I got an offer from a record label but i have to pay for promotion. What should i do?

B

BeatmasterJ

New member
I am Michael and i have been producing tracks for about 2 years. I have my tracks on Soundcloud and about a week ago i got the following mail from Itchicoo Records:

From: notificationssoundcloudmailcom
To: michaelj80hotmailcom
Subject: Private message from Itchycoo Records

Hey,
Itchycoo Records (Itchycoo Records) sent you a message with the subject Beatmaster:
"Dear DJ / Producer
We saw in your SOUNDCLOUD several of your PROMOTIONAL tracks.
Some tracks we find interesting for our record label **ITCHYCOO RECORDS London UK**
We can give you the opportunity to have your own tracks, availables for sale at "All Digital Download Stores Worldwide".
( Beatport, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Trackitdown, Audiojelly, DJ Tunes, Juno Records, Napster, Traxsource and Many More..)
Please, answer the following questions:
1º - What are the tracks you have free and "unsigned" in any record label.?
2º - You are the Owner/Author/Writer.?
3º - Do you have any track available for download on Beatport?
We ONLY accept ORIGINALS (No remixes).
Please send me this information and attached your DEMO in MP3 File to : miriamitchycoogmailcom
Thank you very much.
Greetings.
Miriam Diaz - Community Manager
ITCHYCOO RECORDS London UK
wwwitchycoorecordscom
ITCHYCOO RECORDS Official WEBSITE
itchycoorecords

I am not really experienced about recordlabel contacts so i sent them a few demos, answered the questions that i am unsigned and waited a couple of days. Then i got this email:

Dear Michael,

Thanks for your response. CONGRATULATIONS.!!.. Your music sounds good, We want ALL YOUR tracks :

We would like to Release YOUR **ALBUMor EP ** with all your Tracks together (at least we need three), then, we would do another differents Releases with your tracks separately as a SINGLES.
Finally each of your tracks would be included in our CD Compilations in USA, Spain, Japan & Korea.

If is possible that we like other tracks, that go to compose in the future, we should consider the possibility that you are in our team, as:
** ITCHYCOO RECORDS Official Artist DJ- Producer **

It's pleasure to give you a welcome to ITCHYCOO RECORDS and also have your place in Beatport, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify,Trackitdown, Audiojelly, DJ Tunes, Juno Records, Napster, Traxsource and Digital Download Stores Worlwide.
There are a number of conditions to be met:
1 - You will sign a Licensing Agreement with ITCHYCOO RECORDS. Exclusive for all the song you give us.
2 - You will sign a Publishing Agreement with ITCHYCOO RECORDS. Exclusive for all the song you give us.
3 - We will pay you 50% from sales of your Tracks every 6 months.
4 - To you be part of ITCHYCOO RECORDS Artist Roster & DJ's Agency.
5 - ITCHYCOO RECORDS DJs Producers have to remix your ORIGINALS tracks and then you must Remix our ORIGINALS tracks and ACAPELLAS.

(After sign the Agreements, We send you a ACAPELLAS PACKS.)

6 - ITCHYCOO'S EXCLUSIVE PROMOTIONAL PACK SERVICE

We offer music promotion services through our highly selective network of globally recognised tastemakers from key dance regions worldwide...

(The following Links are a examples from our Artists):

1. Your Promotional NEWSLETTER, like -----> LOCKNER Newsletter (sample)

2. Your Promotional ITCHYCOO RECORDS Minisite, like -----> LOCKNER Newsletter (sample)

3. Mailing Your NEWSLETTER to---------------> BEST RADIO STATIONS of the World.

(+ Attached PDF with all feedbacks, supports received ).
4. Mailing Your NEWSLETTER to---------------> BEST DJs of the World.

(+ Attached PDF with all feedbacks, supports received ).
5. Mailing Your NEWSLETTER to---------------> DJ AGENCIES.

(+ Attached PDF with all feedbacks, supports received ).
6. Reviews and Features on the best music Digital Magazines and Blogs around the world.

