Every year, thousands of talented artists lose money to people selling shortcuts. The scams evolve, but the formula never changes: flattery, urgency, and a fee. If someone contacts you out of nowhere promising stardom for a price, you are the customer, not the talent.
Scams Running Right Now
Watch for pay-to-play showcases with no real audience, playlist pushers guaranteeing streams, fake managers demanding upfront fees, and PR companies promising magazine covers for cash. Legitimate industry players earn from results and relationships, not from charging artists for access. Verify every company through working artists, check for real track records, and never pay for promises.
Your talent is real, which makes you a target. Move with patience, verify everything, and keep your money until someone proves they can earn it.
The showcase circuit deserves its own warning. Promoters sell performance slots at industry showcases promising label executives in the audience, but the executives rarely show and the audience is mostly other artists who paid to perform. Real A&R discovery happens through music that is already moving, not through pay-to-play stages. Similarly, radio promotion companies guaranteeing spins are selling a fantasy — legitimate radio promotion is expensive, relationship-driven, and never guaranteed. Before spending a dollar, ask for the company’s recent verifiable results, speak to artists who paid them, and check whether the same company operates under multiple names. The music business rewards patience and proof. Anyone selling you a shortcut is selling you, not helping you.
About the Author – Ruben Burgos: Ruben Burgos brings over 25 years of music expertise and more than 15 years of model guidance to the table. He is the indie major pinnacle to retaining credits for musicians and helping them navigate this wicked industry without the fuckery.