Should I be wary of this..?

[Morgan C]

Got this email on MySpace.. its pretty long if anyone cares to actually read it..

Hey guys,
I found your page here on MySpace and I really liked the song "Descending”. If you are interested, I’d like to extend an invitation to join us for our next volume of our "Downtown Metal” compilation. Below I have included part of the invitation that explains everything about the CD and our cause. Because of the popularity and success of the series we have made a new page. Make sure to also add the Quickstar Productions main page in our top friends. I’m looking forward to working with you and hope to hear back soon!
Rock on,
Bryan

…… My name is Bryan Bosmans, a project manager with Quickstar Productions. We are putting out a compilation CD titled Downtown Metal and we would love to have you join us. This CD is going to be used to showcase metal artists from all over the country. We know that metal is one of the most technical genres around and want more people to appreciate it as much as we do. We’re here to help you guys promote and do everything you’d like to do without needing a record label or a big name. In essence, we work to keep independent and underground bands at their independent status but allow them to accomplish much more as an independent band.

Let me take a step back to tell you a little bit about what we’re all about. Quickstar Productions, LLC. is the baby of three musicians who are disheartened with the current state of the music industry. We are determined to change the way things work. The founders, all being in bands, were sickened with the way the industry enslaves its bread and butter. The bands work for the labels while the labels take all the profits. There wouldn’t be a label if they didn’t have bands to sell, yet they still treat artists with no respect and unfair compensations for their hard work. Why should bands put up with this obvious lack of reverence? The answer is that they have no other option. Quickstar Productions, LLC. aims to change this. We offer the same services as the labels, except we allow the artists to do it on their own. In essence, we work for you We allocate the tools for you to be successful, all while still controlling your own destiny. Being in the industry for over 10 years now, we know how the business works and want to help you get your music heard In addition to our compilation CD’s, we also offer great deals on album mastering, graphic design, merchandise and CD printing, and anything else you may need help with.

“Downtown Metal” will be professionally produced, glass mastered, shrink wrapped, full color, and retail ready. The compilation will be sold by all of the bands on the CD and will also be distributed digitally in more than 300 mp3 retailers worldwide. This includes all of the big stores you’re used to like iTunes, Napster, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Vcast, plus a number of other stores. Quickstar Productions will pay each band 50% of the profits from their online sales. To further help the artists on the compilation, Quickstar Productions will also send out promotional copies to various contacts at record labels (Vagrant, Victory, and Drive-Thru to name a few), Internet and college radio stations, and management firms. Included with the promotional CDs will be a booklet providing more detailed information on each band. The booklet will feature brief bios, contact information, and a photograph or logo. This will be used to help promote each and every artist on the CD.

To have your song included on our upcoming compilation CD, “Downtown Metal”, please visit our website to download the submission forms. We ask that each band purchase 50 CD’s at cost ($200) to help us cover the manufacturing, production, and shipping expenses included with this compilation. Our recommended retail price for the CD is $7.99; however, you can sell them for whatever price you choose. We’ve heard from some bands, for example, that even give them away with a purchase of their own CD. If you sell them for our recommended retail price, you take in $400. This is a great way to get more merchandise to sell at your shows and also a great way to target other fans around the country in your genre. Please check out our website for more information on this compilation and the company. Since we plan to release the CD this winter, we ask that all submissions be returned by December 25th, 2008. If you don’t think you can meet this deadline, give me a call and I’ll see what I can do to get you on a later volume. In addition, please contact us with any questions or concerns. I hope to hear from you soon!


Rock On,
Bryan Bosmans
Quickstar Productions LLC
DowntownMetal@QuickstarProductions.com
www. quickstarproductions. com
443.552.7058 office
410.802.2206 cell
312.235.6598 fax

**Please add an extra 20 dollars for international shipping **

Now it seems alright, they have had 4 volumes before, on iTunes. I'm just extremely cynical about the music industry and don't want to get sucked into something. Its also hard to decipher whether its a "You're in, send us your song" or a "Send your song and $200 and you may have a chance at getting on the CD, but we own your song even if you dont get in".

 

[Sloan]

There's contact information there. Call him, talk to him directly and figure out if it's a good deal or not.

The fact that your being asked to PAY for shit is a red flag anyway. I get messages like this on my personal music myspace page all the time, and I KNOW people are not interested in that shit. srsly.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Comps are the biggest pile of hoarse shit. Being apart of the college radio we get this type of shit all the time. It doesn't even get listened to because 90% of the time you get 24 tracks with MAYBE 1 being good.

Avoid like the plague.

 

[ItsAFugazzi]

I got this. It's a fucking scam. Delete, delete, delete.

 

[Morgan C]

It's not a scam.. they have 4 albums up on iTunes. I just don't want to get slaughtered with legal issues.

From their MySpace they have legal rights over digital distribution over our music but not the actual music itself. Seems pretty alright, except for the fact that I have never ever heard of a single band on any of the 4 albums.. so it can't be that successful.

 

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

Iäve gotten it too, for both bands I play in. Delete!

 

[-Gavin-]

In Alestorm, they emailed us like every 2 weeks... yet never contacted our label when i forwarded the info after explaining that anyone in the music business should know that labels deal with this. they email any and every band. I got an email lie that for a halfassed demo track i put on soundclick. = Shady.

 

[PhilR]

Sounds like bullshit to me. They're expecting you to simply accept their cost valuation for the CD pressing and just hand over the cash. So you give them money, they print the CD's at 50% of what they CLAIM it should have cost and pocket the difference. At that point it doesn't matter if nobody buys a single copy. They already have their cut.

 

[Kazrog]

Compilations = Scams. 9 times out of 10.

 

[Joematthews]

Its basically saying that they want your song but none of the risk that goes with it, becasue they've already made all the money they need to break even. They were willing to accept rubbish from us to put on there. The songs and recordings our band have are piss poor, and I wouldnt want anyone else to have to try and sell them. You have no idea what other stuff is going on there, so you don't know what you have to sell. Avoid, no matter how enticing it seems to be.

I wouldnt be surprised if we get a few first posters on here claiming how good it is haha

Joe

 

[Notuern]

We got one of those mails too.
Its a pile of dogpoop, its cheaper to print those records your self.

 

[Executioner213]

The only ones I see being somewhat of interest are the ones that ship with BW&BK or Metal Maniacs. Only problem there is that it's expensive as fuck to do so! However, the promotion is there, so it seems pretty worthwhile. I've never heard of either magazine (I don't know if Terrorizer does things the same way for thier comp discs) fucking anyone over, so who knows...

 

[Black neon bob]

Yup... i got the same thing a week ago, not sure if it's a scam or not, but sketchy? yes..