7. We publish your releases on our ITCHYCOO RECORDS official website.
8. We publish your releases on our ITCHYCOO RECORDS official Facebook Groups, with and average of20.000 fans and followers , send it over to your "updates".
9. We publish your releases on our ITCHYCOO RECORDS official Soundcloud with 43.000 total plays.
10. We send your NEWSLETTER releases to more than 200 Radio Stations around the world, with full trackingservice.
11. Your Special Microsite designed by our professional graphic designers is monthly updated with your New Releases.
12. We prepare the Press Release for your campaign, and this includes the sending to the most important media agencies.
13. INCLUDE Artist in our official ITCHYCOO ROSTER.

Not enough? Keep reading!Itchycoo's promotion campaigns have been designed to maximize your global reach and to ensure your music is played all over the world, capturing the attention of International DJ's and key Heads of Music.

Check out the Itchycoo's services: (Attached PDF)
- Distribution and Manufacturing of CDs and Vinyls.
- Distribution in MP3 on Digital Stores (Beatport, Itunes, Amazon, etc..)

- Mastering
- Graphic Designers.
- Promotional Social Media Packages.
- Legal Counsel (buffet Lawyers, Legal Advice, Copyrights, Licenses...).

All itchycoo's new artists have to pay upfront The Itchycoo's Exclusive PROMOTIONAL PACK 210 Euros / 275 U$D (valid for one year).

Itchycoo gets maximum global exposure and ultimate release penetration through our selective and highly influential network of more than 30,000 leading global and regional tastemakers in key cities worldwide.

** PLEASE, LET ME KNOW IF YOU AGREE OUR CONDITIONS**

IF you ACCEPT our conditions, I will send Licensing & Publishing Agreements for you to review.

"Your music is excellent, Now is the time to listen your music, "all over the world"

Are you really... Ready to come to **ITCHYCOO IBIZA NIGHTS** ..to play with us???
(+ Attached PDF file)
Look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Social Media Manager - Itchycoo Records

The part about paying 210 euros for a promotional pack made me suspicious. So i am asking other producers here is this normal to pay a recordlabel to get signed? How does a legit recordlabel usually write if they want to sign you? and is this a scam?

/Michael.
 
you are the second person to ask about this type of offer form itchycoo records - the last consensus was that it was spam as the people at itchycoo records refused to enter into any discussion with the last querant[sup][1][/sup] as well....
 
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I agree with Bandcoach, I have seen a post about this itchycoo records as well. After reading their offer/agreement, it doesn't sound real and is a scam. Ignore it and save your money.
 
Extremely obvious spam.

But even if it wasn't... What would be the purpose of a record label which makes you pay for promotion? Don't you believe that the ONLY purpose of a record label is promotion...?

-Ki
Salem Beats
 
Thanks for the feedback! It was as i suspected, they are scammers and just want to suck out money. I also believe that if you have some great tracks you shouldn´t be paying for it except the provision of your sales.
 
Hi Michael

I also got a response from the CEO Omar Salines after I dropped a few of my tracks in their Soundcloud drop box. A mastering company - Monarch Audio Mastering - have a section on their website showing which record labels were linked to Beatport and Itchycoo was amongst the list, so I just did a clean sweep and then got a message from Omar a few days later.

I've had a few email exchanges with Omar and he seems bone fide; admittedly, the English is all over the place but English is not his first language. I have sent over a few WAV files and have now received a Licensing and Publishing agreement which seem pretty straightforward. Yes, it does seem odd that they are asking for money upfront though and this will need further investigating. Have you had any further responses to your post? I haven't signed anything yet...
 
consensus view is that if you are paying for it then you are being ripped off - why should you be paying anything at all if they believe in your product?

put another way, instead of taking money from your royalties to cover the costs of distribution and advertising they want you to pay for it all up front - they bring nothing to the table except some connections which you can make for yourself with a little more grind and graft

steer clear - this seems worse than 360 deal
 
Nothing is free coming from a label. You will pay for everything they do for you. As for this email I would avoid it. The writing shows that they are unprofessional from all of the typos and bad grammatical errors.

