Here are some red flags to be aware of that we have come across over the years:
- Gig promoters who want to book you for a gig, but ask you to buy a load of tickets in advance to sell yourself – The musicians shouldn’t be paying to do the promoters job (selling tickets) and if your playing somewhere where you don’t have a following you can easily end up out of pocket.
- Fake sales/buyers on Ebay/Facebook/Gumtree – Be careful about who you buy from online, we hear of countless episodes where an instrument is posted and no money is received / an instrument arrives and is clearly a fake / money is sent and no instrument arrives. Make sure you use payment methods that cover you for these situations.
- Studios/Agencies who flatter you and promise to give you publicity/management/revenue but only after you pay for an expensive recording package/photoshoot – be wary of parting with your cash, unless you are certain that the contacts have your best interest at heart.