JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Ever Hear of Howard Rosen Promo Inc.?

Okay first the disclaimer: I've never heard of this company and know zero about them. This response is not about this particular company, it's simply a general rule thumb type of response.

That said, what possible gain are you hoping to get from paying someone 3000 dollars for airplay across the country if you aren't doing gigs there, don't have product in the stores where the airplay will take place and aren't already a household name that people will go out and look for? Double your money by folding it in half and putting it back into your pocket.

Let's say you succeed in getting a little airplay for that money. The song plays. Someone hears it on the radio. But you aren't playing in town that night. Your CD isn't on the shelf when they walk into the local Borders Bookstore or Wal Mart or Best Buy (which is where most people get their music today). You can't be sure the radio personality will really say much about you and your band so that folks have enough info to find you on the web. So even if they love the song, they'll likely forget it nearly as fast. And that's IF you're 100% successful and get airplay.

On the other hand, you may not get any airplay. No one can guarentee it. Labels spend millions chasing airplay. They also realize that without a lot of repeated airplay, it's wasted money. So they spend and spend in hopes it will be played enough to register in the conciousness of the buying public. It fails most of the time, but succeeds enough on mega stars to keep them doing it (though we all know most labels lose money).

On top of that, College is OUT for the summer. So doing College Radio promo in the summertime is even more risky. Fewer students. Fewer listeners.

When would this be something worth considering? If you were doing a tour of those specific colleges. If you had in store visits to their local CD stores and got in studio performances at the stations. If you could use the airplay directed to each specific market before and after your show and not wasted across the country on random stations that will never remember you after the song has finished.

The cool thing is that YOU can do all that yourself. Use the 3000 dollars to help pay gas and food for your tour and to make your own promo copies to give away to radio stations.

So keep in mind, my opinion above assumes that the company in question is 100% legit and able to do what they say. I suggest even THAT is a long shot of having value. If they are anything less than 100% legit and able.. then it's money pissed away.

Brian