JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Have you heard of artistpr.com

Hi, I just received a phone call from artistpr.com in Hollywood, CA. I got the old "your songs were listened to on your Myspace page and you got a thumbs up by our president and this only happen for 1 out of 10 artists." or something along those lines.

They offer copy/paste:
How Can I Cancel My account?

Artistpr.com offers a 5 day trial for $2.95 automatically recurring at $60.00 a month until you cancel. Click Here to cancel your membership at any time. You can also email support@artistpr.com If you signed up through paypal login to your paypal account and click on "Billing Agreement" then click on "subscription payment" You will be able to cancel your account from there.

Does anyone have any experience with these guys? While I like to hear that my songs have the attention of some big shot, I'm not so egotistical nor diven by a desire to succeed that I will let the least bit of flattery go to my head and cloud my judgement.

The guy who called was a pretty good salesman and attempted to get me to commit to the $2.95 first payment right away with my Visa. I told him that I had to re-check his website to familiarize myself with it again before I committed. I'm supposed to call him back Monday.

I would really appreciate some advice because I'm going to decline the offer unless I get some positive feedback. While I'm interested in selling my songs, I prefer to find people in need of original material and allow them to make the songs a hit. So far I have 4 young women from the US and 1 Canadian band who want to sing my songs. One of them wants to record a few of them.

Thank you for your time
Jeff

Artistpr.com offers a 5 day trial for $2.95 automatically recurring at $60.00 a month until you cancel

Sounds like they'll make it very complicated to cancel. They'll probably get at least one monthly payment off your card first.

Maybe someone here has had experience with them.

Good luck, John

That was one of my first thoughts.

Jeff

Here's their website: http://www.artistpr.com/index.php

Odd, it says sign-up free, but the link takes you to the $60 a month offer (with your credit card).

Don't like the vibes I'm getting from that website.

John

I'd try to cancel out immediately. If it doesn't work, call your credit card company and place a stop payment on it.

John

I, too, would be very hesitant to do business with them. If they truly and honestly liked your music as much as they said they did, they wouldn't be asking for money up front. They would provide their services up front with a clause to recover their expenses (and you always have be careful what they claim to be liegitimate expenses) from future proceeds. Otherwise, they're just playing on your ego.

Also, any site that says "Free sign-up", and when you click on the link they ask for your credit card number, I would steer very clear of them. But, it's the automatic recurring charge that scares me as much as anything. If the 5 day trial, either free or at $2.95, stipulated you would be cancelled if you didn't further agree at the end of the trial period, rather than being automaticallt billed, it might be worth a second look. But even at that, I would be very cautious. How much promotion can they legitimately give you in 5 days? It takes weeks/months, or more, of promotion to be effective. You would have no idea, after just 5 days, how helpful they might be, even if they were legit.

If it were me, I would decline as quickly as I could.

Alan

What is he even offering? I don't see anything that tells me what you are buying?

Quote; If the 5 day trial, either free or at $2.95, stipulated you would be cancelled if you didn't further agree at the end of the trial period, rather than being automaticallt billed, it might be worth a second look

That was one of my first thoughts. And John, if there was any confusion with my post let me say I did NOT sign up. He just seemed too smooth and when I asked him which song it was that got the "thumbs up", he said he didn't know, that it was the boss that listens to and decides that.

As I said in my original post, I'm going to pass on it unless I can find positive feedback on it. I'm searching Yahoo now and checking back here from time to time.

I thank you both John and Alan as well as anyone else who responds. I truly appreciate it when people take the time to help out.

Jeff

Jeff,

You are welcome. We're kind of like that here at JPF. Best of luck to you whatever you do.

Alan

anything that regularlly takes money out of your card like this is BOGUS!! WATCH OUT!!

If you randomly go through sites at myspace, you'll probably only hear about 1 in 10 that have decent music...it actually may be a smaller percentage than that.

The pitch sounds a lot like the scammers who rely on copyright submissions to pitch to songwriters: "Your song has been selected out of THOUSANDS..."

They claim they "work with" companies like Geffen, Atlantic, and Capitol. Ask them who at those companies you can call to confirm their affiliation. Betcha they give you 10 reasons they can't give out that info.

