Bad Deal: - This bears repeating - BAD DEAL. Making it in the music industry is hard, hard work. It takes dedication, patience, perseverance, humility and not a little bit of luck. Anyone who tells you anything different either doesn't know what they're talking about or is lying to you. Anyone who wants to charge you money for a cheerleading session and some meaningless and/or bad advice is taking advantage of you. Oh, they'll yell loudly, stomp their feet, be over-opinionated, and tell you that anyone who doesn't use their service or see things their way lacks vision/doesn't know what they're talking about/doesn't really want to make in the music industry. Kind of trying to sell you a timeshare. The bottom line is that it is oh-so-easy to prey on people's dreams, like becoming a successful musician, and a lot of people are willing to exploit that to make a quick buck. Be careful out there.
These five scenarios are just a few examples of some common deals you might encounter, but you have probably detected a theme that will help you judge other deals that come your way. Deals that aren't necessarily financially rewarding may have other benefits that can be very helpful when you're trying to build your music career. On the flipside, paying for something that is usually offered for free or under a different fee structure is a red flag. In other words - common sense. Your best tool in making real progress in your music career is judging your opportunities with a clear, realistic head and making good decisions.
