decide.

Posted by: Lian Gerbino May 3 2010, 04:14 PM

well man, my experience says: do not do that.
everything they offer, you can do it by your own. even paying nothing. the internet has good and bad stuff, it has been discussed here many times, so, one of the good things it has: you can be your own small producer. you can contact every online store and put your songs there. try to think as a real band producer, would you spend that money on this to get more money at the end? I think you wont. I'd save that money to record a new album, or I'd make a video for one song.
real producers put the money for you, they don't ask for your money.

Posted by: OzRob May 5 2010, 07:56 AM

Here's a thought:

Do you own licensing and master rights to your music? If so, use Tunecore to digitally distribute your album to online stores, and write or get written, some catchy press release blurbs. Then have your band members hit up a bunch of music review blogs, twitter, etc. Build some hype, use your fanbase to help, and get attention to your forthcoming 'release' in the digital stores.

DIY: $30-50, and your own album is available in online stores, rather than $200 to get some cds (which won't go far) and one track on a compilation which may never get heard.

Posted by: Vasilije Vukmirovic May 5 2010, 10:56 AM

True!

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic May 7 2010, 03:29 PM

Yeah 250$ is really a nice budget to do some internet marketing. You should invest it into making a good web site/myspace/facebook profiles. You should make a cool cover for your EP (Demo album) and get it to online stores via some of services like Tunecore etc (around 50$). You could invest into facebook ads/google ads for your bands page for example to get exposure (or bands web site). Go around forums and post about your band....I guess you could bring more of good promotion that way rather getting lost in some compilation cd between many bands.