Said it before will say it again.... I have a simple rule.... They pay me not the other way around. Anyone who asks for money upfront without spelling out exactly what you get for your money is up to no good. BEWARE.......

here's the questions I think you should always ask before you purchase a service:

- what is your definition of success, and what is your business plan for your music? how does this service support your goals?

- what is this service going to do for you that you're not doing or couldn't do yourself? You should do it yourself first so you understand what is required, and only purchase help when you don't have sufficient time to do it anymore / or if you can't access that area of the market yourself.

- what is their track record? One assumes a proactive musician has been building their network, reading newsletters and forums to do with music all the time. If this was a fantastic service that really helped artists, then why haven't you heard of it before now?

- who do they accept as members? Have you listened to that music? Is it well-produced, commercially viable?

- how do they go about executing your "pr" for you? What specifically will they do and how will they report the results to you. If they're going to be lumping your music in with other artist's music on a compilation CD, forget it. If they're going to be pitching your music to radio stations... get yourself a copy of the Indie Bible, read the articles and pitch yourself (and follow up your pitches as advised in the book).

- even if they do succeed in getting you "pr" what is the point of that? Do you have a product you are selling, do you have a tour you're selling tickets for... how is this investment going to end up as dollars back in your pocket?

- I don't put any reaccuring charges on my credit card if I can help it. $60 a month = $720 per year. Do they offer a discount if you pay the year up front? (That's more than double a TAXI membership, or an SongU membership, or a NSAI membership. These organizations have good reps.)

Suggested resources for DIY PR:
www.thebuzzfactor.com (Bob Baker)
www.cyberpr.com (Ariel Hyatt)
www.theindiebible.com (The Indie Bible)

I have additional resources listed on my blog, scroll down on the right-hand side.
http://theshysinger-songwriter.blogspot.com/

HTH

Rule#1, NO legit company will contact you on Myspace. Second rule, what Big Jim said.

Hi, this is John Mahoney owner of Artistpr.com I just came across this thread and wanted to respond. First of all we only call Artists that submit their music to us first. The membership at Artistpr.com is extremely easy to cancel. Simply visit our contact page. Our toll free # 9am-6pm PST: 800-983-1362 We also provide a 24 hour cancellation link for our members. Customer satisfaction is very important to us. We do offer a free members area and a premium members area. When you fill out the join 4 free link it takes you to the free members area. Artistpr.com is a publicity firm so we do charge a fee like ALL publicity firms. Managers and agents work on a percentage not publicists. I think this message board is really cool and if anyone here would like a free trial membership to Artistpr.com you can call our toll free # 800-983-1362 Ask for Zach...he will be happy to answer any questions you may have. I would also suggest reading the FAQ section at Artistpr.com As far as our track record I would suggest reading our testimonials.

Best Regards
John Mahoney
President/Ceo
www.artistpr.com
myspace.com/artistpr

Mr. Mahoney,

I appreciate you coming onto the site and visiting with us personally. That immediately improves the credability of you and your organization in our eyes. I think you have adequately answered some of the questions that have been raised here.

As I previewed your site, I correctly preceived that you were a publicity organization for musicians/performers. The only nit I have is that I wasn't able to determine exactly how you go about promoting your clients. Perhaps I missed that somewhere along the way. Most of what I was able to garner was rather general in nature. Perhaps if you made those client benefits more obvious and more specific, it would help to alleviate some of the confusion. Again, it is quite possible I simply missed it.

Most folks do not mind paying for a service if the price is fair, it is a service that typically incurs charges within the industry and the services are clearly explained.

Here at JPF, we are a very tight group of folks, even as large as we are. Some of our members have been burned for a lot of money from companies that are not up front and that are dishonest. They do so by hiding behind small print and their own conceived definitions of services of offered...in other words, misleading.

I do not mean to imply at all that that is what you are doing. I simply would like you to know why we are initially distrustful of many organizations with whom we are not familiar. We, too, have a track record of watching out for one another. As I said, we are a pretty tight-knit group here at JPF.

I would like to thank you again for your personal appearance and the explanation of some of our questions. Welcome to the site and for the offer of a free trial membership. Although a bit distrustful at times upon first meeting, we are a great group of creative artists who who work hard to help one another.

Here's wishing you well. Again, welcome!

Alan

I can't believe how easily fooled some people here are!

