News Online: Local musician warns of potential scam

Published online at GlobalTVEdmonton.com on January 20, 2011.


Linda Hoang, Global News: Thursday, January 20, 2011

Local musician warns of potential scam

A musician in Edmonton is warning other independent artists to beware of a promotion company that he says almost ripped him off.

Michael Eliuk posts his music to his Myspace page.

He recently received a message from Fast Break Music, a California-based music and artist promotion company, saying that for a $400 fee, they would help promote Eliuk’s songs and ensure his music was heard by the masses.

“How would you like to have your music in movies and in soundtracks and stuff. He made it sound really, really awesome,” Eliuk tells Global Edmonton. “I was really excited because he was calling from Hollywood and he felt like a really important person.”

His parents told him to research the company before sending any money.

That’s when Eliuk found that Fast Break Music may not be all they were advertising.

“I found a couple of stories of people saying that it was fraud. I found out a couple of people were ripped off by that company,” he said.

Now Eliuk is warning other artists about potential scammers.

“Be careful of companies that are too good to be true,” he said.

Adam Thompson, Sonic 102.9’s music director, said new and independent musicians can benefit better by promoting themselves, especially with the growth of social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

“Doing it yourself is a way to protect your brand, get your message out there exactly as you want and it costs nothing,” Thompson said.

But if musicians do choose to be promoted by a separate company, they should do their research beforehand.

“Ask for their artist roster and do your own research, email those bands directly,” he said.

For now Eliuk will continue making music and hopes his story helps prevent other artists from being ripped off.

“I think its important that companies like this are exposed,” he said.

Click here to read the article on the Global Edmonton website.

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