how many of you people get these things?

C

cello_pudding

Well-known member
do you ever respond? this one looks less fishy as it names one of my songs, but perhaps they just have a good spam bot.

"Hi Johnmark,

I heard your song, “Push Poke Pry” and I am very impressed with it. We are currently working on a compilation CD titled “Goin Back Home”. It will feature Folk and Bluegrass artists. I believe that your song would be a perfect fit on this project and I would be honored to have you take part.

My name is Brenden Bosmans and I am a project manager with Quickstar Productions, as well as a musician. Quickstar Productions is a company that specializes in designing music-marketing campaigns and supplying digital distribution services for record labels and independent artists. In 2005, Quickstar Productions released its first Comp CD as a way to promote unsigned artists. This CD was extraordinarily successful in accomplishing its mission! Over the years the company has built off that success and perfected a marketing plan to maximize exposure for the artist. Quickstar Productions is based out of Baltimore, MD and is an active member of the Maryland Better Business Bureau.

“Goin Back Home” will be marketed and made available in the following ways:

1. PHYSICAL SALES: You will receive 50 copies of the CD to sell at whatever price you choose. These will be professionally produced, retail ready CD’s. We recommend selling them for $8. That way you can make $400. You keep 100% of your sales. This is a great way to get more merchandise to sell at your shows and also a way to target other fans in your genre. The idea is that when each artist sells their 50 copies, the other artists on the CD will have their music exposed to other fans of your genre of music. Your song will be exposed to
many new listeners.

2. DIGITAL SALES: The compilation will be made available for sale in all digital stores including iTunes, Rhapsody, Wal-Mart, Napster, and Amazon. Your song will also be available as a ringtone that your fans may purchase. You will receive 50% of profits generated.

3. EXPOSURE: The CD will be sent to record labels, marketing, and management firms. Along with the CD, a booklet featuring your picture and bio will be made available so they can learn a little bit more about you. In addition, free promo copies will be handed out at concerts in the Baltimore/Washington area. Quickstar Productions will also promote the album by using MySpace and banner ads.

4. RADIO: The CD will be sent to college and internet radio stations and be featured on various podcasts throughout the world.

5. NETWORKING: Developing a network with other musicians is key to ones success. This comp CD is a chance to do so. You will be provided with all the other artists information before the CD is released so that you can start show swapping with one another, networking and helping each other out


To have your song included on our upcoming compilation CD please visit our website, QuickstarProductions com download the submission forms. We do not charge a fee to be on “Goin Back Home” but we do ask that you purchase 50 CD’s to distribute at cost ($155). This will be the only cost to you. One of the most important parts of this project is getting the CD into the hands of fans. The more CD’s that you are able to distribute the more exposure everyone gets.

Please check out QuickstarProductions com for more info on this compilation. Since we plan to release this CD in the Spring of 2009, we ask that all submissions be returned by Feb. 25th Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you.

Take care,
Brenden Bosmans
"
 
I've received two from my Soundclick page. One of which I know was legitimate, because I knew the person who sent it to me for a good cause, and the other one I wasn't sure about... Also received one from Myspace but never looked into that one.

I'm really not sure I trust some thing from some one I don't know. I've had a few problems with people using some of my songs without my permission, so I'm rather leery about anything I get on the internet. Another reason why I don't allow free downloads either. :(

You might try a google search for the guy or the company and see if it looks legitimate.
 
cello_pudding said:
do you ever respond? this one looks less fishy as it names one of my songs, but perhaps they just have a good spam bot.

"Hi Johnmark,

I heard your song, “Push Poke Pry” and I am very impressed with it. We are currently working on a compilation CD titled “Goin Back Home”. It will feature Folk and Bluegrass artists. I believe that your song would be a perfect fit on this project and I would be honored to have you take part.