This company is very very obviously bogus.

I've been in the industry for about 11 years, not long I know. But I have seen a lot, and 99% of what is offered to artist is bogus. Including Taxi etc.

That must be why Artistpr.com has worked with Punk Legends the Bad Brains and Jail House Records works with a bunch of Punk Bands no one has ever heard of. The only thing bogus here is your opinion which is based on pure speculation and zero facts.

That must be why Artistpr.com has worked with Punk Legends the Bad Brains

In what capacity? Did you carry their equipment to gigs, or were you responsible for their success?

John

I was their publicist for a number of years and we have a testimonial on our website.

"Jah Bless you artistpr.com You are the ultimate marketing tool for Bands and Independent Artists. This is the best promotional tool for Arists and bands I have seen in my 20 plus years in the music business."

-- Hr singer of The Bad Brains (the pioneers of hardcore punk).

Facts are good.

Can you provide the facts on your affiliation with Geffen, Atlantic, and Capitol and what that affiliation has done for specific clients?

We have relationships with a number of A&R reps at various labels. We have gotten our Artists heard by Major Labels. I used to work at a variety of Major Labels. If your truly interested in learning about what we offer and not just criticizing give me a call and we can talk about it. Have a great Easter : )

I don't think it's unreasonable for any of us to have uncertainties about your integrity, considering all the scams on the internet that use similar mechanisms in devious ways.

Are you willing to give a list of references (with phone numbers) of songwriters that you've gotten cuts placed with major artists/ record companies?


John

It would appear that you, as an artist, need to have a pretty good track record before you use a service such as this. If you are not up and running a service such as this may not do much for you.

John Lawrence wrote: "Are you willing to give a list of references (with phone numbers) of songwriters that you've gotten cuts placed with major artists/ record companies?"

You really think its "reasonable" for me to post private information on a public message board so my contacts can get random phone calls at all hours from people they don't know? Are you willing to post all your personal contact information of all your "Credits" so I can verify who you are? Im not asking you to sign up with us so I really have nothing to prove to you.

First, I'm not defending artistpr since I know next to nothing about them, have no affiliation with them, and am only providing another viewpoint from my experiences.

I think that PR firms have a bad reputation with indie artists - too many artists get burned. Sometimes it's the artist's fault (they simply might not be very good or very commercial and have a hard time accepting that). We also need to understand that NO ONE gets famous without PR - whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it. Major labels spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in PR to launch a new artist. PR is usually an up-front expense, not a back-end residuals or percentage cut like agents and managers.

PR is not management or being an agent. It's simply getting the artist known and (hopefully) well-thought of. There are many, many creative ways to get that done. The difficulties I've seen with PR firms is that they are very good at what I'd call "weasel clauses" which allow them to weasel out of specific deliverables/results. If you could get a PR firm to commit to something like "Within six months we will produce logs from 50 college radio stations that have played your song", or "your press release appeared in the following 75 trade magazines and here is a photocopy of each as evidence", then we'd have something measurable, and can hold them accountable. However, I doubt very much whether any PR firm would put those specifics into a contract. It's always much more nebulous such as "we will expose you to...", "we will forward your material", etc. - hence the distrust.

Someone above mentioned TAXI. Now anyone of any talent level can join TAXI, but they will only "promote" (forward) material that they feel meets a certain quality level. Anyone who has been with TAXI knows how high the bar is really set at this point in time and not everyone has the right material for them.

PR firms may or may not be similarly selective. The big ones are; probably not so much the smaller pr firms. It's difficult to get a song played on radio or to get a press release in local music magazines. It's certainly harder to guarantee it. If you want to pay for an ad in a music magazine, that's different, and that's often how the major labels (and many Indie labels) do some of their PR - check out all the big ads in Rolling Stone Magazine or even Music Connection on "debut CDs" or new artist releases, for instance. Those are PAID ads.

Certainly, you need to be careful who you deal with, what promises are being made, and to make sure you spend your marketing budget wisely. That's kind of a given. We here at JPF we are quick to bash anyone who asks for money up front, but in ANY business, there are promotional and marketing costs that simply have to be borne up front. You need the "seed" money. For example, I can't imagine opening a sporting goods business or an insurance business without paying for some ads or promotion somewhere. Shouldn't launching a new artist be treated much the same as opening a new business?

