The mechanism
The script is almost always the same. At first, a “piano completo” is proposed, which includes production, distribution, publishing, and digital promotion. A major distributor—often connected to a major international label—is cited to make people believe there is a direct connection to a major label. The artist pays, receives a seemingly legitimate contract, and is reassured with promises of playlist placements, social media campaigns, and industry contacts.
Then, however, the facts tell a different story. The distribution turns out to be standard, accessible to anyone via a standard aggregator. The playlists in which the song should be included never appear, or—in the worst cases—generate anomalous streams from unlikely countries, without any organic growth or real interaction. In practice, an apparent “promozione” activity that in reality amounts to artificial traffic, devoid of artistic and commercial value.
Amounts and Damages
The most serious cases involve artists who have spent very large sums—even more than €10,000 or €15,000—with the promise of a return proportional to their investment. Months later, the results are often disappointing: few actual streams, no media coverage, no official playlist, and a paltry financial return, sometimes less than $100, or just over €80 at the current exchange rate.
In several cases, contracts are managed through multiple companies or different parties, making it difficult to trace the true service provider or obtain refunds. When the artist asks for explanations or tries to get part of their investment back, they receive evasive responses, confusing justifications, or, even worse, annoyed and defensive attitudes.
In some cases, those who attempted legal action discovered that the contractual promises were so vague that it was difficult to prove non-performance. This was a carefully constructed scheme to protect the seller of the service, not the buyer.
Transfers of publishing and rights
Another particularly sensitive aspect concerns publishing or recording transfers. Many artists, believing they are signing a promotion agreement, actually sign contracts that transfer the publishing or master versions of the song to these companies. This is often an unclear detail, slipped between the lines, but it has enormous consequences: the artist loses ownership of their work and finds themselves with a song recorded, published, and controlled by others. And without any real return, neither financially nor in terms of visibility.
How to defend yourself
- Be wary of anyone who promises “accessi diretti” to major labels or specialty distributors without an official contract signed with those parties.
- Always ask for concrete proof of what is being offered: which playlists, which actual results, which campaigns.
- Check who invoices you and under what title: if multiple companies or different names appear, it's a sign of poor transparency.
- Demand a clear, clearly written contract with measurable objectives and defined reimbursement terms.
- Never sell your publishing or recording rights without real compensation.
If this has happened to you before
If you've already signed contracts of this type, lost control of your publishing, or invested in promotions that haven't generated any results, all is not lost. With targeted consulting, it's possible to analyze documents, verify the validity of contracts, reconstruct financial flows, and, in many cases, recover the publishing or obtain a compensation agreement. In the last quarter, I helped my clients recover more than €40,000 in unpaid music rights.
Have you had a similar experience?
If you recognize yourself in this situation, you can schedule a meeting with me for a free analysis of your case. I'll help you understand how to proceed, recover what you're owed, and above all, prevent other artists from falling into the same traps.
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