Scam artists continue to profit off the dreams of musicians caught in the struggle, but we have three tips that will make you more successful than their schemes ever could.
Scam artists will always exist in every facet of any business. That is because dreamers aspire to reach their goals, and enough of them are willing to pay for so-called experts to advise them that con artists can continue making money. After all, who wouldn’t want to be an overnight success?
There is a dark side to the world of self help and advice that rarely gets acknowledged. While many people do legitimately want to see artists succeed, there are many more who see aspiring stars are targets for their money-making schemes. As the saying goes, “If you want to make money in music, exploit the dreams of musicians.”
We’ve all seen these scams online. You probably see ads for playlist placements, music mentorships, and “direct access” to A&R reps on a regularly on social media. You may even consider looking into these services. The lucky ones don’t let their curiosity lead to spending money, but not everyone is that fortunate. A lot of artists spend money on these people and companies making impossible promises on the off chance they might be legit, and every single time, the artist ends up losing money without advancing their career.
The reason these scams never work out is because they ignore the three rules of music success:
- Make great content
- Network with your peers
- Be a decent human being
Anyone promising mentorships in exchange for annual fees or placement in front of prominent tastemakers for a one-time charge are lying about the essential building blocks of any career. The musicians that are big right now, whether they’re bonafide celebrities or someone who seems to appear overnight, got where they are through hard work, networking, and being someone people enjoy knowing. Those three things are the cornerstone to any legitimate career in this, or any other, field.
That doesn’t mean that all scammers are bad people. Some do offer interesting advice in a very broad sense. They’ll talk about the need to hustle hard, believe in yourself, and consistently release new content to keep people engaged, all of which are good. But that kind of vague motivational fodder will only get you so far in this business.
For more insight on con artists and how to spot them, check out this video our friend Jesse Cannon made on the scammer you’re most likely to find in music.