Just some food for thought...

I didn't mean posting it on the Internet. You certainly have some references you could give me privately???

Would I be willing to give you my private numbers? Of course not! But then I'm not running a business that relies on trust.

John

You Make some great points Larry : ) Music Promotion costs money...Bottom Line. It always has and it always will. I don't know of one pr firm that works on a percentage. The days of Big advances and tour support from Record Labels are long gone. Record Labels are barely hanging on by a thread and are focused on their A list stars already making money. Labels are not signing new artists like they used to because they don't have the resources. Record Labels these days want an artist with a proven track record of success before they will sign a new artist. This goes for any established agent or manager too. This means that you need promotion and unless you want to do it yourself you will have to pay for it. Just because you sign up with a service like Taxi or Artistpr and you didn't become "successful" doesn't mean that the company is a scam. Keep in mind that Major Labels only have a 1% success rate. Does that mean every major label that failed to break an Artist is a scam?

I agree with everything you said until your very last sentence. The difference is that major labels do not ask for your credit card number: therein lies the rub.

It requires higher degrees of trust to make that leap, and will therefore require more documentation validating either results or at the least, specific attempts at results.

Exactly because they are Record Labels NOT independent promotion companies. Record Labels still pay for promotion and that cost is passed on to the Artist. Also, keep in mind that Allot of labels outsource their work to promotion companies. I have seen Major Label Artists sell half a million records and still be broke. It would require far more "trust" to sign with a major label then spending $60 with a promotion company. If you sign with a major label and you don't "make it" no other record label will touch you again. Also, there is no guarantee that a record label will even release your record even if you are signed. I have worked at a number of major labels and seen a ton of records shelved and never released. There are far more horror stories of bands getting screwed over by record labels then promotion companies. A company that is out to take advantage of bands doesn't offer a free membership like I did here. Critics and hecklers will always find the negative no matter what sorta proof you put in their face. If I am interested in working with an artist and they request references that's one thing but I don't hand them out to total strangers who I'm not even interested in working with.

A company that is out to take advantage of bands doesn't offer a free membership like I did here

Exactly what does a free membership entitle one to?

John

I'm new here folks, but not new to music. Remember that "sharks" are counting on one thing only, that people in this bizz will do just about anything to have their song cut or song heard. They count on the adage "star struck". This is a business and people get burned in business. It is up to the artist to be aware, learn from professionals, seek legal advice whenever they are offered contracts, simply learn the business end. This will help you in the long run. Believe me, there are some honorable companies out there that offer true professional services, however the sharks outweigh the good guys!
Tread softly, do your homework, ask around, don't be so quick to jump.
My advice is free, no minimum purchase required! LOL
I'm speaking from experience.
Nice to be here and hope to meet many of my contemporaries.

Regards

Larry

http://www.LarryMigliore.com

http://www.myspace.com/LarryMigliore

Hey John,

Welcome to JPF.

Seems you have a problem here, and that problem is trust.

As the CEO of a company trying to win friends, and influence people, I don't think you're doing a very good job.

As one who is in the service industy, you may think you can big mouth it to a bunch of bottom of the heap songwriters, but it really doesn't work that way. There would be one or two folks here who will just be sitting back and having a quiet chuckle. A $2.95 intro ? Please ! Don't even get me started.

You're not known, you haven't developed any relationships here, and you are defensive about your product.

You may not realise that most of the guys here are well over 40+ yrs of age. They've chugged down way too many beers with others in the industry over time, and can read it for what it is.

If you provide a decent service, your peers will speak for you. PR is a difficult game, and I wish you all the best. Just remember, it's the client who hires you, not the other way around.

cheers, niteshift

PS - Gidday Larry ! I recognise the mugshot from IAC. Glad you could join us.

You know how I know that artistpr.com is pretty much a scam?

And I am only giving my 2 cents because I got burned many times before and I would be happy if I can help others not to get burned.....

Anyways....about a week ago or so I registered for free on their site......Sure enough I received a call from a Philip T from Artis PR stating exactly : " Your music got a thumbs up and this usually happens to 1 in 10 people that they deal with and that's why I got a phone call from him blah blah blah....." He basicly explained all this good sweet sounding stuff then came in the talk about the membership which really raised a red flag.