If you are interested I can offer the same deal if you have your album project mastered here. The distribution is free but promotion is your responsibility. I will work with you to show you how to reach the most people without breaking your bank. You keep all rights to your music and everything that happens is a result of the work you put in.

If you have any questions send me an email through the site.
sswmastering.com
 
I'll put it another way - the label that is offering you this deal seems to want to milk the cow before it is producing milk - i.e. they want to take money from you now and even more money from you later
 
Being doing some research about Itchycoo Records and Omar Salines and yes, best to run a mile from this set up. I've been in contact with a producer who has had personal dealings with this guy and he has set up a Facebook Group called Itchycoo Records es un FRAUDE...
 
I've now corresponded with producers/artists who have had dealings with Itchycoo Records and the guy behind it Omar Salines. It looks as if they're not receiving the stats which should be sent to them twice yearly. They have all paid around 300 Euros to firm up their agreement. Problem is that this fee is only for one year and the agreement is a five-year deal so they'll be expected to pay this fee for another four years!!!!
 
Has anyone heard of GK Artist Management? They tell you they like your music and want to work with you also, and ask for 100 bucks to draw up a 6 month contract. They have alot of followers on twitter rappers, and other management people, but i think they're a rip off as well, 'cause they don't even have a website and when you google there name there no information about them. It throws a red flag to me. So i didn't respond back.
 
Basically, the most important thing is to carry out some research, try to talk to people who have already had dealings with the company in question and then make an informed decision. Management groups/labels should be making money by taking a percentage of sales, etc. and shouldn't be asking for a fee upfront. The only type of organisation that could get away with this are music promotion companies that solely deal with promoting your music, as there is no percentage system in place - you basically play a flat fee for a particular type of service, i.e. sending your music to DJs, radio stations, fanzines and so on...
 
Sokalm said:
Has anyone heard of GK Artist Management? They tell you they like your music and want to work with you also, and ask for 100 bucks to draw up a 6 month contract. They have alot of followers on twitter rappers, and other management people, but i think they're a rip off as well, 'cause they don't even have a website and when you google there name there no information about them. It throws a red flag to me. So i didn't respond back.
Click to expand...

http://www.musicxray.com/profiles/3686

so it would seem that yes she is legit but no I would not pay for her to drawup a contract - she is on-selling a lawyers services to you instead of eating that as a cost of doing business - you need to engage your own lawyer to review a contract so why would you pay for hers as well?
 
bandcoach said:
http://www.musicxray.com/profiles/3686

so it would seem that yes she is legit but no I would not pay for her to drawup a contract - she is on-selling a lawyers services to you instead of eating that as a cost of doing business - you need to engage your own lawyer to review a contract so why would you pay for hers as well?
Click to expand...

I don't see how that makes her legit. And plenty of "a&rs" do this "pay me and I'll shop you" thing, but legit a&rs will take on clients and get paid by taking a cut of the money they get for their clients. Also top notch music makers usually are coveted and have enough self respect to know they don't need to pay someone to get in with them.

To the OP, this company is a promotion company that you pay to promote your music, they have a website that enables anyone to get that "offer" they gave you.
 
it makes her legit in the sense that she is shopping herself as an a&r consultant; I did not say that it made what she is doing legit
 
This is a scam.

What companies like this do is sell you the promo package and never distribute anything beyond the usual internet promo you can gy yourself.

Sorry if someone already said this but I was reading the thread and someone asked "why pay for your own promo; isn't that the labels job" and it sparked this response.

Maaaany labels and artists with deep enough pockets fight to pay for their own promo.

If the label pays for it hen the money has to be recouped and it won't recouped at 100% either.

For example, if a label spends 100k promoting your project and your have a 50/50 partnership more than likely you will recoup at 50%, which means you'll have to make back 200k to recoup the promo advanc because only 50% of every dollar goes toward recouping.

A new artist would be closer to 10% for recouping.

If you have the money you'd much rather just pay the 100k or a portion of the 100k so that you recoup twice as quickly.

Make sense?
 
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