My name is Brenden Bosmans and I am a project manager with Quickstar Productions, as well as a musician. Quickstar Productions is a company that specializes in designing music-marketing campaigns and supplying digital distribution services for record labels and independent artists. In 2005, Quickstar Productions released its first Comp CD as a way to promote unsigned artists. This CD was extraordinarily successful in accomplishing its mission! Over the years the company has built off that success and perfected a marketing plan to maximize exposure for the artist. Quickstar Productions is based out of Baltimore, MD and is an active member of the Maryland Better Business Bureau.

“Goin Back Home” will be marketed and made available in the following ways:

1. PHYSICAL SALES: You will receive 50 copies of the CD to sell at whatever price you choose. These will be professionally produced, retail ready CD’s. We recommend selling them for $8. That way you can make $400. You keep 100% of your sales. This is a great way to get more merchandise to sell at your shows and also a way to target other fans in your genre. The idea is that when each artist sells their 50 copies, the other artists on the CD will have their music exposed to other fans of your genre of music. Your song will be exposed to
many new listeners.

2. DIGITAL SALES: The compilation will be made available for sale in all digital stores including iTunes, Rhapsody, Wal-Mart, Napster, and Amazon. Your song will also be available as a ringtone that your fans may purchase. You will receive 50% of profits generated.

3. EXPOSURE: The CD will be sent to record labels, marketing, and management firms. Along with the CD, a booklet featuring your picture and bio will be made available so they can learn a little bit more about you. In addition, free promo copies will be handed out at concerts in the Baltimore/Washington area. Quickstar Productions will also promote the album by using MySpace and banner ads.

4. RADIO: The CD will be sent to college and internet radio stations and be featured on various podcasts throughout the world.

5. NETWORKING: Developing a network with other musicians is key to ones success. This comp CD is a chance to do so. You will be provided with all the other artists information before the CD is released so that you can start show swapping with one another, networking and helping each other out


To have your song included on our upcoming compilation CD please visit our website, QuickstarProductions com download the submission forms. We do not charge a fee to be on “Goin Back Home” but we do ask that you purchase 50 CD’s to distribute at cost ($155). This will be the only cost to you. One of the most important parts of this project is getting the CD into the hands of fans. The more CD’s that you are able to distribute the more exposure everyone gets.

Please check out QuickstarProductions com for more info on this compilation. Since we plan to release this CD in the Spring of 2009, we ask that all submissions be returned by Feb. 25th Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you.

Take care,
Brenden Bosmans
"
Click to expand...

You always have to be wary of these marketing schemes. A couple of things stand out as suspicious....

They say their Comp CD was extraordinarily successful in accomplishing its mission, but they dont' say how or give references or examples. So, you really don't know.

They say you get 50 cd's to sell and you keep all the sale, but then later say you have to pay $155 for the cd's. So what is it??

Check them out. If their website is a myspace page, walk away. If they can't give references, walk away. If they can't back up their success claims, walk away.

peace.
 
I agree with Chili, definitely look into who this is really coming from. A quick google for "QuickStar Productions" Review will probably point you in the right direction.

If it is legit, then... neato! :)
 
I think they look legit.

Everything seems to check out and there are none of the usual 'scam' vibes surrounding it all. They have loads of their compilation volumes on iTunes.

However I did find this...
Thanks for the post. I, too, was contacted by Quickstar Productions, LLC. Unfortunately, unlike you I did not do enough homework and sent them my $150. That was seven months ago, and I have still not received any CD's. They emailed me once, about 2 months ago, to say they were still getting the compilation put together. I have not heard anything since and I've pretty much given up on seeing anything concrete. To say I feel like a sucker would be an understatement. I notice this thread is a little old, but hopefully you read this before you fork over your cash. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Could be an honest mistake. Who knows?


Whether or not you'll actually gain anything from it is another matter: there are loads of compilations and your track will be just one amongst many; the compilations are real but people may never buy them or take them seriously; etc, etc.
 
mattr said:
I
Could be an honest mistake. Who knows?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. They are most likely a scam. I wish I could say most companies who scour myspace to promote song-pitch services or marketing services are scams, but I don't have any statistics to prove it. However, I have never heard of one that wasn't a scam.