To make this short.....basicly I never really had any music uploaded to any site....I have yet to add the songs to my myspace.....which leads to the question : What music of mine got the thumbs up? Obviously no one listend to it and the person at the Artistpr.com made that up to get me to sign up...There is no doubt about that... I then told the artistpr person that I'll call back....when I decide I am ready....

I even asked him which song got the thumbs up and he of course could not asnwer stating that he doesn't have the info in front of him.


I would NOT trust them a bit.... they'll take your money and most likely not do a thing for you......

You can definatelly promoto you're music yourself ...it just takes time, and hard work, research....etc.....good things don't come out easy........ and giving Artist PR $60 a month and wating for a miracle....it ain't gonna happen....that would be too easy.....

See Andrew Aversa's thread in "Success stories" {Song placed in the T.V show "Heroes} There are plenty of legit places to submit your music for non-exclusive licensing that cost little or nothing.
I can personally vouch for Pump Audio.

Bob I agree Pump audio IS the bomb and my personal friends have had stuff placed in NBA commercials and widely seen ads. I have yet to be placed with them but I'm working towards it... definitely some possibilities no matter what style you are.

Now, here's the deal with "artist pr" based on my experience with them:

Not worth considering at all until you're already running with some steam behind you. Their site only lists artist testimonials for established bands they have worked with who already had MAJOR deals BEFORE working with Artistpr. Bad Brains? They were signed in 1979. In addition, when Artistpr called me, the same day I signed up on their site, they never could tell me ANYTHING they have done for ANY unsigned/indie artists no matter how many times I asked them... I felt like a broken record but they just couldn't give me any specifics at ALL and expected me to just sign up with my CC, without me even getting the most GENERAL game plan from them, and told me that if I "didn't suck", they could help me. Never once did the guy mention jack squat about what specifically they would/could do to help an indie artist like myself. Also it was obvious they did not listen to my music before calling. Don't waste your time!!

Get your own steam going then it will be worth your time and you'll be able to choose from proven PR firms that have a track record with indie artists. Better to invest time/energy into your own promotion and music than with firms like this.

Bottom line: I don't care if it's "only a 2.95 trial." Not worth the time/trouble to find out how it is unless I see that other unsigned artists have had something happen with them.

I forgot to add, the guy told me they could get me "1,000 plays on myspace" as part of the deal for me doing the trial. In this day and time of 2011, that is absolutely worthless.

I too worked with HR.. He came through town, hired some musicians and played a show to a thin house, then disappeared into the fray.
Without word of pay...

However as far as Artistpr is concerned, I can tell you at the very least, when called on what a PR firm actually does they admitted "That isn't what we do". So if it's ok to screw over the less informed, then it's all perfectly legitimate.

Larry, could you list some of those creative ways,
you mentioned, I'm very interested in them...much more than in
artistpr.com services

have you seen this yet

http://www.marilyncarino.com/home/indie_artists_beware_artistprcom/


apparently anyone who second guesses them gets the same treatment. check the 13+ complaints on the bbb site. and if you google map their company it's shows up as a mailbox!

Sorry to bump this. Just ran across it accidentally. "Punk legends". And you've never heard of The Unseen, The Pinkerton Thugs, Blanks 77, Ducky Boys Symbol Six among over 30 others? You're a scam Artist PR. I don't care if you have Guns n Roses on your roster, You're a scam. Want to sit there and insult people. I make a living from what I do. "Band that no ones heard of"? People sure do buy a lot of these bands records considering no ones heard of em. Bow down ArtistPR. You wish you had a punk rock roster like we did.

SCAM CITY...UGH.....

Most of the sites of this nature charge about $20 per month,
so $60 sounds excessive. Of all of them, I like Broadjam and Taxi the best. Taxi is $300 per year ( but I put it on a credit card, and pay monthly that way ). Broadjam I think is $10 per month, I forget. I was a member of ArtistPR briefly, and I forgot why I decline, I think it was that I wasn't impressed with them, for some reason. Maybe they are better now, I don't know. Oh,
I just remembered why I declined them: I'm not promoting myself
as an artist, only a songwriter. Broadjam and Taxi are better
for songwriters, in my opinion.

A real nasty bunch over there... a scab from the past has been picked!