The golden rule is never pay an upfront fee. If someone is going to be an agent for you, they will collect their money when you collect yours.
 
From what I've read these scams are mainly just money-makers for the company involved. Just think about it - CDs are cheap to manufacture. If you and everybody else on there pays $150 they are making a killing.

And who, in the industry is going to hear these CDs??

Keep your money in your pocket.

-Mike
 
I'm calling semi-scam, too. Saw something like in the Atlanta Craigs List, and I think it was from the EXACT SAME COMPANY. And scammers like to evoke some charity, even if they are not providing squat to said charity, because it makes them sound legit and throws doubters off for a bit.

And ask yourself: how often do you BUY a compliation of songs, by bands you have never heard of? I dunno about you, but the number I have bought- ZERO. They are given away, most of the time I ever see them.

Sounds like a good way to throw away $150...
 
i have recieved those things a few times and the first time, it had a phone number and i called it and they were very ambiguous about what they actually do. i do know they put it on itunes and i have seen bands selling them at their shows, but the bands always say it was a waste of money, they never sell and a bunch of the music on there is very poorly recorded and not very enjoyable.

i kind of have a feeling that they are really more concerned about getting your 150 bucks than actually promoting and helping your band. but it is real, there are real cds and it really will be on itunes. so i guess if its worth it to you to have that then go for it! 150 isnt too bad and who knows maybe it could really help your band. especially with the other artists on the comp. they will hear your music and maybe you can become friends with some of them across the country and have somewhere to play/stay if you tour through their town.

my personal opinion, i ignore them anymore
 
I got one of those from my Myspace page. The song they picked out was recorded years ago on a 4-track cassette. The quality was not what you'd expect someone to really want on a compilation CD. Plus it was a cover of a Los Lobos song. Copyrights would be an issue if they really intended to distribute it.

I deleted the message.
 
Thanks for the info in this thread. I have received a few of these in recent history and wondered if I was missing an opportunity. Looks like I was not. :P
 
yeah we got contacted for their 'downtown metal' compilation on myspace - we actually found one of the old comps in a bin at walmart, grabbed it (it was cheap), and every song was terribly recorded, either that or just plain shitty in a musicianship sense. i would say "i wouldn't bother," but i did bother and it didn't go anywhere.
 
I went to a show by a guy who was on one of these compilations yesterday ("Chill Out", by the way). He was giving out the CDs as prizes for trivia questions between songs (presumably, they're not selling very well!)

He seemed ambivalent about it. He liked the idea, but he ackwnoledged that a lot of the bands are pretty scetchy.
 
I received this also, and actually signed up for it. Last week, I got an email saying the cd is done, they are just finishing up the graphics and was confirming everyone's contact info. I believe whole heartedly it is legit otherwise, once they got my money, I'd never hear from them again.

Will it get me anywhere? Probably not. But it is worth it to me for a number of reasons.

For one, it forced me to go into the studio and get the song professionally recorded, which snowballed into my starting to get all of my songs professionally recorded. Had this not come up, I'd probably still be sitting here with none of my music "complete", so it got me out of my comfort zone and forced me to start taking time to out to do something for myself that I've been wanting to do.

Two, because the cd is commercially produced and for sale, it will allow me to join ASCAP which is something I've been wanting to do but haven't been able to meet requirements for joining. Handing over a song and saying, "here, you do it" is a lot easier and cheaper than putting out my own cd for sale, trying to get it onto itunes, etc.

Third. My family is excited I'm going to be on a cd. I'm excited too. Granted, I really don't care for half the music that is on there with me, but it's all good.

In all, I think much of it depends on your attitude. If you go in thinking you're going to be a star from it, you will probably be disappointed. If you go in there thinking of the legit. benefits of it, it will be worth the $155.

If you didn't do it, you missed out on the opportunity, but you can always see if you can get on another one.
 
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